Support us

Weight limitGermany

An introduction to the traffic rules and road signs of Germany. Learn about driving, road safety and much more in our illustrated book, with answers to frequently asked questions.

For informational purposes only. Always follow official regulations. Some content and images were created with AI assistance.

Traffic signs
Traffic rules
Germany

47. Weight limit

A weight limit prohibits vehicles or vehicle combinations whose mass exceeds the value shown from entering or passing a road section, bridge, tunnel or other structure. Depending on local law, the restriction may concern the vehicle’s actual loaded mass, maximum authorised mass or load on an individual axle.

Drivers must know which type of mass the sign refers to and must include the vehicle, passengers, cargo and any trailer where required. A vehicle that exceeds the limit must use another suitable route.

Weight restriction at the Osterhausen bascule bridge over the Elisabethfehn Canal. (Barßel, Lower Saxony, Germany)
Wikimedia.org • JoachimKohler-HB • CC BY-SA
Does every weight-limit sign measure the same kind of vehicle weight in Germany?

No. A signed actual-mass limit differs from an axle-load restriction or a vehicle-category prohibition based on authorised maximum mass. Germany’s roundel with only a mass figure concerns actual mass; the lorry-category sign has different rules. Identify the sign before comparing it with your vehicle’s figures.

🔗 gesetze-im-internet.de • Germany StVO: Annex 2, signs 253,262–263 and actual-mass rules for combinations

Vehicles heavier than indicated prohibited. Vehicles heavier than indicated prohibited.

English • Traffic sign 262 • Actual mass (the sub-number represents the numerical value).

Deutsch • Verkehrszeichen 262 • Tatsächliche Masse (Unternummer steht jeweils für den Zahlenwert).

Sources

🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Verwaltungsvorschriften-im-internet.de • VzKat, Anhang (Gesamtübersicht)

Image via Commons.wikimedia.org
Bundesministerium für Verkehr • Public domain • Source revision 2017-10-08. Wikimedia original unmodified.

Do cargo and trailers matter for a posted weight restriction in Germany?

Cargo and occupants count towards actual mass. For Germany’s signed actual-mass restriction, a combination is normally assessed by each individual vehicle. For an articulated vehicle, the tractor including its imposed load and the semitrailer’s actual axle loads are assessed separately. An axle-load restriction is a different check; do not simply compare the entire combination’s mass with every sign.

🔗 gesetze-im-internet.de • Germany StVO: Annex 2, signs 253,262–263 and actual-mass rules for combinations

What should you do if your vehicle exceeds a bridge weight limit in Germany?

Do not drive onto the bridge. Follow the signed alternative route and check the vehicle’s gross and axle loads as applicable. A general heavy-vehicle permit does not automatically authorise crossing every restricted bridge.

🔗 gesetze-im-internet.de • Germany StVO: Annex 2, signs 253,262–263 and actual-mass rules for combinations

1 Germany 2 Motorway 3 Expressway 4 Residential area 5 Zone 6 Speed limit 7 Footpath 8 Bike path 9 Shared-use path 10 Pedestrian warning 11 Tunnel 12 Bridge 13 Cycling street 14 Pedestrian zone 15 Toll road 16 Customs 17 One-way traffic 18 Quay 19 Slope 20 Bus lane 21 Bus stop 22 Dead end 23 Stop sign 24 Give way 25 Roundabout 26 Priority road 27 Road narrowing 28 Priority over oncoming traffic 29 Give way to oncoming traffic 30 Pedestrian crossing 31 Railway crossing 32 Mandatory direction 33 School area 34 Overtaking 35 Crossing animals 36 Slippery road 37 Rockfall 38 Aircraft 39 Curve 40 Chevron 41 Wrong-way driving 42 Roadworks 43 Crosswind 44 Height limit 45 Width limit 46 Length limit 47 Weight limit 48 Radar speed sign 49 Selective barriers 50 Low-emission zone 51 Intersection direction sign 52 Priority at the next junction 53 Traffic lights 54 Traffic lights warning 55 Pedestrian lights 56 Road markings 57 Junction layout 58 Bike box 59 Speed feedback 60 Driving licence 61 Location marker 62 Countdown markers 63 Traffic mirror 64 Emergency telephone 65 International border 66 Pedestrian underpass 67 Cycling route 68 End of restriction 69 Parking 70 No parking 71 No stopping 72 Parallel parking 73 Park and ride 74 Kiss and ride 75 Parking meter 76 Parking disc 77 Disabled parking 78 Traffic management 79 Reversing 80 Traffic jam 81 Detour 82 Uncontrolled crossroad 83 Road surface 84 Exit 85 Horse riding 86 Provisional licence 87 Hazardous cargo 88 Emergency exit 89 Runaway truck ramp 90 Oversize load 91 Cycle highway 92 Carsharing 93 City limit 94 Gantry 95 Distance board 96 Breakdown bay 97 Hiking 98 Pavement parking 99 Road church 100 Tourist attraction ...