End of the StVZO: What Germany’s new FGBV means for motorcycle modifications

• Planned start of the FGBV: January 1, 2029
• Vehicles that entered service before that date are to remain subject to the old rules
• The general inspection and emissions test are moving into a separate regulation, the RTPV

Every motorcyclist in Germany gets to know the StVZO, the German Road Traffic Licensing Regulations, at the latest when they want to fit a different exhaust, a new handlebar or other indicators. This very set of rules is now set to disappear. On July 20, 2026, the Federal Ministry of Transport presented a draft bill that completely reorganizes the rules for the construction, approval and operation of vehicles. Many of the basic rules remain unchanged in substance. In several places, however, procedures and wording are changing in ways that could matter to home mechanics, custom bike builders, workshops and owners of older motorcycles.

What is the FGBV and when is it supposed to replace the StVZO?

The FGBV is the planned successor to the StVZO and, according to current plans, is to come into force from 2029. The name stands for „Verordnung über die Genehmigung und den Betrieb von Fahrzeugen“, the regulation on the approval and operation of vehicles.

The draft officially bears the title „Regulation on the reorganization of the operation and approval of vehicles and of road traffic regulations“. It is intended to replace two existing sets of rules at once: the StVZO and the Vehicle Approval Regulation (FGV). Their content will be spread across several regulations. The FGBV takes over the construction and operating requirements as well as the rules for approving vehicles. The periodic technical inspections, above all the general inspection (HU) and the emissions test (AU), are to move into a separate regulation abbreviated RTPV. Rules on behavior in road traffic will in future be part of the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO).

The aim is to make the complicated technical requirements easier to understand and to align them more closely with European type approval and UN regulations. Type approval is the authorization of an entire vehicle model by the authorities, which is regulated uniformly across the EU. The federal government expects the reform to reduce bureaucracy and lead to more consistent application by testing and inspection organizations such as TÜV and DEKRA. According to these two organizations, the FGBV’s own construction and operating requirements are considerably leaner than those in the StVZO. For many details, the relevant EU law is to apply directly in future.

What applies to motorcycles that are already registered?

Motorcycles that first entered service before January 1, 2029 are to remain subject to the rules in force until then. This is provided for by the transitional rule in Section 56 of the draft.

So anyone riding a motorcycle today will not have to adapt it to new construction rules just because the FGBV is coming. This grandfather clause is not entirely free of open questions, however. The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) points out that the FGBV’s fine provisions only cover violations of the FGBV itself. In its view, this leaves it unclear on what legal basis certain violations involving older vehicles will be penalized in future once the StVZO no longer exists. The Federal Guild Association of the Two-Wheeler Trade also demands that the grandfather clause must be clearly recognizable and usable in everyday practice for workshops, parts dealers and owners.

When does the operating permit expire after a modification?

According to the draft, the basic rule stays the same: the operating permit expires if a modification changes the vehicle type, may endanger other road users or worsens exhaust or noise behavior. What is new is that an expired operating permit is to become valid again once the motorcycle is restored to its approved condition.

The operating permit is the official confirmation that a vehicle, as built, may be ridden on public roads. This rule is set out in Section 8 of the draft. For the TÜV Association and DEKRA, the restoration rule does not go far enough. They consider it contradictory that an operating permit should first expire and then come back to life. Instead, they propose that for reversible modifications the operating permit should merely be suspended as long as the vehicle does not match its approved condition. Proof of the restoration should then be limited to the points affected by the original modification.

There is also criticism of a term that is decisive for every modification. The draft speaks of a „legally relevant influence“ of a modification on the approval. According to TÜV and DEKRA, however, this term is not defined. That leaves a lot of room for interpretation on the question of which modifications have to be presented to an inspector at all.

The two-wheeler trade, on the other hand, explicitly welcomes the fact that professional repairs and the replacement of worn parts are not to be treated as modifications requiring approval without good reason. The VDA would also like it clarified that aging, wear or lack of maintenance do not cause the operating permit to expire. In addition, in its view it remains open whether the well-known catalog of examples for Section 19 StVZO will continue to apply. This catalog currently specifies which modifications require an inspection and when an approved part is sufficient.

What changes for workshops and tuners?

According to Section 8 (5) of the draft, manufacturers, importers and other businesses may not carry out, commission or offer as a service any modifications that cause the operating permit to expire. This remains permitted only if a new operating permit is obtained without delay. The business can transfer this obligation to the owner in writing or electronically. Violations are to be punishable by a fine.

The Federal Guild Association of the Two-Wheeler Trade warns that the provision must not be understood as a general ban on tuning or modifications. When a modification is offered, a new operating permit naturally cannot exist yet. The association is therefore calling for the word „offer“ to be deleted and for businesses to be explicitly exempted if the customer later fails to have the inspection carried out after a documented transfer. The associations of the motor trade also demand legal certainty on the question of when responsibility passes to the owner.

Which parts will require approval in future?

The draft lists the components requiring approval in an Annex 6. According to the explanatory memorandum, however, this list is not exhaustive for parts requiring EU approval. In addition, the FGBV dispenses with the description of the well-known E and e approval marks previously contained in Section 21a StVZO and instead refers to the European and international regulations. The two-wheeler trade fears that workshops and parts dealers will then have to search through additional legal acts to clarify whether a part needs approval. It is calling for a freely accessible, up-to-date register listing the component, vehicle class, legal basis and an image of the respective approval mark.

How are individual approvals supposed to work in future?

For individual approvals, the draft introduces a tiered testing system, the so-called testing cascade. If there are no suitable requirements for an individual vehicle, the rules for small series apply first, followed by those for vehicles from unlimited series production.

Individual approvals concern, for example, custom bikes, one-offs or heavily modified motorcycles for which no suitable type approval exists. The two-wheeler trade sees the greatest risks here. EU Regulation 168/2013, which governs the approval of motorcycles, does not harmonize national individual approval. Germany therefore has room for maneuver here. If requirements intended for series production are transferred indiscriminately to handcrafted one-offs, the association warns of additional inspections, higher costs, longer waiting times and dependence on technical services.

From the trade’s point of view, further points in the draft tighten the documentation requirements:

• If a fitted part lacks a national parts approval, Section 4 (5) is to require a „complete inspection of the vehicle including the vehicle part“. The association wants only the systems that the part actually affects to be re-inspected.
• Under Section 7 (4), test results are to be recorded in test reports that refer to the vehicle identification number. Results may only be taken over from an identical comparison vehicle. According to the trade, this goes beyond the current Section 21 StVZO.
• If a modification changes the vehicle type, Section 8 (4) requires that all rules for the new vehicle type be met in full.

TÜV and DEKRA also consider the testing cascade sensible in principle, but want the sequence of stages set out more clearly in the text of the regulation. For individual vehicles, some tests can destroy the component, for example strength tests. For such cases, they call for equivalent alternative evidence. After an initial review, the Central Association of Body and Vehicle Engineering concludes that the draft would restrict the existing national exemptions from the European rules, with consequences for handcrafted one-off production.

What changes for exhaust systems and noise checks?

According to the draft, silencers and replacement silencers on motorcycles and other class L vehicles may only be used if they bear the prescribed EU or UN approval mark. Systems used exclusively in motorsport are exempt.

Under EU law, class L includes motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and light quads. The rule is set out in Section 31 (2) and refers to EU Regulation 168/2013 and Delegated Regulation 134/2014. The two-wheeler trade sees a problem here for older systems. Among vehicles on the road there are many silencers that were lawfully approved under earlier directives such as 78/1015/EEC or 97/24/EC. The text gives the impression that these may no longer be used or replaced. The association is therefore calling for explicit confirmation that such approvals remain valid. TÜV and DEKRA even propose deleting the paragraph entirely, since EU rules are to apply anyway. They also criticize the lack of a rule for exhaust systems approved together with the vehicle.

Noise checks are also regulated in the draft. If a vehicle is suspected of being too loud, the rider must have the stationary noise measured when instructed. If this value does not allow a clear conclusion, the pass-by noise can also be measured. If the measuring point is not in the direction of travel, the obligation only applies if the detour is no more than 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). If an exceedance is found, the owner pays for the measurement. If the rider is personally responsible for the exceedance, they must bear the costs.

Trailers and sidecars: these rules are in the draft

For class L vehicles, the towing capacity under Section 23 may not exceed 50 percent of the unladen mass. A trailer without its own brake may only be towed behind a motorcycle if the motorcycle has all-wheel braking and the trailer has only one axle. A motorcycle is also considered a vehicle with all-wheel braking if the front and rear brakes are operated separately. For a sidecar outfit, this only applies if the sidecar wheel is also braked. A single-axle trailer without an adequate brake of its own may weigh no more than half of the towing vehicle’s unladen mass increased by 75 kg (165 lbs), and no more than 750 kg (1,653 lbs).

The two-wheeler trade criticizes the fact that the draft speaks of „unladen mass“, while EU law uses „mass in running order“. According to the association, the 50 percent limit comes from Delegated EU Regulation 44/2014. The federal government should therefore push for a review in Brussels.

What does the FGBV mean for classic motorcycles?

Anyone who wants a motorcycle classified as a historic vehicle will, according to the draft, still need an expert report. The requirements are the originality of the vehicle, a good state of care and preservation and compliance with the regulations.

The two-wheeler trade fears that the term „originality“ could be interpreted more strictly than the current wording, under which a classic vehicle must correspond „as far as possible“ to its original condition. Period modifications, professional repairs and replacement parts that are no longer available as originals would have to remain permitted. TÜV and DEKRA propose explicitly allowing modifications that are period-correct or were demonstrably made at least 30 years ago.

For very old motorcycles there is another open question. Today, the StVZO allows detachable, type-approved LED bicycle lighting on motorcycles first registered before January 1, 1938. For first registration before January 1, 1961, detachable speedometers and odometers are permitted under certain conditions. According to the two-wheeler trade, there is no sign in the draft that these concessions will be carried over. The association is calling for them to be explicitly included in the FGBV.

Criticism from the associations: where improvements are needed

In principle, the reform meets with approval. The Motorcycle Industry Association (IVM) sees it as an important step toward aligning national rules with European and international ones. „The modernization of the StVZO was long overdue“, the association says.

When it comes to the workload, however, opinions differ. The draft assumes that hardly any additional effort will arise for citizens and no measurable additional effort for businesses. The two-wheeler trade counters that training, additional expert reports, test reports and waiting times have not been taken into account. According to the association, the stated savings are largely based on changes in substance such as the 100 km/h (62 mph) rule for trailers, and not on the new structure itself. TÜV and DEKRA expect considerable costs for IT, training and project management at the testing organizations.

The Central Association of the German Motor Trade and the Federal Guild Association of the Motor Vehicle Trade are calling, among other things, for the FGBV and RTPV to come into force at the same time, an implementation period of at least twelve months and a review of the impact after three years. The VDA stresses that in important areas the draft goes beyond a mere reorganization. According to its account, experience from other European countries shows that fully adopting all type approval requirements can noticeably reduce the number of feasible individual approvals.

Another point of criticism: several official notices that are important for applying the new rules have so far only been included in the draft as placeholders. The two-wheeler trade therefore asks for these to be presented before the procedure is completed and for the opportunity to submit a supplementary statement.

What happens next with the reform?

The draft has not yet been adopted and is currently in the consultation phase with the federal states and associations. It is likely to be some time before the new regulation actually applies.

In September 2026, numerous associations submitted their statements, including TÜV and DEKRA, the two-wheeler trade, the motor trade and the automotive industry. Whether and how the ministry takes up the proposals remains open. For motorcyclists in Germany, the FGBV is therefore one of the most important legal topics of the coming years, because it redefines the basis for every modification, every individual approval and the classification of classic vehicles. Whether the implementation will ultimately prove practical remains to be seen.

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