Germany – Tachograph and Driving-Time Penalties

In Germany, an infringement is not only a fine. It also carries a severity category that may matter when a

transport operator is assessed.

This quick guide presents the information from the German reference document on Regulation EC No 561/2006 and

Regulation EU No 165/2014 in a clear, usable format. It shows which type of infringement is assessed, how it is

classified and which thresholds or amounts are listed.

The guide covers:

• driving time and breaks;

• daily and weekly rest;

• derogations and special situations;

• tachograph installation and use;

• driver cards and manual entries;

• country symbols, printouts and downloaded data;

• faults, missing records and the duty to produce information;

• MI, SI, VSI and MSI categories;

• differences between driver and company penalties where they are shown separately.

You receive an English-language PDF with 7 compact A4 reference sheets, visual tables and classification examples.

The file is available immediately after payment and can be kept on your phone or printed for the cab.

It costs less than a coffee stop at an Autohof. A German fine definitely does not.

Independent educational material. It is not legal advice and not an official publication of a German authority. A

sanction in a specific case may depend on duration and extent, repeated conduct, evidence and procedure. Always

check the current official rules.

Know the risk before the roadside check, not after the report.