As of today, the following applies to vehicles with certain license plates: They are not allowed to drive or park on public roads. Anyone who ignores this is taking a high risk.
From November 1st, many vehicles with seasonal license plates will no longer be allowed to be driven or parked on public roads. From this point on, you must be on private property because the insurance coverage ends outside the specified period of use. The ADAC warns: Anyone who does not adhere to this risk fines and loss of insurance coverage. But what exactly are seasonal license plates and who are they worth it for?
A seasonal license plate is particularly interesting for owners who only use their vehicle in certain months. Classic candidates are motorcycles, convertibles, mobile homes and caravans. The special license plate saves you having to go to the registration office for annual registration and deregistration and reduces costs: vehicle tax and insurance are only calculated for the actual period of use.
The special thing about the seasonal license plate is that owners can determine the period of use themselves – between two and eleven months per year. The months in which the vehicle can be driven are written on the right of the license plate, for example “04/10” for the very popular period April to October – which has now ended.
This means: After the period of use has expired, the insurance will no longer cover any damage on public roads or parking lots. The vehicle is then only insured on private property.
The same fees apply for registering a seasonal license plate as for regular registration. However, in the months in which the vehicle is not in use, the pro-rata costs for tax and insurance do not apply. This particularly relieves the burden on vehicle owners who only want to use their vehicles seasonally.
However, anyone who subsequently decides to spontaneously extend the period of use must first re-register the vehicle with the registration office.
Example: You have a motorcycle with a seasonal license plate for April to September. On a sunny day in October you want to go for a spontaneous joyride. However, without re-registration this would be illegal – you are only allowed to drive the motorcycle during the registered period.
As soon as the period of use ends, the so-called rest insurance takes effect for the deregistered vehicle. It only protects the vehicle in the event of damage that occurs on private property, for example due to theft or fire. There will then no longer be insurance cover for public spaces.
In short: Seasonal license plates are the ideal solution for anyone who only wants to use their vehicle seasonally and can also park it safely on private property outside of the specified period.
