On which days are trucks banned in Germany at Christmas and New Year 2026/27?

Between Christmas 2026 and 6 January 2027, German law bans lorries over 7.5 t, and trailers behind lorries, from 00:00 to 22:00 on five days: Friday 2026-12-25, Saturday 2026-12-26, Sunday 2026-12-27, Friday 2027-01-01 and Sunday 2027-01-03. Every other day in that window is open.

Which days between 2026-12-25 and 2027-01-06 carry the German truck ban?

Five days. The two Christmas days are holiday ban days even though the second one lands on a Saturday. Sunday 2026-12-27 and Sunday 2027-01-03 fall under the standing Sunday ban, and Friday 2027-01-01 is New Year's Day. Section 30(3) of the StVO bans lorries over 7.5 t and trailers behind lorries on Sundays and public holidays from 00:00 to 22:00, and section 30(4) lists Neujahr and the first and second Christmas Day as nationwide holidays for that purpose.

The BALM list of 2026 holiday truck bans shows 25 and 26 December as nationwide dates. As of 2026-10-23 that page covers 2026 only, so the 2027-01-01 date rests on section 30(4) itself, which names New Year without a regional limit. You can check the Germany 2027 holiday calendar before you plan January departures.

Are 24 and 31 December truck ban days in Germany?

No. Both days are Thursdays in 2026, and section 30 bans only Sundays and the holidays it lists. The list has no entry for Heiligabend or Silvester, so a truck may drive on 2026-12-24 and on 2026-12-31 under the national rule. Receivers may still close early or not open at all, which is a loading problem and not a driving ban.

The open stretches are Thursday 2026-12-24, Monday 2026-12-28 to Thursday 2026-12-31, Saturday 2027-01-02 and every day from Monday 2027-01-04. For the other holidays of the year, see all 2027 German truck ban holidays .

When can trucks drive again after a ban day, and what is exempt?

The ban ends at 22:00 on the ban day itself, so a truck may move from 22:00 on 2026-12-25, 2026-12-26 and 2026-12-27, subject to driver hours and rest rules. Plan the restart around that hour, because a departure at 21:30 is a violation.

Section 30(3) also lists exemptions, among them rail-road combined transport, certain fresh foods such as milk products, meat, fish and perishable fruit and vegetables, and breakdown recovery. Each exemption has conditions, so read the exact wording before you rely on one. Read the full Germany truck driving ban rules for times, thresholds and exemptions.

Frequently asked questions

Is Saturday 2026-12-26 a truck ban day in Germany?

Yes. The second Christmas Day is a nationwide holiday under section 30(4) StVO, and the ban applies to listed holidays whatever the weekday. Lorries over 7.5 t and trailers behind lorries must stay off German roads from 00:00 to 22:00.

Can a truck drive in Germany after 22:00 on 25 December 2026?

Yes. The ban runs from 00:00 to 22:00, so departures from 22:00 are legal. A truck that leaves at 22:00 has only two hours on the road, because 2026-12-26 is also a ban day and starts at 00:00.

Does Epiphany on 6 January 2027 stop trucks in Germany?

No. Epiphany falls on a Wednesday and is a public holiday in only Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt , but section 30(4) does not list it. It is a day off for staff, not a truck ban day.

Does the ban apply to a lorry under 7.5 t?

A solo lorry up to 7.5 t permissible gross weight is outside the weight limit. Trailers behind lorries are covered, so a lorry that pulls a trailer is inside the ban whatever its weight.

Request a quote for German lanes planned around the Christmas and New Year ban days.