Germany truck ban dates: October and November 2026
Germany bans HGVs on 3 October nationwide, on 31 October in nine states, and on 1 November everywhere under the standing Sunday rule.
Logifie Team
Logistics Technology Experts
Germany bans HGVs over 7.5 tonnes from all roads 00:00-22:00 on three dates this autumn: nationwide on Saturday 3 October (Unity Day), in nine Lander on Saturday 31 October (Reformation Day), and everywhere on Sunday 1 November under the standing Sunday ban, regardless of Allerheiligen's five-Land holiday status.
Why does the truck ban apply on 3 October 2026 despite the Saturday?
Germany's standing Sonn- und Feiertagsfahrverbot does not normally restrict Saturday driving. It applies to Sundays and to statutory holidays, whichever weekday they fall on. Tag der Deutschen Einheit on 3 October is a nationwide statutory holiday recognized in all 16 Lander, so the ban triggers regardless of it landing on a Saturday. HGVs over 7.5 tonnes and any truck pulling a trailer must stay off German roads from 00:00 to 22:00 that day. Hauliers can apply for an exemption (Ausnahmegenehmigung) from the local traffic authority for loads that qualify, most commonly perishable goods carried with no more than 10 percent other cargo by weight. Driving without a valid exemption during the ban carries a fine of EUR 120 for the driver and EUR 570 for an operator who knowingly ordered or permitted the trip, though no penalty points are added in Flensburg. For the full year-round rule set, including the times, vehicle thresholds and exemptions that apply outside these three autumn dates, check Germany's year-round truck ban rules . The rule itself is confirmed on ADAC's Sonn- und Feiertagsfahrverbot explainer .
Which German states ban trucks on 31 October 2026?
Reformationstag is a statutory holiday in only nine Lander: Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringen. Because 31 October also falls on a Saturday, and Saturday only triggers the ban where the day is a statutory holiday, hauliers routing solely through the remaining seven Lander, such as Bayern or Nordrhein-Westfalen, face no special restriction beyond normal Saturday operation. Check the German public holiday calendar state-by-state before dispatch. Cross-border routes need a second check: Reformationstag is not a public holiday in Poland, Austria or the Netherlands, so a truck that clears the nine restricted Lander can continue into those countries without a matching neighbor-side ban, though each destination country's own Sunday and holiday rules still apply independently once the border is crossed. The Lander-by-Lander breakdown is published on BALM's general LKW-Fahrverbote overview .
Is the truck ban on 1 November 2026 limited to five states?
| Date | Lander affected |
|---|---|
| Sat 3 Oct 2026 (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) | All 16 Lander - nationwide ban despite the Saturday |
| Sat 31 Oct 2026 (Reformationstag) | 9 Lander only: Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringen |
| Sun 1 Nov 2026 (Allerheiligen) | All 16 Lander banned regardless, because the standing Sunday rule applies everywhere |
| Standing rule (every week) | All 16 Lander, every Sunday and every nationwide statutory holiday, 00:00-22:00, HGVs over 7.5 tonnes plus any truck with trailer |
No. Allerheiligen is a statutory holiday in only five Lander: Baden-Wurttemberg, Bayern, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland. That limited status does not matter for route planning, because 1 November 2026 falls on a Sunday, and the standing Sonn- und Feiertagsfahrverbot bans HGV traffic across all 16 Lander every Sunday, independent of any holiday. The same enforcement regime applies as on any other banned day: a EUR 120 fine for the driver and a EUR 570 fine for the operator, with the perishable-goods exemption available on request from the local traffic authority. Confirm HGV speed limits in Germany before setting a Sunday-adjacent schedule, since shorter daylight hours in early November also cut into realistic same-day drive times. The official 2026 holiday-ban calendar is published on BALM's Feiertagsfahrverbote 2026 page .
Frequently asked questions
Is 3 October 2026 a truck driving ban day in Germany even though it is a Saturday?
Yes. 3 October 2026 is Tag der Deutschen Einheit, a nationwide statutory holiday observed in all 16 Lander, and Germany's standing HGV ban applies to every nationwide holiday regardless of the weekday. HGVs over 7.5 tonnes and trucks with trailers are banned from German roads from 00:00 to 22:00 that day.
Which Bundeslander have a Lkw-Fahrverbot on 31 October 2026 (Reformationstag)?
Nine Lander observe Reformationstag as a statutory holiday: Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringen. The truck ban applies only in those nine states on 31 October 2026, since the remaining seven Lander treat the day as a normal Saturday.
Is the truck ban on 1 November 2026 limited to five states, or does it apply everywhere?
It applies everywhere. Allerheiligen is a statutory holiday in only five Lander, but 1 November 2026 falls on a Sunday, and the standing Sonn- und Feiertagsfahrverbot bans HGV traffic across all 16 Lander every Sunday, independent of Allerheiligen's regional status.
What happens when a German public holiday falls on a Saturday, does the ban still apply?
It depends on whether the holiday is nationwide or regional. A nationwide statutory holiday such as Tag der Deutschen Einheit triggers the ban across all of Germany even on a Saturday, while a regional holiday such as Reformationstag only triggers the ban in the Lander where it is a statutory holiday.
Get a freight quote for autumn 2026 deliveries planned around these three dates through Germany.
