What is an Autohof in Germany? Truck stop rules explained
An Autohof is a privately run German truck stop within 1 km of a motorway exit; the official sign needs 24-hour opening and at least 50 truck spaces.
Logifie Team
Logistics Technology Experts
An Autohof is a privately run truck stop just off a motorway exit. The official Autohof sign ( Zeichen 448.1 ) requires a site within 1 km of the exit, open 24 hours all year, with at least 50 truck spaces (100 on busier motorways). A Raststätte (motorway service area) sits on the motorway.
What makes an Autohof an Autohof?
These criteria define the official sign, not the word Autohof. A site can use the name without the sign, so only signed sites are held to the rules in the federal road traffic rules (VwV-StVO), version of 2025-04-03 .
The site must be at most 1 km from the exit and open around the clock all year, on a road link suited to heavy goods traffic. It needs at least 50 truck spaces on motorways with average daily traffic up to 50,000 vehicles, and at least 100 on busier ones. E-truck charging spaces count with a factor of 1.4, and car spaces are signed separately.
Fuel must be available around the clock, and repairs must at least be arranged with specialist workshops. A full menu is required from 11:00 to 22:00, with drinks and snacks outside those hours. Sanitary facilities must serve disabled people and driving personnel. The rule does not mention showers, so confirm them before you plan a rest period.
Autohof vs Raststätte vs Rastplatz: what is the difference?
The difference is location and operator. An Autohof is off the motorway, a Raststätte is on it with a service operator, and a Rastplatz is on it without one.
| Type | Where it is | Who runs it | Typical services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autohof | Off the motorway; signed sites are at most 1 km from an exit | Private operator | Fuel around the clock, food, truck spaces, driver sanitary facilities (signed sites) |
| Raststätte (Tank- und Rastanlage) | Directly on the motorway | Private operator under concession from the Autobahn GmbH | Fuel, restaurant or bistro, shop |
| Rastplatz (unstaffed rest area) | Directly on the motorway | No service operator; the road authority | Parking, often toilets; no fuel or food |
Tank & Rast is the largest Raststätte operator, not an official category. The federal government counted 442 staffed and 878 unstaffed motorway rest areas with toilets in 2023 ( Bundestag, reported 2026-07-30 ).
Can you see Autohof spaces in the SID parking feed?
Not reliably yet. The SID (Stellplatz-Informationsdienst, the federal live truck parking service) began regular operation on 2026-06-02 and covers about 1,850 public motorway rest areas ( Toll Collect ). Private operators such as Autohöfe could register their sites from 2026-08-06.
Toll Collect gives no figure for private sites, and no count of live Autohöfe was published as of 2026-10-31. An Autohof missing from a map therefore does not mean it has no free spaces. Check the live rest area map for public sites and the SID background guide for coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Is an Autohof the same as a Raststätte?
No. An Autohof is privately run and lies off the motorway, within 1 km of an exit if it carries the official sign. A Raststätte sits directly on the motorway and is run by a private operator under concession from the Autobahn GmbH.
Do Autohöfe have to be open 24 hours?
Only those with the official 448.1 sign. They must be open all year around the clock, with fuel at all hours and a full menu from 11:00 to 22:00. A site without the sign is not bound by that rule.
Are Autohöfe in the SID truck parking data?
Private operators could register from 2026-08-06, but registration is not automatic and no count of live Autohöfe has been published. Check the site directly before you rely on a free space.
Is parking at an Autohof free?
Each operator sets its own terms, and no verified national figure exists. Fees are often paid at the fuel desk and sometimes credited against food, so check the site before arrival. For search tools, see our guide to truck parking apps in Germany .
Find truck parking in Germany before your driving hours run out.
