The capital of Lower Saxony was one of the first cities in Germany to introduce an environmental zone on 1 January 2008. The zone includes the area between the Süd-, West- and Messeschnellweg, the northern border is the Sahlkamp. Entering the zone without a green environmental sticker is punishable by a fine of 80 euros.
Name of the environmental zone: Environmental Zone Hannover – Germany
Date of entry into effect of the zone: 01-01-2008
Type of environmental zone: Permanent
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Information currently unavailable
Not allowed to drive (permanently): The zone is no longer active.
Fines: 100 euros.
Area/extension of the environmental zone: The environmental zone encompasses the area between the motorway South, the motorway West and and the motorway to the fair (Messeschnellweg), the northern boundary is at Sahlkamp.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Department Environment and urban park: www.hannover-umweltzone.de; Phone: 0511/168-40601, -46926.
Exemptions: Doctor, Disabled vehicle, Fire brigade, Military, Mobile cranes, Vintage car older than 30 years, Police car and Ambulance
To enter an environmental zone, each vehicle concerned requires a valid green environmental sticker. Otherwise, a fine of 80 euros plus 25 euros processing fee is to be expected.
The green environmental zone can be recognized by the traffic signs 270.1 and 270.2.
In front of each zone there is the sign 270.1 with an additional sign for the permitted sticker.
The end of the low emission zone is shown by the sign 270.2.
In our Green Zones App we have a detailed map of each low emission zone. So you can easily see the boundaries and avoid penalties.
Yes, a lot of them. With over 80 different environmental zones, Germany has one of the most in Europe.
In our Green Zones App we have gathered together all the low emission zones in Europe and presented them clearly.
Yes! However, the sticker for electric vehicles is not intended for everyone. If the vehicle is registered in Germany, the last character on the license plate can be an "E". However, if the vehicle is registered abroad, an electric sticker (E-sticker) is required.
The E-sticker gives you various advantages. Depending on the municipality, there are various advantages, such as the use of bus lanes, free parking on the road and at electricity charging points, as well as the possible use of otherwise closed roads.
Yes, every car, no matter whether it is being driven on with petrol, diesel or electricity, requires a green environmental sticker according to the law. The E-sticker also entitles you to additional advantages over non-electric vehicles. The 35th BImSchV does not provide a separate paragraph for electric vehicles, which regulates them as an exception. Therefore: If an electric vehicle drives into a green environmental zone without a green sticker, a fine of 80 € + approx. 25 € handling fee must be expected.
All current driving bans and further information are available in our Green-Zones App.
A bombshell in the Belgian capital: The planned postponement of driving bans has been stopped by the courts. From 1 January 2026, drastic tightening of regulations will come into force throughout the Brussels-Capital Region, catching tens of thousands of commuters and tourists cold.
The Italian government has unexpectedly halted planned stricter diesel driving bans in four northern Italian regions. What was supposed to come into force from October 1, 2025, is now postponed by at least one year – very likely even completely buried.
The red-green senate has its back against the wall: climate neutrality by 2040 or failure before the eyes of all Germany. The consequences are dramatic – Hamburg threatens to cut itself off from traffic.
An Italian court clarifies: Full toll prices are not due when stuck in traffic. The ruling could have implications especially for the traffic-plagued Brenner motorway A22 – and raises questions about environmental justice.
Spain certainly doesn't make it easy for foreign drivers: while Spanish vehicles simply need their Distintivo Ambiental sticker, foreigners have to register separately in four major cities. But each city does its own thing – with drastically different validity periods and regulations. It's a bureaucratic maze that drives even experienced frequent drivers to despair.
Air pollution is a serious problem that endangers the health of millions of people in the European Union. According to a new study by the European Environment Agency, almost 240,000 Europeans die every year as a result of particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide in the air. These alarming figures show that air quality in Europe is far from the levels recommended by the World Health Organization.
The planned introduction of new driving bans for diesel cars with Euro 5 engines and petrol cars with Euro 2 engines has been postponed until January 2027. Thousands of vehicles would have been affected by the original plans. The postponement met with opposition from the green parties Ecolo, Groen and Défi, while the majority of parliament supported the postponement.
The introduction of low emission zones is a hotly debated topic in Sweden, especially the introduction of low emission zone 3, which excludes certain vehicles from certain parts of the city. In Gothenburg and Stockholm, political decision-makers have different views on how this low emission zone should be implemented. While Stockholm wants to include all vehicles in the low emission zone, Gothenburg has decided to exclude buses from this regulation.
The city of The Hague in the Netherlands has made a far-reaching decision: From January 1, 2025, all advertising for conventional combustion engine cars will be banned. This is intended to promote the switch to more environmentally friendly alternatives and set an example for climate protection.
Emmanuel Cuet, a craftsman from Lyon, is facing major challenges and frustrations. His anger increased when he recently received a fine for non-compliance with the ZFE. This penalty is particularly hard for him, as he already has to deal with many difficulties in his profession. As a carpenter and locksmith at Ateliers Charignon in Couzon-au-Mont-d'Or, he feels unfairly treated and feels that the measures are too quick and insufficient.
