Everything you ever wanted to know about the periodic technical inspection (PTI)
The date for your next periodic technical inspection is shown in your registration document. At the same time, the date is also on the round inspection sticker on your rear license plate: The number in the middle of the sticker is the year of the next main inspection and the number pointing vertically upwards is the month.
For de-registered vehicles, the date can only be the one in the de-registration document or the last inspection report.
If you already have new EU vehicle documents, the main inspection date is in the vehicle license part I (new registration document), which is no longer adhered to following de-registration.
- The registration document (Fahrzeugschein), the vehicle title document (Fahrzeugbrief) for de-registered vehicles and, if available, the vehicle licence part I (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I - new registration document)
- In the event of a re-inspection, the inspection report for the previous periodic technical inspection
- If appropriate, the test certificates or modification acceptance documents for added parts such as special wheels, lower suspension springs and accessory steering wheels insofar as these have not been entered into the vehicle documents.
Our tip: The TÜV NORD appointment service with on-the-spot guarantee means long waits are a thing of the past. Simply make an appointment with the online appointment service at your local TÜV STATION.
Or call us: Toll-free service call number: 0800 80 70 600. However, it is not absolutely necessary to book in advance.
If you miss the periodic technical inspection date, you will have to pay a fine. But of course, the fine is not issued by the TÜV.
If the registration office notices that the periodic technical inspection has expired when registering a vehicle, you will receive a provisional registration with which you can take the car for the periodic technical inspection. The date for the next periodic technical inspection is not backdated in the case of de-registered vehicles.
If the vehicle has been de-registered for longer than 84 months, you should clarify with the registration office whether a periodic technical inspection is sufficient or whether you require a complete vehicle acceptance test.
The periodic technical inspection must then be carried out in the first month of the operating period.
The law states that you must remedy potential faults and have the vehicle re-inspected within one month of the periodic technical inspection. If this is a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday, the re-inspection must take place on the next working day. No further extension is permitted.
You cannot extend the periodic technical inspection. The vehicle owner is responsible for adhering to the given deadlines. The fines for missing a main inspection are as follows:
For cars, motorcycles, light trailers (vehicles not subject to safety inspections):
- Two to four months: € 15,--
- Between four and eight months: € 25,--
- More than eight months: € 40 and 2 points in Flensburg
For commercial vehicles requiring a safety inspection:
- Up to two months: € 15,--
- Between two and four months: € 25,--
- Between four and eight months: € 40 and 1 point in Flensburg
- More than eight months: € 75 and 2 points in Flensburg
If serious defects are identified during the periodic technical inspection or the safety inspection and you have exceeded the one-month re-inspection deadline, you could face a fine of € 15. At TÜV, we do not issue a fine in the event of non-adherence to the periodic technical inspection deadline.
You can only have the periodic technical inspection carried out within the Federal Republic of Germany. Should your periodic technical inspection sticker expire during a longer trip abroad, you should take the expired test sticker to your nearest TÜV-STATION as soon as possible after crossing the border back into Germany. We recommend making an appointment in this case.
Modern vehicles include ever more safety- and environment-related vehicle installations with electronic components such as ABS, airbags and management devices. Innovative assistance systems such as active stability systems, braking support, active steering systems, distance warning devices and swivelling lights are increasingly common.
These systems only function if electronic control units, sensors, actuators and electronic contacts and wiring are in perfect condition.
This technical development is also reflected in the road traffic regulations: Safety-relevant electronic vehicle components/systems must be regularly inspected.
For vehicles with on-board diagnostics (OBD vehicles), we inspect the system data for the following eight electronic vehicle components/Systems using the main inspection adapter:
Examples
| Components/systems | |
| Braking system | ABS, electro-mechanical parking brake, braking assistant |
| Steering system | Electronically-controlled variable power assist (active steering), electro-mechanical steering |
| Active lighting installations | Adaptive lighting, sivelling lights, automatic headlight adjustment, adaptive braking lights, automatic light activation |
| Seat belts and other retaining systems | Automatic belt ttensioners, pre-safe when identifying accident risk (return of seats to uupright position, raise headrests, close windows, etc.) |
| Airbags | Front, side, head and knee airbags, airbag control and activation/deactivation depending on the seat occupant |
| Dynamic roll-over protection | In the event of accident risk (parameters: deceleration, roll and pitch angles), automatic deployment of the roll-over bar in convertibles |
| Speed governors | Max. speed governors, speed control systems |
| Drive-dynamic control systems with brake system intervention | Electronic stability program (ESP), automatic locking differential (ASD), active speed control (cruise control), automatic slip control (ASR) |
The system data can include:
- Installation and position information as well as identification features
- Error codes
- Defined testing processes
- Measurement values for physical variables
- Manipulation-proof displays
As part of the main inspection, all system data are transmitted to the vehicle-specific main inspection adapter. With the aid of software then the shoring components of the vehicle, which are stored on the main inspection adapter, compared with the system data and then tested the function according to manufacturer specifications. This test can be done electronically or mechanically. Here are no deviations are found, then takes the other end of the main study as usual as decomposition free visual, functional and performance test.
With the introduction of the main inspection adapter and the hydraulic pressures detected in the brake lines with the help of this part in the brake test. These pressures and the associated braking forces the brake force distribution and the deceleration can be calculated; these values are compared with the manufacturer's specifications and evaluated. Thus, it is now possible to make a qualified statement also to the interaction of brake components and tires.