Vehicle modification approval in Nuremberg & Fürth

In the event of a positive modification acceptance, your expert will issue you with the so-called modification acceptance certificate. You must always carry this with your vehicle documents and present it to the registration office at the next official matter.

The registration office then enters the change in the vehicle documents. This is because the conversions do not always have to be entered directly in the vehicle documents.

A structural modification such as conversion to other wheels or the installation of a trailer towing device can result in your operating license expiring and you may no longer drive your vehicle. This means that you must have your vehicle inspected by a certified inspection body.

In § 19 para. 3 of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO) specifies the conditions under which the operating license does not expire. It is therefore not always necessary to have a change approval.

If you have any doubts, you can always contact us. We will then check whether a change approval is necessary.

As soon as you modify your vehicle in any way, you must present it to a certified inspection organization for approval. This includes both visual refinement and practical conversions.

Typical changes that require a change acceptance are, among others:

• Changes

  • on the engine performance, exhaust system or brake system

  • on the bodywork, such as the installation of a spoiler

  • on exhaust gas behavior

  • on the chassis, as with lowering

  • the noise behavior, as with the installation of a sports air filter

• Conversions for the use of natural gas

• Conversion to wheel/tire combination not included in vehicle approvals, etc.

For the assessment and approval of modifications to your vehicle, you must present certain test certificates and expert reports, such as the parts certificate in accordance with Annex XIX StVZO.

Certain requirements and conditions are attached to these test certificates so that the expert can conclude the change acceptance positively:

1. It must be possible to assign the test certificate to the vehicle.

2. The listed requirements and conditions must be complied with.

3. Even with the modifications, the vehicle must still comply with regulations and be roadworthy.

You must therefore be able to present the following documents and approved test certificates for the modification approvals:

• Registration certificate part I (vehicle registration document)

• General type approval for vehicle parts (ABE)

• General type approval (ABG)

• Parts certificates (TGA) & parts approvals

• Supplements from vehicle approvals or an operating license

A parts certificate (TGA) is an important test certificate and confirms that your vehicle complies with regulations after the installation of inspected vehicle parts. It is drawn up on the basis of the sample catalog on modifications to vehicles and their effects on the type approval of vehicles.

Important to know: As soon as you have a parts certificate, you must obtain a modification approval from a test center you trust in accordance with § 19 Para. 3 StVZO. If, for example, the vehicle type is changed as a result of the tuning, this must be changed and entered in the vehicle documents immediately after the modification has been approved by the registration office.

Parts approvals are the type approval for vehicle parts according to § 22 StVZO, type approvals according to § 22a StVZO, approvals according to EC law and “approvals according to regulations in the respective version in accordance with the Convention of March 20, 1958”.

A modification approval of installed vehicle parts is only required for part approvals, a general type approval (ABE) and a general type approval (ABG) if it is required in an approval. As a rule, however, vehicle parts with approvals under EC law do not require modification approval.

The prices for a modification approval depend on the selected test center, the federal state, the type of vehicle, the total weight, the effort level and the type and number of modifications to be tested.

You can find the costs incurred in the current price lists for the official services of the monitoring organizations. However, you can expect to pay between 60 and 100 euros for individual changes.

The easiest way is to ask us directly. We can provide you with the best possible information in a personal consultation.