How long can you wear the HU? Costs & deadlines 2025

• Deadlines and fines: The HU should be carried out within the specified month. An overdraft of more than 2 months could result in fines of €15 and, after 8 months, one point in Flensburg.
• No more backdating: Since 2012, HU has no longer been backdated. Rescheduled exams are valid for a full 24 months from the catch up date.
• Costs and verification: After 2 months of overdraft, an extended HU is required, which costs 20% more. If the vehicle fails, the follow-up inspection must be carried out within one month, otherwise a complete HU is necessary.

Die main inspection Overcoating can be quite expensive under certain circumstances. Since 2012, failure to meet the deadline has been punished with a fine.

What happens if you have missed your HU appointment and what you should pay attention to now, you can find out in the following article. In addition to the various inspection deadlines for the various types of vehicles, we will show you what you absolutely should do if you have passed the HU.

How do I find out when the next HU is due?

Are you feverishly looking for the expiration date of your sticker?

You can read the month and year in which the next HU is due in two places. On the one hand, you can find the date on the sticker on the rear license plate of your vehicle.

Just look at the number in the middle of your sticker. This shows you the year in which you have to go to the next HU. The corresponding month is indicated by the number in the middle of the top. Example: The following graphic shows a sticker that expires in September 2024. On the other hand, you can check the expiration date in the registration certificate part 1, the former vehicle registration document.

It is best to note down the date of the next technical inspection in your appointment calendar or book an appointment via our online booking function as a precaution. This not only ensures you one of the coveted test dates, but you will also be reminded of your next appointment in good time.

HU coated - and now?

It happens to all of us: The schedule is overflowing and before you know it, the deadline for the upcoming general inspection has passed.

Before you panic, we can calm you down. As long as your test date is not too long in the past, no bad consequences await you. In spite of everything, you should do everything you can now and bring your car to the nearest testing organization as quickly as possible.

Of course, you should ideally have the HU carried out in the month in which your badge expires. However, if you missed your main inspection date, don't hesitate to make up for it. After a delay of two months, you may be fined if you are stopped by the police without a valid sticker. Even at the testing center itself, you can expect higher fees as a latecomer.

In the next section, you will find out exactly how the costs of exceeding the deadline are split up and what you will have to expect in case of delay.

General investigation omitted: table of fines

If you get into a police check with an expired sticker, you may face a fine and, in the worst case, a point in Flensburg.
The exact warnings and fines are shown in the table below. This shows you the fines for cars, motorcycles and light trailers (as of 04/2025).

Infringement fine points1-2 monthsA warning fee may be imposed. This is at the discretion of the official. 2-4 months15 €-4-8 months25 €-More than 8 months60 €1 point in Flensburg

Overdue main inspection: costs of the audit organization

Don't worry, as an audit organization, we don't impose any fines. We also do not have to report the missed deadline to the police or other authorities.

However, if a deadline of more than 2 months is missed, we are required to carry out a so-called extended general inspection on your vehicle.
This involves additional work and therefore costs 20% more than the on-time HU (as of 04/2025).

Is the main inspection backdated?

If you've been on the road for a long time, you might remember times when the missed main inspection was actually backdated.

This means that if you overtook 4 months, for example, you had to go to the next exam 4 months earlier. As a result, the “fresh” HU was only valid for 20 months instead of 24 months. ‍

This principle of backdating has not existed since 2012. Despite failure, after successfully completing your HU, you only have to go back to the next exam after 2 years.

How often is the main inspection due?

There is no general answer to the question of how often you can organize the audit you trust. Depending on the type of vehicle, you have to go to the safety check at different time intervals.

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