Germany Electric Bike Laws

Summary

A Pedelec in Germany Is a Bicycle, an S-Pedelec Is a Moped

EU Regulation 168/2013 on two- and three-wheel vehicles excludes pedal cycles whose motor stops at 25 km/h and has a continuous rating of 250 W or less. German law copies that line in section 1(3) of the Straßenverkehrsgesetz (StVG, Road Traffic Act).

Under StVG section 1(3), a pedelec is a bicycle when its motor assists only while the rider pedals, cuts out at 25 km/h and is rated at 250 W or less. A walk or start assist that moves the bike without pedaling up to 6 km/h keeps it in the bicycle class. The European standard EN 15194 sets the technical and test requirements for these bikes. The bicycle rules of the Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (StVO, Road Traffic Regulations) and the equipment rules of the Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO, Road Traffic Licensing Regulations) apply, and alcohol limits are the cyclist limits: absolute unfitness at 1.6 per mille.

An S-pedelec assists to 45 km/h and falls under Regulation 168/2013 as an L1e-B moped. It needs EU type approval, handled in Germany by the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA, Federal Motor Transport Authority). The Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV, Vehicle Registration Ordinance) exempts it from full registration but requires an insurance plate (Versicherungskennzeichen). The Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung (FeV, Driving License Ordinance) requires a class AM license, available nationwide from age 15 since 2021 and included in a class B car license. StVO section 21a requires a "geeigneter Schutzhelm" (suitable protective helmet) on any motorcycle faster than 20 km/h. Car alcohol limits apply: 0.5 per mille, and 0.0 for riders under 21 or on a probationary license.

Germany is the largest e-bike market in Europe. Die Fahrradindustrie (ZIV), the industry association, counted about two million e-bikes sold in 2025, 52.7% of 3.8 million bicycles.

By vehicle

Rules for Pedelecs, S-Pedelecs, E-Scooters and Mopeds

Each vehicle sits under a different federal regulation, and none of them varies by Land.

The Elektrokleinstfahrzeuge-Verordnung (eKFV, Small Electric Vehicles Ordinance) of 2019 covers stand-up e-scooters with a handlebar, 6 to 20 km/h, and a KBA operating permit. One rider only. The Bundesministerium für Verkehr (BMV, Federal Ministry for Transport) amended it: the Bundesrat approved the amendment on 19 December 2025 and it was published in the Bundesgesetzblatt on 6 February 2026. From 1 March 2027 the riding rules move into the StVO and align with bicycle rules, including the green turn arrow for cyclists. Scooters placed on the market from 2027 need turn signals, separate front and rear brakes and stricter battery safety; scooters already approved stay legal. The sidewalk-riding fine rises from 15 to 25 euros, the bicycle rate.

StVO section 2(4) lets Mofas and e-bikes that cut out at 25 km/h use bike paths outside built-up areas. S-pedelecs are excluded, and only paths carrying an "S-Pedelecs frei" sign, used by some municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg, are open to them.

Equipment

StVZO Lighting and Brakes on Pedelecs, Type-Approved Parts on S-Pedelecs

• Pedelec lighting (StVZO section 67). White front lamp and red rear lamp, a white front reflector, a red rear reflector, yellow pedal reflectors, and spoke reflectors or reflective tire sidewalls. Lamps must carry a German type mark (K-number) and may be battery powered.
• Pedelec bell and brakes. A bell (StVZO section 64a) and two independent brakes (StVZO section 65).
• S-pedelec mirror and horn. The type approval requires a rear-view mirror, a horn, a lit plate holder and the approved lighting set.
• S-pedelec parts. Tires, lights and other components must match the approval; fitting unapproved parts voids the operating permit and the insurance cover.
• Insurance plate. Mofas, mopeds and S-pedelecs carry the 13.0 by 10.1 cm plate; e-scooters carry the 6.7 by 5.5 cm sticker. Plates run from 1 March and change color each year in the cycle black, blue, green; the 2026-27 plate is black.
• E-scooter equipment (eKFV). Two independent brakes, a bell, front and rear lighting, side reflectors and a KBA operating permit; turn signals on scooters placed on the market from 2027.

Regional rules

The 16 Länder Set Forest Rules; Cities Set E-Scooter Rental Terms

Vehicle classes, licenses, helmets and road rules are federal, so they are the same in all 16 Länder. The Länder regulate cycling in forests and open country, and cities regulate rental fleets and parking.

Section 14 of the federal Bundeswaldgesetz (Federal Forest Act) allows cycling on forest roads and paths and leaves the detail to the Länder. A 2024 federal rewrite that would have narrowed this was dropped from the draft.

Cities control rental e-scooters through special-use permits. Gelsenkirchen ended its permits for Bolt and Tier in April 2024 after the companies refused to verify rider identity, and the Gelsenkirchen administrative court upheld the move. Nuremberg capped its fleet at 4,000 scooters, 800 per operator, and requires parking in fixed zones in the old town from May 2024. Munich planned to grow its scooter parking areas from 375 to 675 by 2026, and Berlin cut its rental fleet to about 19,000. The 2026 eKFV amendment adds two city powers: banning e-scooters from areas open to cycling, and requiring a parking plan from each rental operator.

Where to ride off-road

Forests, National Parks and Long-Distance Routes in Germany

Pedelecs go where bicycles go off-road. S-pedelecs, as motor vehicles, stay on roads open to traffic.

The Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club (ADFC) Radreiseanalyse 2025, presented at ITB Berlin in March 2026 from more than 17,300 responses, found that more than half of cycle tourists ride an e-bike. The Elberadweg moved to first place among long-distance routes, ahead of the Weserradweg, Ostseeküstenradweg and Rheinradweg.