Germany extends traffic‑fine limitation period to six months from July 1

Effective 1 July, Germany’s Road Traffic Act is amended by the Fifth Act to change the statute of limitations for traffic‑related administrative offenses. The filing deadline for a fine notice is doubled from three to six months, giving authorities more time to process cases that have become back‑logged.

The reform, initiated by the federal states, aims to ease the workload of fine offices while preserving existing procedural rules. The limitation period can still be paused, for example when a hearing notice is sent, after which the clock restarts at six months. Drivers may contest a notice within two weeks of receipt, and the ADAC notes that speed‑measurement tolerances remain unchanged.

The change applies to violations such as speed‑limit breaches and red‑light runs, while criminal offences retain their longer limitation periods.