New windshield or lost sticker? Fixing your German eco badge

A stone chip cracked your windshield, the shop replaced it – and your green sticker went in the bin with the old glass. Now what? Without it, you can't drive into a German Umweltzone, even though you "already paid" for one.

Why you can't just move it

The Umweltplakette is designed to tear apart if you try to peel it off. That's on purpose: it can't be transferred to another windshield or car. Your license plate number is also written on it, so it always belongs to one specific vehicle and plate.

When you need a new one

- Windshield replacement – the most common reason.

- New license plate – re-registration means a new sticker.

- Damaged or faded sticker – if the plate number is unreadable, police can treat it as invalid.

- Buying a used car – even if it has a sticker, check the plate number matches.

What's at stake

Driving in an Umweltzone without a valid sticker costs €100 in Germany. Parked cars get checked too – just standing inside the zone counts.

What to do

If possible, photograph the old sticker before the glass is swapped. Order the new one right away, not the day before your trip – postal delivery takes a few days. Stick it on the inside of the windshield, bottom right.

You can order a replacement online at nemeckaplaketa.cz – just upload your registration document and it's posted to your door.