# German plates similar to ED but yellow instead of red?



## Luis A. (Dec 13, 2007)

While in Germany, I saw a couple of cars with plates just like our zoll ED plates but with a yellow vertical band on the right instead of the red band. Anyone know what these are designated for?


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

Kurzzeitkennzeichen.










short term license plates.

e.g. You buy a used car and want to transfer it from the dealer to your home, but not register it yet.


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## chaz58 (Sep 11, 2007)

Man, you are a wealth of information!


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## Luis A. (Dec 13, 2007)

Thanks Alfred!


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## TGray5 (Jan 22, 2002)

Alfred, Are the Zoll plates on ED cars used for any other purpose than temporary tags for export vehicles? I spoke with the hotel clerk in Munich and she said, oh I saw you have temporary tags and she asked what I was doing. I thought the Zoll tag was a temporary tag but related to customs as well? In the airport I see customs referred to as Zoll.


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## Adi (Jun 3, 2006)

The 'red tag' plates are only for cars being exported out of Germany.

The 'yellow tag' plates are 'internal to Germany' and are valid for 5 days and allow you to transport the car (insured) from previous owner/dealer and drive around until you register it 'permanently'.

Here is a link to a pretty good explanation of license plates in Germany --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/License_plates_in_Germany


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

TGray5 said:


> Alfred, Are the Zoll plates on ED cars used for any other purpose than temporary tags for export vehicles?


I'm not a license plate export, but: Zoll plates are temporory, too. They carry an expiration date on them.

The difference to the yellow temporary plate is, that you MUST export the car with the red Zoll plate. I guess within the expiration date (?)

e.g. this one until 14th June 2007


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## Tanning machine (Feb 21, 2002)

Adi said:


> The 'red tag' plates are only for cars being exported out of Germany.


So, if an Italian were to take delivery of a BMW at Welt, with plans to return to Italy and register it in Milan, he would get one of the red Zoll plates?


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Tanning machine said:


> So, if an Italian were to take delivery of a BMW at Welt, with plans to return to Italy and register it in Milan, he would get one of the red Zoll plates?


He would probably show up with Italian plates and drive away. Otherwise he would get Ausfuhrkennzeichenen.


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## TGray5 (Jan 22, 2002)

JSpira said:


> He would probably show up with Italian plates and drive away. Otherwise he would get Ausfuhrkennzeichenen.


Yes, I don't think customers from the EU are considered export. I inquired as to why all the cars on the turntables at the Welt in the morning were US cars and the Welt representative, Markus, told me that European customers have to bring their own plates with them from the dealer and so those plates need to be installed before the cars can be brought up.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

TGray5 said:


> Yes, I don't think customers from the EU are considered export. I inquired as to why all the cars on the turntables at the Welt in the morning were US cars and the Welt representative, Markus, told me that European customers have to bring their own plates with them from the dealer and so those plates need to be installed before the cars can be brought up.


I don´t think that´s an issue since, unless things have changed recently, plates are not installed until after you check in. Of course the Welt has those neat Kennzeichen bags...


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## TGray5 (Jan 22, 2002)

JSpira said:


> I don´t think that´s an issue since, unless things have changed recently, plates are not installed until after you check in. Of course the Welt has those neat Kennzeichen bags...


I think you misunderstood my post. It seems we are saying the same thing. Only US cars (and possibly other export shipment country cars) can be brought up before the customer arrives since BMW provides plates for US customers. Rather than leave all the turntables empty after the last delivery of the day, they bring up US cars for delivery the next morning to have them on display. I saw my car there the night before my delivery.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

TGray5 said:


> I think you misunderstood my post. It seems we are saying the same thing. Only US cars (and possibly other export shipment country cars) can be brought up before the customer arrives since BMW provides plates for US customers. Rather than leave all the turntables empty after the last delivery of the day, they bring up US cars for delivery the next morning to have them on display. I saw my car there the night before my delivery.


My plates were shown to me at the check-in desk (along with the nice Kennzeichen bag) before they were installed. That means that my car could not have been brought up beforehand. Granted, I was the first customer to take delivery at the Welt on opening day so procedures have probably evolved.

So yes it seems they are bringing up cars for the next day now and they really didn't have to show me my plates before installing them.


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## cosmos (Jan 18, 2002)

My plates where shown to me at the desk as well. But like JS I too were one of the first.


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## Ovi-Peter (Jul 19, 2021)

Tanning machine said:


> So, if an Italian were to take delivery of a BMW at Welt, with plans to return to Italy and register it in Milan, he would get one of the red Zoll plates?


Yes, a red plate, since is for export to Italy. Plate has a date, he must register the car before that date, otherwise he cannot drive the car any longer, even in Italy. While the car plates are not expired, he can drive anywhere he like to.


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