Switzerland — ADR essentials
National regulator, the DGSA requirement and ADRplus availability, in one place.
ADR contracting party since
1972
DGSA required
Required
Competent authority
Bundesamt für Verkehr (BAV) / Office fédéral des transports (OFT)
National ADR application
Switzerland is a formal ADR contracting party since 1972. The lead national authority for dangerous goods (ADR) matters is Bundesamt für Verkehr (BAV) / Office fédéral des transports (OFT). A DGSA must be appointed under ADR 1.8.3.
Competent authorities and contacts
Checked against official sources · 2026-06-13
Bundesamt für Strassen (ASTRA) — Federal Roads Office (FEDRO)
Main ADR competent authority for road dangerous goods transport; grants exceptions under SDR; coordinates with other ADR contracting parties under ADR 1.5.1
- astra.admin.ch
- +41 58 462 94 11
- [email protected]
- Pulverstrasse 13, 3063 Ittigen (visitor); Bundesamt für Strassen (ASTRA), 3003 Bern (postal)
Bundesamt für Verkehr (BAV) — Federal Office of Transport (FOT)
Oversees DGSA (Gefahrgutbeauftragter) framework under GGBV; recognizes exam bodies (Prüfungsstellen) for DGSA certification; supervises dangerous goods packaging/containers
- bav.admin.ch
- [email protected]
- Mühlestrasse 6, 3063 Ittigen
Kantonspolizei (cantonal police forces) — Cantonal Police
Roadside enforcement and inspection of dangerous goods road transport; execute SDR/ADR controls on Swiss roads under cantonal authority
- kapo.zh.ch
- +41 58 648 43 40 (Kantonspolizei Zürich Verkehrspolizei)
- Varies by canton — 26 cantonal forces; e.g., Kantonspolizei Zürich, Verkehrspolizei/Fahrzeuge & Technik
ADR driver certificate — authenticity check
Countries increasingly check foreign drivers’ ADR certificates against forgeries. Genuine certificate models of every contracting party are published in the official UNECE register — compare the layout, security features and issuing authority.
Penalties with legal references
| Violation | Penalty | Legal basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failure to carry SDR driver training certificate during dangerous goods transport | 20 CHF | OBV (Ordnungsbussenverordnung, SR 314.11) Annex 1, referencing Art. 21 | confirmed in the act |
| Failure to carry required dangerous goods transport document during transport | 140 CHF | OBV (SR 314.11) Annex 1, referencing Art. 21 SDR (SR 741.621) | confirmed in the act |
| Failure to carry written accident instructions (Unfallmerkblatt) during dangerous goods tr | 40 CHF | OBV (SR 314.11) Annex 1, referencing Art. 21 SDR (SR 741.621) | confirmed in the act |
| Failure to remove or cover orange hazard placards (Warntafeln) after completion of dangero | 60 CHF | OBV (SR 314.11) Annex 1, referencing Art. 21 lit. d SDR (SR 741.621) | confirmed in the act |
| Operating a dangerous goods transport vehicle with missing, incomplete or non-compliant sa | 40 CHF | OBV (SR 314.11) Annex 1, referencing Art. 4 SDR (SR 741.621) in conjun | confirmed in the act |
Cooperation in this country
Work with companies in this country runs remotely. The DGSA certificate is recognised in all 55 ADR Contracting Parties — describe your operation, and the reply comes within one business day.
Good to know
Framework law
Verordnung über die Beförderung gefährlicher Güter auf der Strasse (SDR)
Visit official siteTransport document language
German, French, or Italian (Switzerland's three official transport languages; ADR/SDR permit any official language of the contracting party)
DGSA exam
UVEK (Eidgenössisches Departement für Umwelt, Verkehr, Energie und Kommunikation) recognizes exam bodies (Prüfungsstellen) under GGBV Art. 20; BAV (Bundesamt für Verkehr) publishes the current list of approved exam bodies; individual recognized bodies include Safety Training+ (safetytrainingplus.com) and others listed on bav.admin.ch under Gefahrgutbeauftragte.
Switzerland — contact a DGSA.
Tell us about your loads, routes or operation, and a certified consultant replies personally.


