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ADRplus
Country · ADR contracting party · DE

Germany — ADR essentials

National regulator, the DGSA requirement and ADRplus availability, in one place.

ADR contracting party since

1969

DGSA required

Required

Competent authority

IHK Gefahrgutbüro (IHK Reutlingen / GGB)

National ADR application

Germany is a formal ADR contracting party since 1969. The lead national authority for dangerous goods (ADR) matters is IHK Gefahrgutbüro (IHK Reutlingen / GGB). A DGSA must be appointed under ADR 1.8.3.

Competent authorities and contacts

Checked against official sources · 2026-06-13

Bundesministerium für Verkehr (BMV) — Federal Ministry of Transport

ADR competent authority — national policy, framework legislation, international coordination (UNECE/ADR)

Bundesamt für Logistik und Mobilität (BALM) — Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility

Roadside enforcement of ADR/GGVSEB; issues Buß- und Verwarnungsgeldkatalog; formerly Bundesamt für Güterverkehr (BAG), renamed January 2023

Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) — Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing

Competent authority for dangerous goods packaging approvals, type testing, and ATR technical codes under ADR 6.2.5

  • bam.de
  • Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin, Germany

IHK / DIHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer / Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag) — Chambers of Commerce and Industry / Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry

DGSA (Gefahrgutbeauftragte) exam body: IHK conducts exams and issues 5-year Schulungsnachweis; DIHK coordinates national question pool (updated January 2025)

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.

Open the UNECE certificate register

Penalties with legal references

ViolationPenaltyLegal basisSource
Maximum statutory fine for serious dangerous goods transport violations (§10 Abs. 1 Nr. 1,up to 50,000 EURGesetz über die Beförderung gefährlicher Güter (GGBefG) §10 Abs. 2, inconfirmed in the act
Maximum statutory fine for minor/other dangerous goods violations (§10 Abs. 1 other subsecup to 1,000 EURGGBefG §10 Abs. 2 (remaining cases)confirmed in the act
Cooperation

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.

Contact a DGSA

Good to know

Framework law

Verordnung über die innerstaatliche und grenzüberschreitende Beförderung gefährlicher Güter auf der Straße, mit Eisenbahnen und auf Binnengewässern (Gefahrgutverordnung Straße, Eisenbahn und Binnenschifffahrt — GGVSEB)

Visit official site

Transport document language

German (Deutsch); ADR transport documents may also be in French or English per ADR 5.4.1.4

DGSA exam

IHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer) — regional chambers conduct Gefahrgutbeauftragte exams and issue the 5-year Schulungsnachweis; question pool coordinated nationally by DIHK (updated January 2025 for ADR 2025).

Germany — contact a DGSA.

Tell us about your loads, routes or operation, and a certified consultant replies personally.

Contact a DGSA

Application for cooperation in another country

Describe the company and the operation. The request is reviewed individually and the answer states plainly whether cooperation is possible.