Process
After online registration: decision, seals and your first drive
The decision has arrived, what now? What comes by post after online registration, when you may drive, how the seals go on the plates and what you should check.
Updated on 29 October 2026 · 5 min read
The positive decision
Once the registration authority has reviewed and approved your application, you receive the decision digitally. It contains the assigned registration number and also serves as provisional proof of registration. Save it on your smartphone and ideally print it out as well.
Only with this decision is the vehicle registered. The prior transmission, the payment or the signature alone do not yet entitle you to use public roads.
Read the decision in full as soon as you receive it. Are your name, address, vehicle identification number and registration number correct? Report any error immediately, before plates are embossed and seals are sent.
Driving with the provisional proof
Under the Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV, Germany's Vehicle Registration Ordinance), after a positive decision you may use the vehicle without registration seals for a limited period of up to ten days. The prerequisite is that number plates with the assigned registration number are fitted to the vehicle and that you carry the proof with you on every journey.
During a traffic check, show the decision printed out or on your smartphone. Make sure the date is clearly legible, as it determines the end of the period.
This rule generally only applies within Germany. For trips abroad, it is better to wait until the seals are on the plates.
What arrives by post
After the decision, the registration authority sends the documents to the keeper's address. Delivery usually takes a few working days, depending on the authority and the postal service.
- new or updated Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I (registration certificate part I, the vehicle registration document)
- registration seals (Stempelplaketten) for the front and rear number plates
- where applicable, an HU sticker (Hauptuntersuchung, the periodic roadworthiness inspection) for the rear plate
Attaching plates and seals correctly
The plates are only embossed once the registration number has been assigned. If you order them together with your application at Zulassung24, two plates cost €29.90. After delivery, check that the combination exactly matches the decision.
Stick the registration seal in the designated field between the area code and the identification letters. The surface should be clean, dry and free of grease. Once applied, a seal cannot be removed without damage; it is deliberately designed that way.
Old plates and previous documents
If you received a new registration number with a transfer or re-registration, the old plates are invalid. Remove the old seals and make the plates unusable before disposing of them, so that nobody can misuse them. Many recycling centres accept aluminium number plates.
A Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I replaced by the decision loses its validity. The letter from the registration authority usually explains what to do with the previous document.
Your checklist after registration
With these points, the procedure is fully completed.
- save the decision and carry it with you until the seals arrive
- attach the seals immediately after receipt
- keep the new Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I in the vehicle and store the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II (the German vehicle title) safely at home
- check insurance documents and the tax assessment for correct details
- if necessary, attach an emissions sticker for low-emission zones
Frequently asked questions
What do I do if the seals do not arrive within the period?
Contact the registration authority that issued the decision. Only it can check the dispatch or resend the seals. Once the period has expired, you may not continue driving without seals.
May I drive with the decision but without number plates?
No. The provisional proof only replaces the seals, not the plates. Plates with the assigned combination must be fitted to the front and rear of the vehicle.
Is the emissions sticker part of the registration?
No, the emissions sticker (Feinstaubplakette) is a separate environmental badge for low-emission zones and is independent of the registration. At Zulassung24, you can order it together with your application for €14.90.
How long does it take for the seals to be delivered?
The seals are sent by the registration authority itself, not by Zulassung24. They usually arrive after a few working days. How quickly depends on the authority's workload and the postal service.