Overview
- Using a speed-camera warning app while driving is illegal under StVO §23(1c) and typically brings a €75 fine and one point, while installing or carrying the app off-drive remains legal.
- Several federal states want the ban widened to include possession, but the transport ministry rejects a general prohibition and no final legislative draft has been introduced.
- Police say proving in-car use is difficult because officers must catch a driver using a phone during the trip, and users are not required to hand over a handset for inspection.
- A court ruling from OLG Karlsruhe confirms a driver can be fined if a passenger runs a blitzer app in a way that benefits the driver.
- Apps flag fixed cameras reliably but depend on crowd reports for mobile checks, with tests citing about 75% detection for Blitzer.de PLUS, while many European countries go further by outlawing even carrying such devices and imposing much higher penalties.