Are front flashers allowed on trucks?

What are front flashers?

Front flashers are forward-facing warning beacons that emit light in only one direction. They are typically mounted on the vehicle’s front grille and are intended to be visible to vehicles ahead through their rearview mirrors, especially in situations where roof-mounted warning lights are no longer clearly visible.

When are front flashers allowed on trucks?

While other European countries have relatively relaxed installation requirements—resulting in many trucks in Germany being equipped with forward-facing warning lights—their installation is generally not permitted in Germany.

Only blue front flashers are fundamentally allowed—and only on emergency vehicles such as those operated by the police, fire brigade, and rescue services.

When are front flashers allowed on trucks?

The only way to legally use forward-facing amber warning lights (front flashers) on construction vehicles, towing vehicles for special transports, or escort vehicles in Germany is through a special exemption permit issued by the relevant authority.

According to §70 of the StVZO, the road traffic authority may approve lighting equipment that deviates from the standard regulations.

This permission can also be granted as part of an official directive for a special transport or another type of exemption under the StVO. In such cases, if the lighting equipment is explicitly listed as part of the requirements, it is permitted without an additional approval—but only for that specific operation.

If such work or transport assignments—with related requirements—are performed regularly, it is recommended to obtain a general exemption permit under §70 StVZO. Otherwise, the front flashers must be removed between operations, which can be quite difficult—especially when mounted in the vehicle’s grille.

What requirements must front flashers meet?

As with all safety-relevant electrical devices connected to a vehicle’s electrical system, front flashers must comply with electromagnetic compatibility regulations—specifically, they must have ECE-R10 certification and carry the corresponding E-mark.

Since they are considered lighting equipment, forward-facing warning lights should also meet the ECE-R65 standard and display the appropriate E-mark. In most cases, compliance with ECE-R65 is also explicitly required as part of any exemption permit.

If ECE-R65 compliance is not specified in the permit, it is still permissible to install flashers that are only ECE-R10 certified. However, the vehicle owner remains responsible for ensuring that glare or visual impairment is prevented—something that is practically impossible without tested light distribution.

Therefore, products certified to ECE-R65 are strongly recommended, even when not explicitly required, to ensure safety and compliance.

If you have further questions or require more detailed technical information on this topic, feel free to contact our expert advisory team at any time.

Based on experience, legal regulations are subject to change without notice. Therefore, LED-MARTIN GmbH cannot guarantee the completeness or current validity of the information provided here.