patrick66
Old Man with a Hat
It's called the TUV (the U has an umlaut) - they are the German vehicle inspection authority. Like 300rag said, they make ALL US inspections (including California) look like three-year olds inspecting a tricycle! The Wiki description is below:
[h=2]TÜV for road vehicles[/h] No German-registered road vehicle can be operated on public roads without a vehicle inspection certificate from the TÜVs or one of their competitors. However for the last two years independent inspectors have also been entitled to grant this certification. In most cases the certificate has to be renewed every two years. A pass in the mandatory roadworthiness and smog test is indicated by tamper-proof decals on the license plate. The TÜV have become so closely associated with this safety inspection ('Hauptuntersuchung') over the decades that the very word 'TÜV' is often used as a synonym for it. Many German car owners wrongly believe the TÜV is a government organization because of the mandatory safety inspection.
The TÜV[SUP][1][/SUP] and DEKRA[SUP][2][/SUP] are also responsible for administering the theoretical and practical driver's license tests. These two associations also issue driver's licenses once the application has been submitted at the city/county government level by the local Strassenverkehrsbehörde aka Führerscheinstelle (road traffic authority or driving licence post) and both tests have been passed. Most vehicle modifications also need to be approved, from installing tires of a different size to materials used in nuts and bolts. The German safety guidelines are among the strictest in the world, and getting a road permit for custom-built vehicles is said to border on the impossible.
