Speeding on a Harley: driving without a license and forging documents!

Speeding on a Harley: driving without a license and forging documents!

On June 19, 2025, around 3:00 p.m., the Rellingen police carried out an extensive speed check on Hermann-Löns-Weg. The officers caught a 35-year-old driver from Hamburg who was clearly traveling too fast on his Harley-Davidson, which had a Neumünster license plate. With a speed of 87 km/h, it shaved a whopping 57 km/h off the permitted maximum speed of 30 km/h.

During the check, the driver presented a Polish driver's license, but it soon came into the attention of the officers. Upon initial inspection, it was obvious that the driver's license may have been fake. Such suspicions inevitably lead to the driver now having to answer on suspicion of driving without a license and forging documents. He not only faces high fines of around 600 euros, but also a two-month driving ban.

Forgery of documents in traffic

Forgery of documents is anything but a trivial offense; rather, it is a criminal offense defined in accordance with Section 267 of the Criminal Code. This includes not only the production or modification of forged documents, but also their use. A driver's license or vehicle registration document are considered documents, the forgery or manipulation of which can lead to serious legal consequences. According to the Fine Money Catalog, penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment of up to five years can be imposed.

Especially in road traffic, it is crucial that all documents are genuine and unadulterated. False environmental stickers or manipulated license plates also fall into the category of document forgery and are punishable by law. In this case, attaching a false license plate - whether by removing it from another vehicle or attaching a license plate that is not officially issued - could also lead to criminal prosecution, as attaching unauthorized license plates on the road is a serious matter.

consequences for those affected

The overview of possible penalties for forging documents in traffic shows that these offenses are taken seriously. In addition to the fines and driving bans already mentioned, in the worst case scenario there is also the risk of entries in the Flensburg driving fitness register.

• Bußgeld zwischen 600 EUR und mehr
• Fahrverbot von bis zu zwei Monaten
• Freiheitsstrafe bis zu fünf Jahren bei schwerwiegenden Fällen

This example from Rellingen makes it clear how important it is to pay attention to the authenticity of driving licenses and license plates when driving. As you can see, a small (or large) mistake on two wheels can quickly become a permanent issue - with far-reaching consequences for the driver.