The rules that matter most in a rental car
The table combines the rule, the penalty range in force in September 2026 and what it means for a renter.
| Rule | What it requires | Penalty | Renter angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter tyres | Winter tyres from 1 Nov to 15 Apr in snow, slush or ice | About €100 standard fine; more if others are endangered | Winter tyres can be a paid extra; check at booking |
| Speed limits | 50 / 100 / 130 km/h unless signed | Up to €726; €200 to €5,000 above 30 km/h over | Camera fines reach you through the company |
| IG-L zones | Variable 100 km/h limits marked IG-L | Higher than ordinary speeding fines | Only green-plate EVs exempt, where signed |
| Emergency corridor | Open a lane as soon as traffic jams | Up to €726; €72 to €2,180 if you obstruct emergency vehicles | Applies from the first slowdown |
What are the speed limits in Austria?
For cars, the defaults are 50 km/h in built-up areas (Ortsgebiet), 100 km/h on open roads and 130 km/h on motorways (ÖAMTC). On certain designated transit motorways the car limit falls to 110 km/h at night, between 22:00 and 05:00. With a light trailer, the motorway limit is 100 km/h.
Two kinds of variable limit trip up visitors.
- IG-L limits. Under the air-quality law (Immissionsschutzgesetz-Luft), stretches of motorway in several states carry 100 km/h limits, switched on by overhead signs marked IG-L. The ministry lists such stretches on the A12 and A13 in Tyrol, the A1 in Upper Austria, the A2 in Carinthia and Styria and the A14 in Vorarlberg, among others (BMIMI). ÖAMTC notes that IG-L fines are always higher than ordinary speeding fines for the same excess, citing €150 to €220 where a comparable road-traffic fine was €55 (ÖAMTC).
- Section control. Some stretches measure your average speed between two points rather than at one camera. The ministry's list of section control ordinances includes the Kaisermühlen tunnel on Vienna's A22 and two stretches of the A2 south of Vienna (BMIMI). Slowing for the camera does not help; the average over the whole stretch counts.
When do you need winter tyres in Austria?
From 1 November to 15 April, cars must have winter tyres whenever the road has snow, slush or ice (BMIMI). Tyres marked M+S or with the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol count, including all-season tyres with those markings. Tread must be at least 4 mm on radial tyres (ÖAMTC).
Snow chains on at least two drive wheels are an alternative only when the road is fully or almost fully covered in snow or ice, and then the limit is 50 km/h. ÖAMTC puts the standard fine at around €100 and notes that a driver without winter tyres in an accident in winter conditions can be found partly at fault, which affects insurance.
The rule sits with the driver, not the rental company. SIXT Austria lists winter tyres and snow chains as seasonal extras at selected branches, charged per day with a daily cap (SIXT Austria). If your booking between November and April does not state winter tyres, confirm it before you travel, especially for a drive from Salzburg into the mountains.
The emergency corridor (Rettungsgasse)
Austria requires drivers to open an emergency corridor as soon as a traffic jam starts to form, not only when you hear a siren (oesterreich.gv.at).
- On a two-lane carriageway, the left lane moves as far left as possible and the right lane moves right. The corridor runs between them.
- With three or more lanes, the corridor runs between the leftmost lane and the one next to it.
- Only emergency, breakdown and road-service vehicles may drive in it. Following an ambulance through the gap is an offence.
Failing to form the corridor can cost up to €726, and €72 to €2,180 where it obstructs emergency or service vehicles (StVO § 99).
How much is a speeding fine in Austria in 2026?
Austrian speeding fines are set within legal ranges, so the exact amount depends on the authority and the case. The ranges in the Road Traffic Act as in force from 30 July 2026 are:
| Excess over the limit | Legal range |
|---|---|
| Up to 30 km/h | Up to €726 |
| More than 30 km/h | €200 to €5,000 |
| More than 40 km/h in town, or more than 50 km/h outside town | €400 to €6,000 |
Smaller offences are usually handled in a shortened procedure: an on-the-spot fine of up to €90, or an anonymous notice (Anonymverfügung) of up to €365 that must be paid within four weeks (oesterreich.gv.at). Paid on time, the case is closed with no record. Unpaid, it becomes a regular procedure with a higher penalty.
Since March 2024, cars can also be seized for extreme speeding, for example 80 km/h over the limit in town or 90 km/h over outside town (ÖAMTC). With a rental car, that becomes a serious dispute with the rental company as well.
Worked example: the same 45 km/h, two different bands
A driver doing 145 km/h on an open road with a 100 km/h limit is 45 km/h over. Outside town, that is above 30 but not above 50, so the range is €200 to €5,000. The same 45 km/h excess in a 50 km/h town zone (95 km/h) crosses the 40 km/h in-town threshold, so the range starts at €400. Add a rental company processing fee, such as Europcar Austria's €40, and the minimum cost of the town offence reaches €440 before any licence consequences.
How does an Austrian camera fine reach you after a rental?
The ministry page lists no collection arrangement for residents outside the EU, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The rental company's processing fee is still charged to the card on file, and ECC Austria advises asking for the official notice as proof before accepting any charge.
Before you drive away from the Salzburg counter
- Check the tyre sidewalls between November and April for M+S or the snowflake symbol.
- Ask whether the company charges a fee for handling fines and how much.
- If you rented the car in Germany, you will need a vignette beyond the A1 border stretch to Salzburg Nord; see Austria's digital vignette and section tolls.
- Photograph the fuel gauge, mileage and any damage, and keep your rental agreement until several months after the trip, since notices can arrive long after you are home.