Important rules change in March: new insurance plates become mandatory, restrictions apply to hedge trimming and the clock goes forward. In addition, health insurance contributions are increasing for many pensioners, pension adjustments are pending – and a new state parliament is being elected in Baden-Württemberg.
• Deadlines & obligations: New insurance number, hedge trimming rules, time change
• Pension & contributions: Higher health insurance costs, pension adjustment is pending
• SCHUFA & Wahl: New online account, state election with two votes for ages 16 and up
Insurance license plate: Color change is mandatory
With the start of spring, many owners of mopeds, mopeds, scooters up to 50 cc and e-scooters face a formal but crucial step: the insurance license plate must be changed. The ADAC points this out.
The new insurance year begins on March 1st. As of this date, the previous green license plates will no longer be valid; the new plates will be black. Insurance coverage is only available with the current license plate. Anyone driving with an expired license plate is driving without insurance. This is punishable. The law provides for “a prison sentence of up to one year or a fine.” In the event of damage, the driver is also personally liable.
The insurance license plate is valid for one year and expires automatically – cancellation is not necessary. The new sign is available directly from the insurer, including online. Anyone who joins after the deadline will pay the contribution pro rata for the remaining months.
Hedge trimming: What is allowed now – and what is not
Spring not only marks the beginning of the gardening season, but also a phase with clear legal requirements. NABU Baden-Württemberg points this out.
From March 1st to September 30th, felling work and heavy pruning are generally prohibited (Section 39 Paragraph 5 No. 2 BNatSchG). The background is to protect the animal world during the breeding season. The Federal Nature Conservation Act expressly protects “reproductive or resting places for wild animals of specially protected species” (Section 44 Paragraph 1 Sentence 3 BNatSchG).
During this period, only gentle shaping and care cuts are permitted, in which only the current growth is removed. The regulations apply not only in the open countryside, but also in residential areas and private gardens. In addition, municipal tree protection statutes may contain stricter requirements.
The Nature Conservation Association (NABU) advises postponing even minor interventions until July if possible, as many bird species still breed in the summer. In addition, robotic lawnmowers should – if at all – only be used during the day under supervision, as they can pose a danger to hedgehogs and other small animals.
Time change: clock is set forward
At the end of March the clock will be set forward one hour again. Daylight saving time begins on the last Sunday in March. The basis is the EU Directive 2000/84/EC. It states: “As of 2002, daylight saving time begins in each Member State at 1 a.m. Universal Time on the last Sunday in March.”
Since the days of the week change every year, the specific date also varies. When you move the clock forward, the day in question is shortened to 23 hours.
Pensions: More burden due to health insurance contributions
For many pensioners, the net payout is lower. The background is increased additional contributions to statutory health insurance companies, as Ruhr24 reports.
The higher contributions do not have an immediate effect. They will only be deducted from the pension two months after the increase. The basis for this is Section 247 SGB V.
The average additional contribution was set at 2.9 percent, previously it was 2.5 percent. The general contribution rate for health insurance remains unchanged at 14.6 percent.
Pensioners and pension insurance pay half of the contributions each. This applies to both the general contribution rate and the additional contribution. If the additional contribution increases by one percentage point, the burden on pensioners increases by 0.5 percent.
Pension adjustment: decision pending
For pensioners, the focus is on the upcoming adjustment of salaries. In March it will be officially announced how much pensions will rise on July 1st.
The federal government is currently expecting an increase of 3.73 percent. However, the final amount will not be determined by regulation until spring.
How much the increase actually reaches the account depends on the individual case. Among other things, the contributions to health and nursing care insurance, which continue to be deducted from the gross pension, are crucial.
New SCHUFA account: Digital insight into your creditworthiness
SCHUFA provides consumers with new digital access to their creditworthiness data. The SCHUFA account is currently in a beta phase, as explained on the company website.
Users receive a digital insight into their creditworthiness-relevant data as well as their basic score. The new SCHUFA score should be integrated into the account at the end of March.
The prerequisite for access is identification using the eID procedure with the online ID function activated. Complete identification is currently only possible in this way.
In contrast to the free data copy in accordance with Art. 15 GDPR, which is sent by post, the data insight can be accessed digitally via the account at any time. However, not all of the information listed in the comprehensive data copy is currently included there.
State elections in Baden-Württemberg: New rules for voting
A new state parliament will be elected in Baden-Württemberg on Sunday, March 8, 2026. Polling stations are generally open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The basis is the reform of the state electoral law of April 26, 2022. For the first time, a two-vote system applies: the first vote directly elects a candidate in the constituency, the second vote decides on the distribution of seats in the state parliament as a whole.
The state parliament comprises at least 120 members, 70 of whom have direct mandates from the constituencies. Another new feature is the lowered voting age: citizens aged 16 and over are now eligible to vote.
Editorial team finanzen.net