A German Postleitzahl (PLZ) is the 5-digit postal code used for mail routing throughout Germany. Since the post-reunification reform of 1993, every address uses a single nationwide 5-digit code. This free validator confirms a PLZ is well-formed and maps it to its postal zone and likely federal state — useful for address forms, e-commerce checkout validation, and delivery-zone logic.
How it works
The rule is deliberately simple but precise:
- Strip whitespace; the input must be exactly five digits (
0–9). - The valid assigned range runs from
01067upward — codes beginning with00are not used, so they fail. - The first digit selects one of ten Postleitzonen (0–9), and the first two digits select the Leitregion.
The tool maps the leading two digits to a federal state (Bundesland). Because some Leitregionen straddle state borders, the state is shown as the dominant one for that range and labelled as an approximation.
Example
Validate 10115 (Berlin-Mitte):
- Five digits, not starting with
00→ format valid. - First digit
1→ zone 1 (Berlin / Brandenburg / Saxony-Anhalt area). - First two digits
10→ Berlin.
Compare with 80331 (Munich): zone 8, leading 80 → Bavaria. A code such as 00123 fails because the 00 zone is unassigned.
Notes
A valid format and zone do not guarantee the exact code is in active use — Deutsche Post assigns codes within each range and some are reserved. Treat the federal-state mapping as a strong hint, not a legal address verification. Everything runs locally in your browser.