Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for checking the operability of a tank-venting valve which is connected in a venting line of a tank-venting apparatus between the intake pipe of the internal combustion engine and an adsorption filter equipped with a venting line. The tank-venting valve can be driven into two switching states, namely, an open state and a closed state. The method includes the steps of: driving the tank-venting valve to reach one of the two selectable switching states; checking the pressure on the end of the tank-venting valve facing away from the intake pipe and checking whether this pressure exhibits a time-dependent trace as it cannot occur in the desired switching state; and, concluding that a defect in the tank-venting valve is present when the condition checked in the previous step is satisfied. With this method, the operability of a simple tank-venting valve can be reliably checked. The method requires no special mechanical, capacitive or inductive checking arrangement.