Who must insure a vehicle, and what happens without insurance? This page sums up the German Compulsory Insurance Act for the trade.
Zevra is the B2B platform for digital vehicle registration for car dealers, registration services and fleets: cases are entered in the dealer portal and filed nationwide by power of attorney with qualified electronic signature – from €10 per registration, no base fee, no minimum volume.
Last updated: · Zevra editorial team · Reviewed by M. Gabal, owner
Who must take out compulsory insurance?
The keeper of a vehicle based in Germany takes out liability insurance and maintains it.
It covers personal injury, property damage and other financial loss caused by the use of the vehicle.
Whose liability must be covered at least?
- the keeper's,
- the owner's,
- the driver's.
Further persons are added, for example employers when the vehicle is used for work with the policyholder's consent.
With whom can the insurance be taken out?
Only with an insurance company authorised to conduct motor liability insurance in Germany. These companies are obliged to grant the insurance.
For two-wheelers and passenger cars, the application counts as accepted if the insurer does not refuse it in writing within 2 weeks or make a different offer. This does not apply to taxis, hire cars and self-drive rental vehicles.
How long does the contract run?
The insurance relationship ends at the latest 1 year after it began, if it began on the first day of a month. It is extended by 1 year each time unless it is terminated in writing at least 1 month before expiry.
If the buyer of a sold vehicle takes out new insurance, the insurance relationship that passed to them counts as terminated when the new one begins.
Which penalty applies to driving without insurance?
| Offence | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Vehicle used without liability insurance, or its use permitted | Imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine |
| Negligent offence | Imprisonment of up to 6 months or a fine of up to 180 daily rates |
The vehicle can be confiscated if it belongs to the offender or a participant.
Who is exempt from the duty to insure?
Exempt are, among others, the Federation, the states and municipalities with more than 100 000 inhabitants. In the event of damage they step in like an insurer.
What does this mean for dealers?
For dealers, the insurance confirmation is part of every registration.
With Zevra the dealer files registration and deregistration in the dealer portal. Registration costs from 10 € per case, deregistration 2 € net, plus official fees.
- Minimum insured sums in German motor liability insurance: amounts per claim
- eVB number in vehicle registration: proof of third-party insurance in the digital application
- Insurance confirmation: content, transmission and notifications to the insurer
- Compulsory deregistration: when the authority takes a vehicle off the road
- Foreign vehicle in Germany: insurance, Green Card and frontier insurance
- Provisional cover in German motor liability insurance: start, end and duties (KfzPflVV)
- Temporary registration proof: valid for 10 days
- Documents posted by the authority: within 6 days
- Digital deregistration: documents from 01.01.2015
- Digital registration: documents from 01.01.2018
- Registration with Zevra: €10 net
- Deregistration with Zevra: €2 net · base fee: €0
Deadlines and cut-off dates according to: Bundesministerium für Verkehr
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- Vehicle registration fees in Germany: official fees at the counter and online
- Operating licence lapsed: when modifications to the vehicle end it (§ 19 StVZO)
- Individual operating licence under § 21 StVZO: application, expert report and retention
- Historic vehicle report under § 23 StVZO: requirements for the H plate
- Minimum insured sums in German motor liability insurance: amounts per claim
- Making, selling and issuing number plates: notice duty under § 6b StVG
- Number plate misuse under § 22 StVG: punishable acts and penalty
- Fines in German vehicle registration: standard rates from the schedule of fines
- German vehicle tax: car rates by engine size and CO₂ (§ 9 KraftStG)
- German vehicle tax liability: start, end and minimum term under § 5 KraftStG
- German number plate size and font: dimensions, FE font and character count (annex 4 FZV)
- Paying German vehicle tax: yearly, half-yearly or quarterly (§ 11 KraftStG)
- German vehicle tax for motorhomes, vans and trucks: rates by total weight
- German vehicle tax and severe disability: exemption and reduction under § 3a KraftStG
- Trailer without vehicle tax in Germany: green plate and trailer surcharge (§ 10 KraftStG)
- Operating licence for vehicle parts under § 22 StVZO: licence, inspection and type mark
- Claims history statement in Germany: deadline, content and equal treatment (§ 5c PflVG)
- Foreign vehicle in Germany: insurance, Green Card and frontier insurance
- General operating licence for vehicle types in Germany: grant, duties and lapse (§ 20 StVZO)
- Design approval for vehicle parts in Germany: duty, test mark and exceptions (§ 22a StVZO)
- Vehicle tax notice in Germany: assessment, reassessment and tax base (§ 12 and § 8 KraftStG)
- E-scooter and other small electric vehicles in Germany: operating licence, insurance sticker and minimum age (eKFV)
- German vehicle tax: who is the tax debtor and what is taxed? (§ 7 and § 1 KraftStG)
- Provisional cover in German motor liability insurance: start, end and duties (KfzPflVV)
- Logbook order in Germany: order, entries and retention for keepers (§ 31a StVZO)
- Keeper liability for stopping or parking offences in Germany: when the keeper bears the costs (§ 25a StVG)
- Individual approval for vehicles in Germany: conditions, expert report and revocation (§ 13 EG-FGV)
- Car dealerships
- Registration services
- Fleet operators
- Banks & insurers
- Pricing
Sources: Pflichtversicherungsgesetz (PflVG) § 1 – Versicherungspflicht · Pflichtversicherungsgesetz (PflVG) § 5 – Zugelassene Versicherer, Pflicht der Versicherer zum Vertragsschluss · Pflichtversicherungsgesetz (PflVG) § 5a – Dauer des Versicherungsverhältnisses · Pflichtversicherungsgesetz (PflVG) § 6 – Verbot des Gebrauchs unversicherter Fahrzeuge · Pflichtversicherungsgesetz (PflVG) § 30 – Strafvorschriften · Sources · Vehicle figures: tax, insurance, fines