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Company bike insurance in Germany: what the leasing cover really protects

A leased company bike (Dienstrad) belongs to the leasing company, and it insists that the bike is insured against theft and damage. That is why almost every German bike leasing scheme, JobRad being the best known, comes with comprehensive cover, often with wear and tear and a breakdown service. How good that cover is depends on the provider your employer picked, and the rules you have to follow usually sit in a short leaflet in German.

The question almost everyone asks first

Does a company bike in Germany have to be insured?

Not by law, as long as it is a bicycle or a pedelec assisted up to 25 km/h. Only the S-pedelec, assisted up to 45 km/h, needs motor liability cover with an insurance plate. The leasing company, however, requires insurance because it owns the bike, so practically every leasing contract includes comprehensive cover with theft protection. The real question is how good it is: which lock rule applies, whether battery and wear are included, and who pays if the insurer reduces a claim.

Who owns the bike and who is insured

German company bike leasing involves three parties. The leasing company buys the bike and stays its owner, the employer leases it and hands it to the employee, who usually pays through salary sacrifice (Gehaltsumwandlung) from gross pay. The insurance is normally taken out by the leasing company or the employer under a master policy that includes the rider. You will rarely see the policy itself, only a leaflet (Merkblatt) with the key rules.

For employers this means that choosing a leasing company also means choosing the insurance for every bike in the company. Several providers offer different packages, and whether wear, servicing or protection against loss of salary is included is up to the employer. Asking for the full terms rather than the marketing summary saves your staff arguments later.

Theft: locks, parking and proof

Almost all terms require the bike to be locked whenever it is parked. Many also require it to be locked to a fixed object, while others accept a frame lock. The JobRad leaflets, for example, spell out the duty to lock and secure the bike as an obligation of the rider. On top of that you will need a police report and the purchase receipt with the frame number.

Leaving the bike unlocked may count as gross negligence, and German insurers may then reduce the payment in line with the degree of fault unless the policy waives that right. Whatever the insurer does not pay ends up with the employer under the lease and, under the user agreement, usually with the employee. A waiver of the gross negligence defence is therefore one of the most valuable points when comparing schemes.

Battery, wear, breakdown cover and tax

Comprehensive cover pays for theft, accidents, falls and vandalism. Wear on chain, brakes and tyres is a separate module that not every scheme includes, often tied to regular servicing. For the battery the wording matters: some terms replace it only after external damage, others also when capacity falls below a stated threshold. Breakdown cover (Mobilitätsgarantie) brings roadside help, transport to a workshop or a taxi, with limits on distance and number of call outs.

If you lease through salary sacrifice, private use is taxed at 0.25 percent of the recommended retail price, rounded down to full 100 euros, per month, for bikes provided until the end of 2030. If the employer provides the bike on top of the salary already owed, the benefit is tax free under § 3 No. 37 of the Income Tax Act. S-pedelecs do not count as bicycles for tax purposes; the rules for motor vehicles apply.

What is covered

  • Theft of the properly locked bike, including burglary from a cellar or shared bike room
  • Accident and fall damage, even if you caused it yourself
  • Vandalism by others
  • Damage to motor, controller and display, depending on the package
  • Battery damage from a fall or defect, loss of capacity only if included
  • Wear parts such as chain, brake pads and tyres, if the package includes them
  • Roadside help, transport and onward travel under the breakdown cover
  • Settlement of the lease after total loss or theft

What is not covered

  • Theft of a bike that was not locked as required, fully or partly depending on the terms
  • Damage after tuning or tampering with the drive
  • Races and competitions
  • Intentional damage and misappropriation by the rider
  • Cosmetic damage that does not affect function
  • Liability for damage to others, which falls under your personal liability insurance

Who needs it

  • Employers in Germany introducing a company bike scheme or switching provider
  • Companies that buy bikes outright and provide them to staff
  • Freelancers and self-employed people with a business bike
  • Employees from abroad who want to understand their obligations before ordering

Who does not need it

  • Riders of a leased bike who want a second private bike policy for the same bike: during the lease it is already insured

Wheel of misfortune

Spin the wheel of bad luck

Six things that really happen. The wheel picks yours and shows who pays.

See all six cases
  1. Locked e-bike gone from the station, the settlement value of the lease. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. The core case of comprehensive cover. The insurer pays the leasing company once the police report and proof are in.
  2. Fall on a wet road, bent wheel, a few hundred euros in repairs. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. Accident and fall damage is part of comprehensive cover, even if it was your own fault.
  3. Battery range down by half, a new battery costs several hundred euros. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays in part. Loss of capacity is only covered with battery wear included, and then only below a stated threshold and age limit.
  4. Chain and brake pads worn out, a workshop bill. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Wear is a separate module and often requires regular servicing.
  5. Flat tyre two km from the office, pick up or taxi. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. Breakdown cover helps, but some versions only beyond a minimum distance from home or a few times a year.
  6. Motor burnt out after tuning, motor and controller, often four figures. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. Tampering with the drive removes cover in every package, and the bike may no longer count as a bicycle.

What it costs

In German bike leasing the insurance is usually built into the monthly rate and not shown separately. Its price depends less on the individual bike than on the package the employer chooses. Bikes outside a leasing scheme are quoted as a fleet or individually.

What drives the premium

  • Purchase price of the bikes and the share of e-bikes and cargo bikes
  • Package: comprehensive only, or with wear, servicing and breakdown cover
  • Deductible, especially for theft
  • Number of bikes in the scheme
  • Theft risk where riders live and work

We do not publish sample premiums because leasing companies rarely disclose the insurance share of their rates. For bikes outside a lease we obtain quotes based on your details.

The policy levels on the market

01

Comprehensive

Theft, accident, fall and vandalism. Wear and battery ageing stay with the rider, breakdown cover is often missing.

02

Comprehensive with wear

Adds chain, brakes, tyres and often an annual service. The usual choice for daily commuters.

03

Full package

Comprehensive, wear, breakdown cover and protection of the rate during illness or parental leave, sometimes without deductible.

How to recognise a good policy

CriterionMinimum standardStrong policyWhy it matters
Lock rule locked with a lock locked is enough, no minimum lock price Most rejected theft claims fail on how the bike was secured.
Gross negligence reduction by degree of fault insurer waives the defence What the insurer deducts is usually paid by the employee in the end.
Battery only after external damage also loss of capacity below a stated threshold A new battery is one of the most expensive spare parts of an e-bike.
Wear not included chain, brakes, tyres and sprockets with no age limit Daily commuting wears these parts out several times during a lease.
Breakdown cover roadside help beyond a minimum distance from your front door, with onward travel and generous call out limits Breakdowns happen on the way to work.
Deductible fixed amount per claim none, also for theft The rider pays the deductible.
Loss of salary not included rates covered during illness, parental leave or after leaving Without salary there is nothing to sacrifice.

Insurers on the German market

You rarely buy cover for a leased bike yourself: it sits in the leasing company's master policy, and the leaflet often does not name the insurer behind it. If your company provides bikes without leasing, or you ride a business bike as a freelancer, you insure it directly. The list shows German insurers that write bicycle cover; it is a market overview, not a list of our partners.

InsurerBackground
Ammerländercomprehensive fleet cover for company bikes of employers and leasing companies
WERTGARANTIEcompany bike leasing with full cover through its subsidiary linexo
Barmeniaown bicycle insurance, part of Barmenia Gothaer since 2025
Die Bayerischebicycle policies through brokers and direct sales
HDIpart of the Talanx group, focus on business and professions

Compare the wordings of all tariffs Company bike insurance 9 tariffs from 7 providers, as of 24 October 2026

From the BaFin register

155

155 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance.

(Hagel-, Frost- und sonstige Sachschäden)

Show all 155 names from the register
  • ACM Versicherung AG
  • ADAC Autoversicherung AG
  • ADAC Versicherung AG
  • ADAC Zuhause Versicherung AG
  • ADLER Versicherung AG
  • Allianz Direct Versicherungs-AG
  • Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE
  • Allianz Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Alte Leipziger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Ambra Versicherung AG
  • AMMERLÄNDER VERSICHERUNG Versicherungsverein a.G. (VVaG)
  • andsafe Aktiengesellschaft
  • ARAG Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Astra Versicherung AG
  • AXA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • BA die Bayerische Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Badischer Gemeinde-Versicherungs-Verband
  • Baloise Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft Deutschland
  • Barmenia Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • BavariaDirekt Versicherung AG
  • Bayerische Hausbesitzer-Versicherungs-Gesellschaft a.G.
  • Bayerische Landesbrandversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Bayerischer Versicherungsverband Versicherungsaktiengesellschaft
  • BD24 Berlin Direkt Versicherung AG
  • Bergische Brandversicherung Allgemeine Feuerversicherung V.a.G.
  • BGV-Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • CG Car-Garantie Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Concordia Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • CONSTANTIA Versicherungen a.G.
  • Continentale Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Cosmos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DA Deutsche Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DARAG Deutschland AG
  • Debeka Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft Sitz Koblenz am Rhein
  • Delvag Versicherungs-AG
  • DEVK Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • DEVK Deutsche Eisenbahn Versicherung Sach- und HUK-Versicherungsverein a.G. Betriebliche…
  • DFV Deutsche Familienversicherung AG
  • Dialog Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Die Haftpflichtkasse VVaG
  • DOCURA VVaG
  • Dolleruper Freie Brandgilde
  • Domestic & General Insurance Europe AG
  • ERGO Direkt Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ERGO Reiseversicherung AG
  • ERGO Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • EUROPA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • EXTREMUS Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Fahrlehrerversicherung Verein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Feuer- und Einbruchschadenkasse der BBBank in Karlsruhe, Versicherungsverein auf…
  • Feuersozietät Berlin Brandenburg Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • GARANTA Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gartenbau-Versicherung VVaG
  • Gebäudeversicherungsgilde für Föhr,Amrum und Halligen
  • Generali Deutschland Versicherung AG
  • GGG Kraftfahrzeug-Reparaturkosten-Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gothaer Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gothaer Versicherungsbank VVaG
  • Great Lakes Insurance SE
  • GRUNDEIGENTÜMER-VERSICHERUNG Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • GVO Gegenseitigkeit Versicherung Oldenburg VVaG
  • GVV Direktversicherung AG
  • GVV-Kommunalversicherung, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Hagelgilde Versicherungsverein a.G., gegründet 1811
  • Hamburger Beamten-Feuer-und Einbruchskasse
  • Hamburger Feuerkasse Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Hamburger Lehrer-Feuerkasse
  • HanseMerkur Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • HanseMerkur Reiseversicherung AG
  • Harsewinkeler Versicherung VaG
  • HDI Global SE
  • HDI Global Specialty SE
  • HDI Haftpflichtverband der Deutschen Industrie Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • HDI Versicherung AG
  • Helvetia Schweizerische Versicherungsgesellschaft AG Direktion für Deutschland
  • Helvetia Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • HUK-COBURG Haftpflicht-Unterstützungs-Kasse kraftfahrender Beamter Deutschlands a.G. in Coburg
  • HUK-COBURG-Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • HUK24 AG
  • Häger Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Hübener Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • IDEAL Versicherung AG
  • INTER Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Interlloyd Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • InterRisk Versicherungs-AG Vienna Insurance Group.
  • ISSELHORSTER Versicherung V.a.G.
  • Itzehoer Versicherung/Brandgilde von 1691 Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Janitos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • KRAVAG-ALLGEMEINE Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • KRAVAG-LOGISTIC Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Landschaftliche Brandkasse Hannover
  • LBN Versicherungsverein a.G. (VVaG)
  • Lehrer-Feuerversicherungsverein a.G. für Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg und Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
  • Lifestyle Protection AG
  • Lippische Landesbrandversicherung AG
  • Lucura Versicherungs AG
  • LVM Landwirtschaftlicher Versicherungsverein Münster a.G.
  • Mannheimer Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Markel Insurance SE
  • Mecklenburgische Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Mercedes-Benz Versicherung AG
  • MVK Versicherung VVaG
  • MÜNCHENER VEREIN Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • NEH Neue Hildener Versicherung AG
  • Neodigital Versicherung AG
  • Neuendorfer Brand-Bau-Gilde
  • Newline Europe Versicherung AG
  • nexible Versicherung AG
  • Nordhemmer Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • NV-Versicherungen VVaG
  • NÜRNBERGER Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • NÜRNBERGER BEAMTEN ALLGEMEINE VERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • OKV - Ostdeutsche Kommunalversicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Ostangler Brandgilde, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
  • OSTBEVERNER Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
  • Pallas Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ProTect Versicherung AG
  • Provinzial Nord Brandkasse Aktiengesellschaft
  • Provinzial Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • PVAG Polizeiversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • R+V Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Real Garant Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • RheinLand Versicherungs Aktiengesellschaft
  • Rhion Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • S DirektVersicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SAARLAND Feuerversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Schleswiger Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • SCHNEVERDINGER Versicherungsverein a.G.
  • SHB Allgemeine Versicherung VVaG
  • SIGNAL IDUNA Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SIGNAL IDUNA Unfallversicherung a. G.
  • Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Stuttgarter Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SV SparkassenVersicherung Gebäudeversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • TRIAS Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Uelzener Allgemeine Versicherungs-Gesellschaft a.G.
  • Union Reiseversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • uniVersa Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Vereinigte Hagelversicherung VVaG
  • Vereinigte Tierversicherung, Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Versicherer im Raum der Kirchen Sachversicherung AG
  • Versicherungsverband Deutscher Eisenbahnen-Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • VHV Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Volkswagen Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • VOLKSWOHL-BUND SACHVERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • VPV Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • Waldenburger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • WERTGARANTIE SE
  • WGV-Versicherung AG
  • WWK Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Württembergische Gemeinde-Versicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Württembergische Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Würzburger Versicherungs-AG
  • Zurich Insurance Europe AG
  • Öffentliche Feuerversicherung Sachsen-Anhalt

Source: BaFin company database, 18 September 2026; EU insurers without a German office excluded.

Legal basis and sources

Products and add-ons

Cover within the leasing master policy

The standard case: the leasing company insures every bike in its scheme, the employer picks the package, the rider receives a leaflet.

Employer fleet policy

For companies that buy bikes themselves, including cargo bikes in daily use. One policy for all bikes.

Business bike for the self-employed

Individual policy or a leasing offer for freelancers with comprehensive and breakdown cover.

Rate protection

Pays the lease rate when salary stops because of illness, parental leave or leaving the job. Not every provider offers it.

Myth or truth

True or false?

Five things people say about this insurance. Guess first, then see the answer.

A leased company bike is fully insured, so there is nothing I need to do.

This is false.

False. The cover comes with duties: lock rules, police report, notice periods. Breach them and the insurer may reduce the payment, with the rest landing on you.

A private bike policy on top of the leasing cover pays out twice.

This is false.

False. A loss is paid only once. During the lease the master policy already covers the bike.

With salary sacrifice, private use is taxed at 0.25 percent per month.

This is true.

True, 0.25 percent of the recommended retail price rounded down to full 100 euros, for bikes provided until the end of 2030.

An S-pedelec also needs an insurance plate.

This is true.

True. An S-pedelec up to 45 km/h is a motor vehicle and needs motor liability cover. The leasing company's comprehensive cover does not replace it.

If I keep the bike at the end of the lease, the master policy still covers it.

This is false.

False. The cover is tied to the lease and ends with it. Once you own the bike you need your own policy.

Common mistakes

  • Choosing a leasing company on the rate alone without reading the insurance terms
  • Not giving staff the leaflet, so they learn the lock rule only after a theft
  • Leaving out wear cover although most riders commute daily
  • Not agreeing who pays the rate when salary stops during illness or parental leave
  • Keeping the bike at the end of the lease and forgetting that the cover ends

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Do I need my own bike insurance for a leased company bike?

Usually not during the lease, because the bike is covered by the master policy.

A second policy does not pay twice for the same loss.

Your own cover becomes relevant when you buy the bike at the end of the lease.

What do I do if my company bike is stolen?

Report it to the police straight away and notify the leasing company or its claims service with

the police reference, purchase receipt and frame number.

The insurer then settles the lease.

With JobRad, for example, the leaflet says you can get a new bike on a new 36 month contract,

with part of the rates already paid credited.

Do I have to lock the bike to a fixed object?

That depends on the terms.

Many require it explicitly, others accept a frame lock.

Since the rule differs between providers, locking to a fixed object is the safe choice,

even for short stops.

Who pays if the insurer refuses?

Towards the leasing company, your employer.

The user agreement usually passes the loss on to you if you caused it through gross negligence.

For lighter fault, German employment law limits how far an employee can be held liable.

What applies to an S-pedelec?

It needs motor liability cover with an insurance plate, renewed every year on 1 March,

and the rider needs a class AM licence.

Whether the leasing company's comprehensive cover includes S-pedelecs varies.

For tax purposes they are treated as motor vehicles.

What happens if I change jobs?

The lease runs through your employer and normally ends with your employment.

Often you can buy the bike out or must return it.

Read the user agreement (Überlassungsvertrag) before ordering.

Why use a broker for company bike insurance?

Because the differences are buried in German master policy terms that few people read in full.

We compare packages for employers, check lock rules, battery, wear and rate protection,

and insure bikes outside a leasing scheme.

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