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Moped and scooter insurance in Germany: your plate comes from the insurer

In Germany, mopeds and scooters limited to 45 km/h are not registered with the vehicle office. Instead you buy liability insurance and the insurer hands you a small insurance plate that is valid for one insurance year only. If you have moved here with a scooter, or are buying one, this is the system you need to know.

The question almost everyone asks first

What insurance does a moped need in Germany?

Motor liability insurance is compulsory. For mopeds, small scooters and Mofas up to 45 km/h it is proven by an insurance plate (Versicherungskennzeichen) issued by the insurer, not by a registration plate. The insurance year always runs from 1 March to the end of February, then you need a new plate in a new colour: black lettering since 1 March 2026, blue from March 2027. Partial cover (Teilkasko) for theft, fire and storm is optional. Riding without valid liability insurance is a criminal offence.

An insurance plate instead of registration

Newcomers often look for the registration office first. For a 50 cc scooter you do not need it. You take out liability insurance, give the insurer the details from the vehicle's type approval certificate, and receive the plate with the policy, in an agency, from a broker or by post.

Everyone shares the same insurance year. It starts on 1 March and the contract ends by itself on the last day of February, with no notice required. The lettering changes colour each year so that police can spot an expired plate at a glance: green in 2025, black since March 2026, blue from March 2027.

What counts as a moped, and what does not

The plate system covers vehicles built for no more than 45 km/h with an engine of no more than 50 cc, or 4 kW for electric models. You need driving licence class AM, available from age 15. A Mofa is the slower version, limited to 25 km/h and ridden with a test certificate rather than a full licence.

Anything faster falls outside. A 125 cc scooter needs registration, an official number plate and motorcycle insurance. The same is true of a scooter that has been derestricted: legally it is a different vehicle, and the insurance plate no longer matches it.

Is theft cover worth it?

Liability pays only for what you do to others. If your own scooter is stolen or burns, only Teilkasko pays. It usually costs little more than liability alone but nearly always carries an excess; €150 is common on the market, often €300 for theft.

That makes it a natural choice for a new scooter or an electric model with an expensive battery, and a poor one for an old Mofa worth a few hundred euros. Comprehensive cover for damage you cause to your own vehicle is rarely offered for this class.

What is covered

  • Injury, property damage and financial loss you cause to others with the vehicle
  • Defence against unjustified claims after an accident
  • Claims by a pillion passenger against the rider
  • Trips to other European countries within the agreed territorial scope
  • Teilkasko: theft of the vehicle and fitted parts, if agreed
  • Teilkasko: fire, explosion, storm, hail, lightning and flood
  • Teilkasko: collision with animals and broken glass, depending on the tariff

What is not covered

  • Damage to your own vehicle without Teilkasko
  • Damage to your own scooter in a crash you caused, even with Teilkasko
  • Riding a derestricted or modified vehicle, with possible recourse depending on the terms
  • Riding without the required licence or test certificate
  • Races and practice runs for them
  • Your own injuries as the rider, which need rider protection or accident insurance

Who needs it

  • Anyone riding a moped, Mofa or scooter up to 45 km/h on public roads in Germany
  • Parents whose children take the class AM licence at 15
  • Commuters who leave a scooter at the station all day
  • Riders of electric scooters and speed pedelecs up to 45 km/h

Who does not need it

  • Teilkasko for an old vehicle worth barely more than the excess
  • An insurance plate for a 125 cc machine: it needs registration and motorcycle insurance

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. Missed a right of way, dented a car, roughly €1,500 to €5,000. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. Damage to the other car is paid by the liability cover behind every insurance plate.
  2. Scooter stolen overnight, value of the scooter, often €1,000 to €3,000. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Liability never pays for your own vehicle. Only Teilkasko replaces a stolen scooter, less the excess.
  3. Battery fire in the garage, several hundred to over €1,000. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Fire is a Teilkasko claim. Whether the battery of an electric scooter is expressly included is in the terms.
  4. Riding on 3 March with the old plate, criminal proceedings and the whole loss. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. The contract ends on the last day of February. Without a new one you are uninsured, however good last year's tariff was.
  5. Your 16-year-old takes the scooter, back payment or contractual penalty. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. If the tariff is for riders over 23 only, the injured party is still paid, but you pay extra. Strong tariffs include young riders.
  6. Slipped on wet leaves, fairing broken, roughly €300 to €1,200. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. A crash you caused yourself would need comprehensive cover, which is rarely offered for this class.

What it costs

Moped insurance is among the cheapest motor policies in Germany. There is no no-claims scale with an insurance plate; you pay a flat premium for the insurance year. Age matters most: many insurers charge a separate, higher rate for riders under 23.

ExampleTypical range
Liability only, rider aged 23 or overroughly €40 to €100 per insurance year
Liability plus Teilkasko with a €150 excessfrom roughly €80 to €90 per insurance year

What drives the premium

  • Liability only or with Teilkasko
  • Age of the youngest rider, often with a threshold at 23
  • Type of vehicle: Mofa, moped or scooter, petrol or electric
  • Excess under Teilkasko
  • Starting during the insurance year: many insurers charge only the remaining months

Guide values for a full insurance year from comparisons and price lists published in 2026, without guarantee for any single insurer. Your premium is fixed only in the quote.

The policy levels on the market

01

Liability only

Meets the legal duty and comes with the plate. Enough for older vehicles of low value.

02

Liability with Teilkasko

Adds theft, fire and natural hazards for your own vehicle, usually with an excess. For newer scooters and electric models.

03

With rider protection or breakdown cover

Add-ons for your own injuries after a crash you caused and for roadside help, where the insurer offers them for this class.

How to recognise a good policy

CriterionMinimum standardStrong policyWhy it matters
Liability limit statutory minimum sums €100m overall, up to €15m per injured person Serious injuries quickly cost more than the statutory minimum.
Rider age tariff for riders aged 23 and over only all authorised riders, including under 23 If someone younger than agreed rides, you face a back payment or a contractual penalty.
Theft whole vehicle only parts and accessories too, without special lock rules Scooters are stolen more often than damaged, and often only the battery or top case goes.
Teilkasko excess €150, and €300 for theft one low excess for every claim On a €1,500 scooter a high excess eats much of the payout.
Battery on electric models fixed battery only removable battery, fire and short circuit included The battery is the most expensive single part of an electric scooter.
Starting mid-year full annual premium pro rata by month If you start in June you should not pay for March to May.

Insurers on the German market

Nearly every German motor insurer sells insurance plates for mopeds and scooters, through agencies, brokers and online. They differ most in the rate for young riders and in the Teilkasko terms. This is an overview of the market, not a statement about who we work with.

InsurerBackground
Allianztied agents and brokers, plates also online
HUK-COBURGown sales force, does not work with brokers
DEVKmutual-led group with its own sales force
Die BayerischeMunich insurance group, agents and brokers
ADAC Autoversicherunginsurer linked to the German automobile club ADAC, mainly direct
R+Vinsurer of the cooperative banks
AXAtied agents and brokers
WGVdirect insurer from Stuttgart

From the BaFin register

98

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

(Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflicht)

Show all 98 names from the register
  • ADAC Autoversicherung AG
  • ADLER Versicherung AG
  • Allianz Direct Versicherungs-AG
  • Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE
  • Allianz Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Alte Leipziger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Ambra Versicherung AG
  • andsafe Aktiengesellschaft
  • ARAG Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • AXA easy 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
  • Bayerischer Versicherungsverband Versicherungsaktiengesellschaft
  • BGV-Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Concordia Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Continentale Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Cosmos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DA Deutsche Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DARAG Deutschland AG
  • Debeka Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft Sitz Koblenz am Rhein
  • DEVK Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • DEVK Deutsche Eisenbahn Versicherung Sach- und HUK-Versicherungsverein a.G. Betriebliche…
  • Dialog Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ERGO Direkt Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ERGO Reiseversicherung AG
  • ERGO Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • EUROPA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Fahrlehrerversicherung Verein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Feuersozietät Berlin Brandenburg Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • GARANTA Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Generali Deutschland Versicherung AG
  • Gothaer Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gothaer Versicherungsbank VVaG
  • Great Lakes Insurance SE
  • GVO Gegenseitigkeit Versicherung Oldenburg VVaG
  • GVV Direktversicherung AG
  • GVV-Kommunalversicherung, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Haftpflichtgemeinschaft Deutscher Nahverkehrs- und Versorgungsunternehmen Allgemein (HDNA) VVaG
  • Hamburger Feuerkasse Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • HanseMerkur Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • HanseMerkur Reiseversicherung AG
  • 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
  • Itzehoer Versicherung/Brandgilde von 1691 Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Janitos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • KRAVAG-ALLGEMEINE Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • KRAVAG-LOGISTIC Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Landschaftliche Brandkasse Hannover
  • Lippische Landesbrandversicherung AG
  • LVM Landwirtschaftlicher Versicherungsverein Münster a.G.
  • Mannheimer Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Markel Insurance SE
  • Mecklenburgische Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • MÜNCHENER VEREIN Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • Neodigital Autoversicherung AG
  • nexible Versicherung AG
  • NÜRNBERGER Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • NÜRNBERGER BEAMTEN ALLGEMEINE VERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • OKV - Ostdeutsche Kommunalversicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Provinzial Nord Brandkasse Aktiengesellschaft
  • Provinzial Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • R+V Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • RheinLand Versicherungs Aktiengesellschaft
  • Rhion Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • S DirektVersicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SAARLAND Feuerversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SIGNAL IDUNA Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Stuttgarter Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SV SparkassenVersicherung Gebäudeversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • TRIAS Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • uniVersa Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Versicherer im Raum der Kirchen Sachversicherung AG
  • Versicherungskammer Bayern Versicherungsanstalt des öffentlichen Rechts
  • Versicherungsverband Deutscher Eisenbahnen-Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Verti Versicherung AG
  • VHV Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Volkswagen Autoversicherung AG
  • VOLKSWOHL-BUND SACHVERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • Waldenburger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • WERTGARANTIE SE
  • WGV-Versicherung AG
  • WWK Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Württembergische Gemeinde-Versicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Württembergische Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • 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

Mofa insurance

Liability with an insurance plate for Mofas limited to 25 km/h.

Moped and scooter insurance

Liability for small motorcycles and scooters up to 45 km/h and 50 cc, with Teilkasko on request.

Electric scooter insurance

The same system as for petrol models. Check that theft, fire and short circuit of the battery are named in the Teilkasko.

Speed pedelec

Fast e-bikes up to 45 km/h count as small motorcycles in Germany and also ride with an insurance plate.

Myth or truth

True or false?

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

Last year's plate stays valid for a few days into March.

This is false.

No. The insurance year ends on the last day of February and there is no grace period. From 1 March you need the new plate.

There is no no-claims scale for mopeds in Germany.

This is true.

Correct. With an insurance plate everyone pays a flat premium for the insurance year, graded at most by age and vehicle type.

If I hit someone with my scooter, my personal liability insurance pays.

This is false.

Wrong. German personal liability policies exclude motor vehicles. Only the motor liability behind the insurance plate pays.

If you start in summer, you often pay only for the remaining months.

This is true.

True, many insurers charge pro rata. The contract still ends at the end of February.

Riding without insurance only costs a small fine.

This is false.

No. It is a criminal offence under the Compulsory Insurance Act, with a fine or up to one year in prison.

Common mistakes

  • Riding on 1 March with last year's plate
  • Choosing the over-23 tariff although a 16-year-old in the family also rides
  • Derestricting the scooter and keeping the insurance plate
  • Relying on personal liability insurance, which excludes motor vehicles
  • Bringing a scooter from abroad and assuming the foreign policy carries on indefinitely

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Where do I get the insurance plate?

From the insurer: in an agency, through a broker or online with delivery by post.

You need the details from the vehicle's type approval certificate.

No visit to the registration office is required.

What happens on 1 March?

The old contract ends by itself on the last day of February and the old plate becomes invalid.

To keep riding you need a new plate in the new year's colour from 1 March.

Can I start in the middle of the year?

Yes.

The contract then runs to the end of February,

and many insurers charge only for the remaining months.

Ask, because not all handle it the same way.

Is there a no-claims bonus?

No.

Insurance plates carry a flat premium for the insurance year,

and a claim does not move you into a more expensive class.

How old do I have to be?

Licence class AM for vehicles up to 45 km/h is available from age 15.

A Mofa limited to 25 km/h may also be ridden from 15 with a test certificate.

What if I ride without insurance?

Riding without liability insurance is a criminal offence under the German Compulsory Insurance

Act, punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison.

You are also personally liable for the damage.

Does my electric moped use the same system?

Yes, if it is limited to 45 km/h and 4 kW.

It carries the same insurance plate as a petrol scooter.

Look closely at how the Teilkasko treats the battery.

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