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Am I insured if I drive after using cannabis in Germany?

In short

Yes, you stay insured, but only for the victim: if you drive after using cannabis in Germany, your motor liability insurance pays the other side in full. If you were unfit to drive, it claims up to EUR 5,000 back from you, and your fully comprehensive cover (Vollkasko) can cut its payment to zero. From 3.5 ng/ml THC in blood serum the fine is EUR 500 plus a one month driving ban.

Am I insured if I drive after using cannabis in Germany?

What it costs

What driving after cannabis can cost you personally in Germany, based on the law and published figures, as of November 2026.

ExampleTypical range
Fine from 3.5 ng/ml THC, first to third timeEUR 500 to 1,500
Fine for THC and alcohol, first to third timeEUR 1,000 to 2,000
Recourse by motor liability if unfit to driveup to EUR 5,000
Cut in fully comprehensive coverup to 100 percent, depending on fault

Legal position and standard fines from the sources listed, as of November 2026.

Courts decide Kasko cuts case by case.

Damage amounts and extra premium after a downgrade in the example are guide values from our

quoting practice.

Worked example

Right of way accident after a joint the evening before, compact car with Vollkasko

A driver fails to give way at a junction. The blood test shows 6 ng/ml THC and the police note slow reactions. Damage to the other car EUR 6,000, to his own EUR 5,000.

Liability pays the other driverEUR 6,000
Recourse against the driverup to EUR 5,000
Vollkasko with a 100 percent cutpays nothing, the driver bears EUR 5,000
Fine, first timeEUR 500, two points, one month ban
Extra premium after downgrade over three yearsabout EUR 600 to 1,200

EUR 10,000 or more quickly comes out of your own pocket, although liability and Vollkasko were in place. Criminal proceedings and licence consequences can follow.

What German law says since August 2024

Since 22 August 2024 Germany has a separate limit for tetrahydrocannabinol, the active substance in cannabis. Driving with 3.5 nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood serum or more is an administrative offence under § 24a (1a) of the Road Traffic Act (StVG).

If you also drink alcohol, the stricter paragraph 2a applies and the maximum fine rises from EUR 3,000 to EUR 5,000. Learner drivers in their probation period and anyone under 21 must not drive after using cannabis at all (§ 24c StVG).

If the high makes you unable to drive safely, it becomes a criminal offence under § 316 of the Criminal Code (StGB), with a fine or up to one year in prison. That section has no fixed value; what counts is your actual condition.

OffenceFinePointsDriving ban
THC from 3.5 ng/ml, first timeEUR 50021 month
THC from 3.5 ng/ml, second timeEUR 1,00023 months
THC from 3.5 ng/ml, third timeEUR 1,50023 months
THC and alcohol, first timeEUR 1,00021 month
THC in probation or under 21EUR 2501none

Motor liability pays, then claims money back

Motor liability insurance (Kfz-Haftpflicht) is compulsory to protect victims. It pays the other party's car repairs, medical costs and compensation for pain and suffering even if you drove high.

Under § 5 of the German regulation on compulsory motor insurance (KfzPflVV) the policy may oblige you not to drive if alcohol or other intoxicants leave you unable to drive safely. If you break that duty, the insurer can claim up to EUR 5,000 back from you. What matters is whether you were unfit to drive, not the measured value alone.

Your own car: cuts of up to 100 percent

If you cause the loss through gross negligence, your Vollkasko only pays a reduced amount under § 81 (2) of the Insurance Contract Act (VVG), depending on how serious the fault was. According to the German insurers' association, the cut can reach 100 percent where drugs are involved.

Driver protection insurance (Fahrerschutz), which normally covers your own injuries as driver, does not pay either when drugs were involved. On top of that your no claims class (Schadenfreiheitsklasse) drops, as after any liability claim.

Medical cannabis on prescription

If you take cannabis as a prescribed medicine and follow the prescription, the THC limit does not apply under § 24a (4) StVG. That is no free pass: the duty to drive only when fit applies in your insurance regardless of the prescription.

Do not drive while you are being adjusted to a dose or after a change. Keep a copy of the prescription in the car.

If you come from a country with other rules

German rules apply to everyone driving in Germany, including visitors with a foreign licence. A limit you know from home does not protect you here, and the zero tolerance under 21 surprises many young drivers.

Your German policy also follows German terms. The cut in Vollkasko and the EUR 5,000 recourse apply whatever your nationality.

Step by step

  1. Do not drive while you feel any effect, and allow plenty of time.
  2. In your probation period or under 21, do not drive after cannabis at all.
  3. Never combine cannabis with alcohol if you still want to drive.
  4. After an accident stay, help and call the police. Say nothing about consumption at the scene and get legal advice.
  5. Report the claim to your insurer on time and truthfully; false statements are a breach of duty of their own.

Checklist

  • Limit of 3.5 ng/ml known, zero for novices and under 21
  • With a prescription: copy in the car, drive only when fit
  • Policy terms on gross negligence read, drug exception noted
  • Recourse checked against the EUR 5,000 cap
  • Legal expenses insurer informed, if you have one

Common mistakes

  • Believing you are always safe below 3.5 ng/ml
  • Driving the morning after without enough gap
  • Combining cannabis and beer and assuming each is under the limit
  • Assuming a gross negligence add-on also covers driving on drugs
  • Paying a recourse claim above EUR 5,000 without checking

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does motor liability pay the victim if I drove high?

Yes, in full.

You feel the consequences through the recourse of up to EUR 5,000 if you were not able to drive

safely.

Do I lose cover from 3.5 ng/ml?

Not automatically.

The limit governs the fine.

For recourse and Kasko cuts it matters whether you were unfit to drive.

How long after smoking can I drive?

The law sets no fixed number of hours.

Breakdown and effect vary a lot with amount and habit.

Drive only when you feel no effect, and allow plenty of time.

Does partial cover (Teilkasko) pay if I was high?

For theft, hail or glass, consumption plays no role.

An accident you cause yourself is not covered by Teilkasko anyway.

Do the rules also apply to drivers with a foreign licence?

Yes.

Anyone driving in Germany is bound by the German limit and fines, whatever licence they hold.

Sources

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