Yes, you are still insured if your TÜV has expired: liability and comprehensive cover continue, and accident victims get paid. But if a defect the inspection would have found caused the accident, the liability insurer can claim up to EUR 5,000 back from you, and comprehensive cover can be reduced. On top of that, fines of EUR 15 to 60 apply once you are more than two months overdue.
Published fines, inspection costs and the cap on claims back in German car liability insurance.
Example
Typical range
More than 2 months overdue
EUR 15 fine
More than 4 months overdue
EUR 25 fine
More than 8 months overdue
EUR 60 fine and 1 point
General inspection and emissions test for a car, national average 2026
about EUR 160
Surcharge if more than 2 months late
about 20 percent
Liability claim back if a defect caused the accident
up to EUR 5,000
As of October 2026, from figures published by an automobile club and guides from insurers.
The figures in the worked example are a guide value from our quoting practice.
We are happy to check how your tariff handles gross negligence.
Worked example
TÜV five months overdue, rear-end collision in the rain
The tyres had only 1 millimetre of tread left. An expert finds that the braking distance was longer as a result and that the inspection would have rejected the tyres.
Damage to the car in front
about EUR 8,000
Liability insurance pays the victim
about EUR 8,000
Claimed back from you
up to EUR 5,000
Fine for the overdue inspection
EUR 25
Your own damage under comprehensive cover
reduction possible depending on fault
The victim gets paid. In the worst case you carry up to EUR 5,000 yourself, plus the downgrade and a reduced comprehensive payout. Calculation with guide values.
Why cover continues despite the expired sticker
The general inspection (Hauptuntersuchung, HU), known in everyday language as TÜV, is a duty towards the vehicle registration authority, not towards your insurer. If the deadline passes, your policy stays exactly as it is. Anyone your car damages will be compensated by your liability insurance in any case.
The question only arises after an accident: will the insurer recover the money from you, fully or partly? For that it must show that a technical defect caused or worsened the accident and that the inspection would have found it. A few days past the deadline with a technically sound car usually have no insurance consequences.
When it gets expensive
It gets expensive when the accident is linked to a defect: worn tyres on a wet road, worn brakes, broken lights. The longer the deadline has passed, the more closely the insurer looks, often with an expert.
For damage to others, the liability insurer's claim against you is capped at EUR 5,000. For your own car, comprehensive cover (Vollkasko) can reduce the payout depending on how serious the fault was, proportionally for gross negligence. Tariffs that waive the gross negligence defence only help if they do not exclude this case.
Situation
What the insurer does
Deadline passed, accident unrelated to the car's condition
pays as normal, no claim back
Deadline passed, accident caused by worn tyres
liability pays the victim, claims up to EUR 5,000 back
Own damage, defect caused the accident
comprehensive cover can reduce the payout proportionally
Hail, storm, animal collision, theft
partial cover pays, the sticker plays no role
Police check without an accident
not an insurance matter, only a fine
Fines and the cost of a late inspection
Up to two months after the deadline there is no fine. After that it costs EUR 15, after four months EUR 25 and after eight months EUR 60 plus one point in the central traffic register in Flensburg.
If you come more than two months late, you also pay about 20 percent more for an extended inspection. With an average of about EUR 160 for the general inspection including the emissions test, that is a good EUR 30 extra.
When you do not need to worry
If your car is serviced, the tyres and brakes are fine and you simply forgot the date, a short delay changes practically nothing about your cover. An accident caused by someone else does not affect you anyway.
Still, book the inspection soon. The longer the deadline lies in the past, the harder it becomes to prove after an accident that the car was in good condition.
Step by step
Check the sticker on the rear number plate: the number at the top shows the month, the colour the year.
Book an appointment at a testing station or garage as soon as possible.
Until then, check tyres, lights and brakes yourself or have a garage look at them.
After an accident, be able to show inspection reports, service invoices and tyre receipts.
Check whether your tariff waives the gross negligence defence.
Checklist
Next inspection date in your calendar
Enough tread on the tyres
Brakes and lights in order
Receipts from the last service at hand
Comprehensive tariff waiving gross negligence, if possible
Common mistakes
Believing the insurance ends without a valid TÜV
Putting off the inspection for months despite known defects
Not being able to show service receipts after an accident
Cancelling the car insurance because of the expired sticker
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does the insurer pay if the TÜV has expired?
Yes, victims always get paid.
Only if a defect caused the accident can the insurer claim up to EUR 5,000 back from you.
Am I insured abroad without TÜV?
Yes, the policy continues as at home.
Note that police checks abroad can come with their own penalties.
May I still drive with an expired TÜV?
Yes, until the inspection you may drive as long as the car is roadworthy.
After two months overdue a fine applies.
Will I be downgraded after an accident without TÜV?
Yes, if you caused the accident, as with any other liability claim.
The sticker does not change that.
Is there a grace period?
Up to two months after the deadline there is no fine and no inspection surcharge.
For the insurer, the only question is whether a defect caused the accident.
Does partial cover pay for hail if the TÜV has expired?
Yes.
Hail, storm, animal collisions or theft have nothing to do with the car's condition,
