Do I have to carry proof of insurance when flying a drone in Germany?
In short
Yes. Whoever is flying a drone in Germany has to carry proof of insurance: the insurer's confirmation under § 106 of the Air Traffic Licensing Regulation (Luftverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung), which you get free of charge. Without it you commit an administrative offence with fines of up to EUR 50,000, even if you are insured. No form is prescribed; a PDF on your phone plus a printout is safe.
What the proof and the insurance behind it cost, based on the law and published tariffs.
Example
Typical range
Confirmation under § 106 LuftVZO
EUR 0, free from the insurer
Drone included in personal liability insurance
often EUR 0 extra
Separate private drone liability policy
usually under EUR 50 a year
Fine range without proof or insurance
up to EUR 50,000
Guide values, October 2026.
We obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Police check at a lake with a camera drone
How it goes if you are prepared, and if you are not.
Confirmation as PDF and printout
check done in minutes
Only a liability schedule without drone reference
proof questionable
No proof with you, insurance exists
report possible, range up to EUR 50,000
Cost of the confirmation
EUR 0
A free sheet of paper saves trouble. Request it before your first flight.
What the regulation requires
§ 106(2) of the Air Traffic Licensing Regulation requires anyone operating an aircraft to carry a confirmation of liability insurance. Drones count as aircraft, so this applies to every drone flight outdoors, even with a drone under 250 grams.
Your insurer issues the confirmation free of charge when cover starts. It must show that liability insurance with the legal minimum cover exists and state its scope and duration.
Who has to carry the proof
The fine provision in § 108 of the same regulation is aimed at the pilot, so with a drone it is the person holding the remote control. If you lend your drone to a friend, they need the proof with them.
Police and aviation authorities may ask to see the confirmation at any time. They may also ask for the policy document and proof of the last premium payment. Strictly, only the confirmation has to be carried.
Is a PDF on your phone enough?
The regulation does not require paper. But a PDF on a smartphone is useless if the battery is flat or the phone is your controller's screen.
The safe solution is both: a PDF on your phone and a folded printout in the controller case.
Your liability policy document is not the proof
If the drone is covered by your personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht), you often only have a policy schedule that does not mention drones. That is not enough as proof of insurance for a drone flight, because an officer cannot tell from it whether your drone is covered.
Ask your insurer explicitly for a confirmation under § 106 LuftVZO for your drone. Many send one as a PDF on request.
Document
Enough when flying?
Confirmation under § 106 LuftVZO naming the drone
yes
Personal liability schedule without any drone reference
probably not
Premium invoice
no
Registration proof with e-ID
no, that is a separate duty
What happens at a check without proof
Without the confirmation you can be reported for an administrative offence, even if you are in fact insured. The legal range goes up to EUR 50,000; the authority decides the amount in each case.
If not only the proof but the insurance itself is missing, that is a separate, more serious offence, and you pay for any damage yourself.
Flying abroad from Germany
Austria also requires proof of insurance and the registration confirmation on every flight. Spain has no general duty to carry proof, and flights in subcategory A1 do not even need insurance there. Take the proof with you anyway, ideally in English as well.
Step by step
Ask your insurer for a confirmation under § 106 LuftVZO for the drone.
Check that drone, sum insured and period are stated.
Save the PDF on your phone so it works offline.
Put a printout in the controller case.
Replace it after a change of policy or renewal.
Checklist
Confirmation names insurer, scope and period
Your drone is clearly covered
PDF available offline
Printout in the case
Anyone flying your drone has a copy
Common mistakes
Treating the personal liability schedule as proof
Carrying only a PDF on the phone that serves as the screen
Lending the drone without the proof
Carrying an expired confirmation
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Do I have to carry proof for a drone under 250 grams?
Yes.
The duty does not depend on weight; it applies to every drone flight outdoors.
Does the confirmation cost anything?
No.
Under § 106 LuftVZO the insurer must issue it free of charge.
Is an English confirmation accepted in Germany?
The regulation does not prescribe a language.
A German version makes any check easier, so ask for both if you can.
Do I also have to carry my drone licence?
Keep your competence certificate to hand too, for example as a PDF.
It is a separate duty next to the insurance.
Who checks drone flights?
Usually the police, and also the aviation authorities of the federal states.
Both may ask for the confirmation.
What if I forgot the proof but am insured?
It is still an offence.
Send the confirmation quickly; the authority can take that into account.
