Do I need separate insurance for my trailer in Germany?
In short
Yes. In Germany a registered trailer with its own number plate needs separate insurance; the policy of your car does not cover it. Liability cover for a 750 kg trailer starts at about EUR 27 a year, and with partial cover (Teilkasko) it usually stays under EUR 100. An accident while towing is still normally paid by the car's liability insurance.
Publicly quoted premiums for private car trailers in Germany.
Example
Typical range
Liability, trailer up to 750 kg, private use
from about EUR 27 a year
Liability for typical car trailers
usually under EUR 100 a year
Liability and partial cover, towing car with the same insurer
at most EUR 80 a year in one quoted example
Partial or comprehensive cover for more valuable trailers
from about EUR 100 a year
Liability cover limit in quoted examples
EUR 100 million flat
As of October 2026, from insurer price information and guides.
The figures in the example are a guide value from our quoting practice.
Your premium depends on weight, value and use; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Box trailer, 750 kg, worth EUR 1,500
The trailer is used for garden waste and moving house and otherwise stands in the yard.
Liability
about EUR 27 to 60 a year
Extra for partial cover
about EUR 10 to 30 a year
Theft from the yard without partial cover
EUR 1,500 loss
Accident while towing
paid by the car's liability insurance
With partial cover you pay about EUR 40 to 90 a year and are protected against theft. At a value of EUR 1,500 that is usually worth it. Calculation with guide values.
Why the trailer needs its own policy
Every trailer with its own number plate needs its own motor liability insurance (Kfz-Haftpflicht), otherwise it cannot be registered. You get the eVB number for registration from the insurer, just as for a car. The trailer is not included in the car's policy.
Driving without liability cover is a criminal offence in Germany, even if only the trailer is uninsured. If you rarely use it, you can deregister it or choose a seasonal number plate (Saisonkennzeichen), which pauses the premium as well.
Who pays after an accident with a trailer
Since July 2020 there is a clear rule for accidents while towing. Under section 19 (4) of the Road Traffic Act (StVG), between the two keepers the keeper of the towing vehicle bears the damage alone. In practice the car's liability insurance pays and the car's policy is downgraded. Towing the trailer does not count as an extra risk on its own.
The trailer's own liability cover matters mainly when it is standing alone: it rolls off a parking space into a car, the tarpaulin comes loose in a storm, or someone else tows it with their car.
What happens
Who usually pays
Accident while towing, damage to others
liability insurance of the towing car
Parked trailer rolls into a car
liability insurance of the trailer
Your trailer is stolen
the trailer's partial cover
Your trailer is damaged while manoeuvring
only the trailer's comprehensive cover
Load falls off and damages a car
liability insurance of the towing car
The load itself is damaged
no motor insurance, depending on the load a separate policy
Partial and comprehensive cover for the trailer
Partial cover (Teilkasko) pays for damage to the trailer itself, for example from theft, storm, hail, fire or a collision with game. For a simple trailer it costs only a few euros more than liability and is worth it once the trailer is worth more than a few hundred euros.
Comprehensive cover (Vollkasko) also pays for damage you cause yourself, for example reversing into a post. It makes sense for expensive trailers such as horse, car or boat trailers. Caravans are trailers too, but because of their value and fittings they have their own policies.
When you do not need own damage cover
For an old box trailer worth a few hundred euros, mandatory liability is enough. If it is stolen you bear the loss, which at that value is usually manageable.
Trailers have no no-claims class either. You save nothing by paying small claims yourself, and you lose nothing by reporting one.
Boat trailers: trailer and boat are separate
With a boat trailer, the trailer policy covers only the trailer. The boat on it is load. Many boat hull policies include transport on land; check your conditions before you set off.
If the trailer rolls into the water at a slipway or runs away, that is again a case for the liability insurance of the car or of the trailer, depending on whether it was hitched.
Step by step
Check whether the trailer needs or has its own number plate.
Request an eVB number from an insurer and register the trailer.
Decide by value: liability only, partial cover or comprehensive cover.
If you rarely use it, consider a seasonal number plate.
For valuable loads such as a boat, check the load's own insurance.
Checklist
Separate liability for every registered trailer
Partial cover if the trailer is worth more than a few hundred euros
Car's permitted towing load and your driving licence class checked
Load secured, and insured separately if it is valuable
Parked trailer secured against rolling away
Common mistakes
Assuming the trailer is covered by the car's policy
Thinking a boat or car on the trailer is insured along with it
Leaving the trailer parked without wheel chocks or handbrake
Choosing liability only for an expensive horse or boat trailer
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Do I need separate trailer insurance if I hardly use it?
Yes, as long as it is registered.
If you rarely use it, a seasonal number plate or deregistration can save you the premium.
Who pays if I cause an accident while towing?
Usually the towing car's liability insurance.
That policy is downgraded afterwards.
Is there a no-claims class for trailers?
No.
The premium depends on weight, value and use, not on your claims.
Is a bike rack on the tow bar a trailer?
No, it counts as a load carrier on the car and needs no insurance of its own.
Is the boat on the trailer covered?
Not by the trailer insurance.
Many boat hull policies include transport on land; your conditions will say.
Do I need insurance for a borrowed or rented trailer?
No, the trailer is insured through its keeper.
Ask the rental company about the deductible for damage.
