All about this insurance: Bicycle and e-bike
Is my bike covered by my German contents insurance?
Insurance broker / Insurance questions / Bicycle and e-bike
In short
Yes, bike coding does help against theft, mainly afterwards: if the police find your bike, the code tells them it is yours, and thieves struggle to sell a coded bike. With insurance it is extra proof next to the frame number and receipt, and it is only required if your policy says so. Police coding days are often free; a cycling club charges about EUR 8 to 20.
What coding costs in Germany and what is at stake in a theft, from published figures.
| Example | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Police coding day | EUR 0, free of charge, booking depends on the station |
| Coding at a cycling club or bike shop | about EUR 15 to 20 |
| Coding at a cycling club for members | locally from about EUR 8 |
| Extra coding of the e-bike battery | about EUR 5 |
| Average loss per bike theft in 2025 | around EUR 1,454 |
As of October 2026, figures from the sources below.
Prices vary by local group and police station.
The premium in the worked example is an indicative value from our quoting practice;
your quote depends on bike value, town and lock,
and we obtain the right one for you.
Worked example
How the cost of coding compares with the value of the bike and with insurance cover.
| Frame coding at a cycling club | EUR 15 |
| Battery coding | EUR 5 |
| Alternative: police coding day | EUR 0 |
| Theft cover for the e-bike, indicative value from quoting practice | about EUR 120 to 250 a year |
A one-off EUR 20 at most, less than 0.6 percent of the bike's value. Only insurance pays for a stolen bike, though; coding makes recovery and proof easier, it does not replace cover.
Coding (Codierung) does not stop anyone from stealing your bike. It makes a stolen bike harder to sell, because buyers can see it belongs to someone, and it lets the police return a recovered bike to its owner. The police can decode the number themselves.
The German police crime statistics show why this matters: 214,264 bike thefts were reported in 2025 and 9.8 percent were cleared up. The average loss was around EUR 1,454 per case. Coding improves your chance of getting a found bike back, nothing more. Money for a stolen bike only comes from insurance.
Whether a policy gives a discount for coding is set out in its conditions; do not count on it. What decides a claim is still the lock, any night-time rule and proof of ownership and value.
Some German policy conditions require a permanent marking on the bike, meaning the frame number (Rahmennummer) or professional coding. If you have lost the receipt, the coding certificate is useful extra proof because it links bike and owner. It does not replace the receipt, as it says nothing about the value.
| Document | What it proves | Does it replace the receipt? |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt or sales contract | ownership, value and purchase date | it is the main proof |
| Frame number | exactly which bike it is | no |
| Coding with certificate | bike and owner together | no, but strong extra proof |
| Bike passport with photos | features and equipment | no |
| GPS tracker | the last known location | no |
Coding is done by Germany's national cycling club, by bike shops and, in some federal states, by the police. Police coding days are often free, some with booking, some without. Bring the bike, your ID card or passport and proof of ownership such as an invoice or sales contract; the cycling club does not accept a plain till receipt.
The code is usually engraved 0.1 to 0.2 millimetres deep into the seat tube, or stamped on e-bikes, and covered with a protective sticker. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Carbon, wood and bamboo frames only get a sticker code, which lasts less well. Some police stations only apply a barcode sticker; it deters thieves but can be removed, so the frame number remains the stronger proof.
Moving house does not make the code useless: the police can trace your new address from the old one. When you sell, put the code in the sales contract. The new owner can add their own code; the year shows which one is current.
On newer bikes, stamping a code into the frame can void the manufacturer warranty. Ask the manufacturer before your appointment.
If your receipt, frame number and photos are stored safely and your policy does not ask for an extra marking, coding adds nothing for the insurer. Its only benefit is then a better chance of getting a found bike back.
It also helps little if a bike changes hands and nobody records the code in the sales contract. Tracing the owner then becomes slow, even though the code is on the frame.
Questions and answers
Often nothing at police coding days, about EUR 15 to 20 at a cycling club or shop,
and locally from about EUR 8 for club members.
Some charge about EUR 5 extra for the battery.
Usually not.
Some policies require a permanent marking; then the frame number or professional coding counts.
Not by engraving or stamping.
A sticker code is possible, ideally in two places, because it lasts less well.
It stays useful.
The police can trace your new address from the old one.
On newer bikes stamping a code can void the manufacturer warranty.
Check with the manufacturer before your appointment.
No.
It proves which bike is yours, not what it was worth.
For that you need the receipt, a sales contract or other evidence.
NAMMERT insurance broker
We compare insurers and come back to you, in English.
Free; the insurer pays our fee.
Thank you, we have your request.
We will be in touch within one working day. If it is urgent: +49 3375 29 12 77.
All about this insurance: Bicycle and e-bike
Is my bike covered by my German contents insurance?
What should I do if my bike is stolen in Germany?
File a police report (Anzeige) the same day, within 48 hours at the latest, and notify your…
Does bike insurance in Germany pay without a receipt or frame number?
Does bike insurance in Germany pay without a receipt or frame number? Often yes, if you prove…
Does my bike have to be locked in the cellar?
In your own locked cellar compartment, German contents insurance (Hausratversicherung)…
Contents insurance or a separate bike policy: which is better?
Up to a bike value of about EUR 1,000 the bike add-on in your contents insurance…
Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT.
Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act.
Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37.
NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company.
It does not arrange your contract.
Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated
Was this useful?