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How do I insure a pre-registered car?

In short

You insure a pre-registered car (Tageszulassung) like a new car: with your own eVB number, because the dealer deregistered it after a day. The premium depends on type class and value, so the price cut of often 20 to 30 percent hardly lowers it. Here is the catch: new-car discount and new-price cover only apply if your policy expressly includes pre-registered cars.

How do I insure a pre-registered car?

What it costs

Price cut when buying and differences in cover, from manufacturer information, guides and the model terms.

ExampleTypical range
Price cut of a pre-registered car compared with list priceoften 20 to 30 percent
Maximum age for the car to still count as new12 months from first registration
Comprehensive cover for a compact car, driver aged 45, no-claims class SF 10about EUR 450 to 750 a year
New-price period in good comprehensive policies at no extra costat least 12 months

As of November 2026.

The comprehensive premium and the example are a guide value from our quoting practice.

We check which policies treat pre-registered cars as new cars and obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

Pre-registered car, total loss 10 months after purchase

List price EUR 40,000, bought for EUR 31,000, the pre-registration was 4 months old at purchase. The policy pays the new price for 12 months from first registration, but only for new vehicles bought from a dealer.

Time since pre-registration at the accident14 months
New-price period of 12 monthsexpired
Replacement value according to the assessorabout EUR 27,000
Comprehensive deductibleEUR 500
Payment without new-price coverabout EUR 26,500

You receive about EUR 26,500. With a new-price period counting from your own registration it would have been considerably more. Calculation with guide values.

What pre-registration means for your insurance

With a pre-registration (Tageszulassung) the dealer briefly registers a new car in his own name and then deregisters it. Technically the car is new, but the registration certificate already shows a keeper before you. For insurers you are therefore not the first owner.

Because the car was taken off the road, the registration office needs your own insurance confirmation when you register it. You get the eVB number free of charge from the insurer you sign up with. If the car is exceptionally still registered to the dealer, you transfer it to your name using your eVB.

Where a pre-registered car differs from a new car

Third-party liability, partial cover (Teilkasko) and comprehensive cover (Vollkasko) work exactly as for a new car. The differences are in the extras that are linked to first ownership. Ask before you buy how your insurer handles these points.

PointNew carPre-registered car
eVB number neededyesyes
Type class and regional classsamesame
New-car discountcommononly if the policy allows it
New-price coverfrom first registrationperiod already runs from pre-registration, first ownership often required
Manufacturer warrantyfrom your registrationfrom the dealer's registration, so shorter

Read the new-price clause closely

In the insurers' model terms, comprehensive cover only pays the new price if the damage happens within a fixed number of months after first registration and the car belongs to the person who bought it new from a dealer or manufacturer. With a pre-registered car the period counts from the day of the dealer's registration.

Each policy decides itself whether a pre-registered car counts as a new vehicle. Some exclude it, others name pre-registrations explicitly. Without such a clause you only receive the replacement value after a total loss.

When you can skip the extra effort

If the pre-registration was only a few weeks ago and your policy expressly includes it, hardly anything changes compared with a new car. You do not need a special policy.

If the car sat registered to the dealer for many months, little is left of a short new-price period. Then good comprehensive cover with purchase-price compensation (Kaufpreisentschädigung) or a long new-price period matters more.

Step by step

  1. Before buying, check the date of first registration in the vehicle registration certificate.
  2. Ask the insurer whether pre-registered cars count as new cars.
  3. Request an eVB number in your name.
  4. Register the car with eVB, ID and vehicle papers, in person or online.
  5. Choose comprehensive cover with new-price or purchase-price compensation that counts from your registration.

Checklist

  • First registration no older than 12 months
  • Mileage only from delivery and test drives
  • eVB number issued to the future keeper
  • Policy mentions pre-registered cars in its new-price cover
  • Remaining manufacturer warranty known

Common mistakes

  • Assuming the dealer's insurance carries on for you
  • Counting the new-price period from the purchase date instead of first registration
  • Planning with the new-car discount without asking
  • Skipping comprehensive cover on an older pre-registration although the car is almost new

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

How do I insure a pre-registered car at the lowest price?

Compare policies with the same cover and ask specifically about the new-car discount for

pre-registered cars.

Some insurers grant it, others do not.

Am I the first owner of a pre-registered car?

No.

The dealer is listed as first keeper, you as the second.

For warranty and insurance the date of his registration counts.

Do I need an eVB for a pre-registered car?

Yes.

The car was deregistered and must be registered again in your name.

The registration office needs your own insurance confirmation for that.

Is insurance for a pre-registered car more expensive?

The base premium is the same because type class and regional class are the same.

It only gets dearer if a new-car discount is dropped.

How old may a pre-registered car be?

A car at the dealer counts as new for at most 12 months from first registration.

The older it is, the less warranty and new-price period remain.

Is comprehensive cover worth it for a pre-registered car?

Usually yes.

The car is almost new and loses a lot of value in the first years.

Without comprehensive cover you pay for damage you cause yourself.

Sources

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