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How does the no-claims class (SF-Klasse) work in Germany?

In short

The no-claims class (Schadenfreiheitsklasse, SF) counts your claim-free years. Each year without a claim moves you up one class on 1 January and lowers your premium. A newcomer in SF 0 often pays about 230 percent of the base rate, after 35 clean years only about 20 percent. A claim your insurer pays sets you back several classes.

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How does the no-claims class (SF-Klasse) work in Germany?

What it costs

Typical rates and downgrades from published tables, 2026.

Example	Typical range
SF 0, newcomer	about 230 percent of the base rate
SF 1/2, licence held three years	about 100 to 140 percent
SF 10	about 40 to 45 percent
SF 35	about 20 percent
Downgrade after one claim from SF 10	often to SF 4, about 60 percent

Rates from published tables, 2026; each insurer uses its own values. The euro amounts in the worked example are a guide value from our quoting practice. We check your rating when we quote.

Worked example

Minor parking collision in SF 10

A driver in SF 10 causes EUR 900 of damage to another car. The liability base rate at 100 percent is EUR 800.

Premium in SF 10, about 42 percent	about EUR 336 a year
Premium after downgrade to SF 4, about 60 percent	about EUR 480 a year
Extra cost in the first year	about EUR 144
Extra cost until back in SF 10	roughly EUR 400 to 600

Over the years the downgrade costs less than the EUR 900 claim, so reporting it makes sense. With a EUR 400 claim, paying yourself would be cheaper. Calculated with guide values.

How you move up

Your insurer re-rates the policy every 1 January based on the previous calendar year. If it was claim-free and you were insured without a gap, you move up one class. The new class applies from your first premium due date in the new year.

Under the model terms of the German insurers' association, a policy that starts between 2 January and 1 July only needs half a year for the first step up. The date you report a claim decides which year it counts against.

Typical rates by class

The class itself is just a counter. Each insurer sets its own percentage for each class, so the figures below are typical, not fixed. Always compare the euro amount, not the percentage.

SF class	How you get there	Typical rate
M	claim while in SF 0	about 240 to 280 percent
0	newcomer without insurance history	about 230 percent
S	claim while in SF 1	about 150 to 175 percent
1/2	first car, licence held for three years	about 100 to 140 percent
1	one claim-free year	about 100 percent
10	ten claim-free years	about 40 to 45 percent
35	35 claim-free years	about 20 percent

If you come from abroad

German insurers do not have to recognise claim-free years from another country. Many will consider a letter from your previous insurer, ideally in English or German, listing your years without claims. Ask before you sign whether and how far it counts.

Without such a letter you usually start in SF 0, or in SF 1/2 if your licence counts as equivalent and you have held it for at least three years. A licence from an EEA country always qualifies; others only if it can be exchanged for a German one.

What happens after a claim

If your insurer pays out under liability or comprehensive cover, you are moved down on the next 1 January. How far depends on the downgrade table in your policy. The higher your class, the more steps you lose. From SF 10 you often drop to SF 4, from SF 35 to SF 16.

Partial cover claims such as glass, wildlife or hail do not affect your class. If the other side's insurer repays your insurer in full, the year also stays claim-free.

Paying for damage yourself

You can avoid a downgrade by repaying what the insurer paid out. The model terms allow this for liability claims up to EUR 500, within six months of being told the amount. Many insurers allow higher amounts and comprehensive claims too. Check your terms.

Compare the extra premium over the years it takes to climb back with the amount of the claim. In high classes the loss is often bigger than expected.

Step by step

Find your current SF class and rate on your last premium notice.
Look up the downgrade table and the self-payment rule in your terms.
Before reporting a claim, estimate the extra premium over the coming years.
When changing car or insurer, have your class transferred explicitly.
If you come from abroad, bring a no-claims letter from your previous insurer.

Checklist

SF class for liability and comprehensive checked separately
Your insurer's downgrade table known
Deadline for paying damage yourself noted
Breaks in cover kept under six months
Foreign no-claims letter handed in

Common mistakes

Comparing percentages instead of euro amounts
Reporting every small claim without doing the maths
Leaving the car deregistered for more than seven years and losing the class
Assuming a foreign no-claims record transfers automatically

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

When do I move up a class?

On 1 January, if the previous calendar year was claim-free. The new class applies from your next premium due date.

Do I lose my class when I sell my car?

No. It belongs to the policy and moves to your next car. After more than seven years without a policy it is lost.

Does a collision with a deer affect my class?

No, if it is paid under partial cover. Partial cover has no no-claims classes.

Will my no-claims years from the UK or US count?

Only if the insurer agrees. Many accept a letter from your previous insurer, but there is no legal right to it.

Why are my liability and comprehensive classes different?

They are tracked separately. If you had no comprehensive cover before, it starts lower. Often the liability class can be applied on request.

What happens if I leave Germany for a while?

Breaks of up to six months have no effect. After twelve months the insurer deducts claim-free years, after seven years you start again.

Sources

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