In Germany a trike is a registered motor vehicle of class L5e, so you need motor liability insurance before you get a number plate. Partial and fully comprehensive cover are optional. One published example for a 103 kW trike with a seasonal plate costs EUR 76 a year for liability, EUR 149 with partial cover and EUR 308 fully comprehensive, for a driver with a long claims free record.
Published premium example for a trike with 103 kW, 1,500 cc, EUR 36,000 purchase price, no claims class 20, season April to October, 3,000 kilometres a year.
Example
Typical range
Motor liability
EUR 76 a year
Liability with partial cover
EUR 149 a year
Liability with partial and fully comprehensive cover
EUR 308 a year
Newcomer without no claims discount, same trike
about EUR 300 to 900 a year
The first three figures come from a published example, quote dated April 2024, rounded.
The newcomer figure is a guide value from quoting practice.
Norman Nammert arranges quotes as an insurance broker; the commission is paid by the insurer.
Worked example
Trike with 103 kW, experienced driver, seasonal plate
How the choice of cover changes the annual premium.
Liability only
EUR 76
Add partial cover
EUR 73 more, EUR 149 in total
Add fully comprehensive
EUR 159 more, EUR 308 in total
For EUR 232 more a year, a EUR 36,000 trike is covered against theft and own crashes. Vehicle tax (Kfz-Steuer) comes on top in every case.
Liability, partial or fully comprehensive cover for a trike
Motor liability pays for damage your trike causes to others and is required for registration. Partial cover (Teilkasko) and fully comprehensive cover (Vollkasko) protect the trike itself.
Trikes are often expensive hobby vehicles with custom parts. Fully comprehensive cover makes more sense for a new or heavily modified trike than for an older standard model.
Cover
What it pays for your trike
Who needs it
Motor liability
injury and damage to other people, vehicles and property
every registered trike
Partial cover
theft, fire, storm, hail, collisions with animals
trikes with real resale value
Fully comprehensive
also crashes you cause and vandalism
new and modified trikes
Seasonal plate (Saisonkennzeichen)
full cover only in the chosen months
riders who only ride in summer
What a trike costs to insure each year
The EUR 76 example applies to a driver in no claims class 20 (Schadenfreiheitsklasse), with a seasonal plate from April to October and 3,000 kilometres a year. A newcomer without a no claims record pays many times more for the same trike.
Power, type class and value drive the trike premium, plus the excess for own damage cover. A seasonal plate lowers the price because the trike is only on the road for part of the year.
Which driving licence you need for a trike
Under Section 6 (3a) of the German Driving Licence Regulation (FeV), a class B car licence also covers three wheeled motor vehicles in Germany, but above 15 kW only from age 21. This right applies only in Germany and appears as code 194 on the licence.
Motorcycle class A1 covers trikes up to 15 kW, class A stronger ones. If you got your German car licence before 19 January 2013, you may ride trikes of any power, including with a trailer.
Custom parts and accessories on a trike
Many trikes are converted motorcycles or carry costly extras such as custom paint, chrome or sound systems. Parts that are not in the policy are often not fully paid after a claim.
Document modifications with invoices or a valuation report (Wertgutachten) and declare them when you buy cover. For a self built trike, insurers usually ask for more detail.
When a trike does not need own damage cover
If the trike is older, kept in a locked garage and you could absorb a total loss yourself, liability alone is often enough.
Fully comprehensive cover with a EUR 1,000 excess can be a middle way: it protects against the big loss without paying for every scratch.
Step by step
Have the registration certificate ready: power, engine size, first registration.
Check that your licence covers the power of the trike.
Document custom parts with invoices or a valuation report.
Choose your season, for example April to October.
Compare liability, partial and fully comprehensive cover with the same excess.
Checklist
Can a no claims record be transferred from another policy?
Modifications listed in the policy
Seasonal plate matching your riding months
Excess you can afford after a claim
Warning triangle and first aid kit on board
Common mistakes
Not declaring custom parts and receiving only the standard value after a total loss
Riding a trike over 15 kW on a class B licence before turning 21
Parking a new trike outdoors without own damage cover
Using licence code 194 abroad although it is valid only in Germany
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
How does a seasonal plate work for a trike?
You choose the months the trike may be used, for example April to October.
Outside that period the policy rests and the trike must stay on private ground.
Is a trike more expensive to insure than a motorcycle?
It depends on the model.
A trike has its own type class, so only a quote for your vehicle gives a reliable answer.
Do I need a helmet on a trike?
On an open, motorcycle style trike, yes.
Trikes with a car style body require seat belts instead.
Can I tow a trailer with a trike?
Not on a motorcycle licence.
A German car licence issued before 19 January 2013 allows it.
Can I use my UK or US licence for a trike in Germany?
Foreign licences follow their own rules on recognition and conversion.
Check this before buying, because your insurer will ask for a valid licence.
