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Who pays for damage caused by New Year's Eve fireworks in Germany?

In short

Who pays for damage caused by New Year's Eve fireworks (Silvester) in Germany? First the person who set them off, usually through personal liability insurance, which costs from about EUR 20 a year. If nobody can be found, your own policies pay: contents and buildings cover for fire, partial car cover for a burnt out car. Paint damage only goes through comprehensive cover, and no liability policy pays for intent.

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Who pays for damage caused by New Year's Eve fireworks in Germany?

What it costs

What New Year's Eve fireworks damage costs and what protection against it costs.

Example	Typical range
Average fire claim in contents and buildings insurance, end of 2020	about EUR 3,800 per fire
Additional fires at the end of 2020 in total	about 8,000 fires, about EUR 31 million
Car fire, average 2023	over EUR 7,100 per claim
Personal liability for singles	from about EUR 20 to 30 a year
Very good family liability policies	from about EUR 48 a year

As of October 2026.

Claims figures come from publications of the insurers' association, premiums from published policy comparisons.

Your premium depends on cover limit and scope; we obtain the exact quote.

Worked example

Rocket on the neighbour's balcony

A neighbour launches a rocket from his hand and it lands on the balcony of the tenant on the second floor. Garden furniture and parasol burn, the balcony door and facade are sooted. The amounts are assumed.

Garden furniture and parasol, new value	EUR 1,200
The same items, current value after five years	EUR 600
Cleaning and repainting facade and balcony door	EUR 1,800
Culprit known: his liability pays	EUR 600 to the tenant, EUR 1,800 to the landlord
Tenant also claims on her contents insurance	new value EUR 1,200, the insurer recovers the money from the culprit
Culprit unknown	tenant's contents insurance EUR 1,200, landlord's buildings insurance EUR 1,800

With her own contents insurance the tenant gets the new value either way. Without it and without a known culprit she is left with EUR 1,200. Thanks to his liability insurance the neighbour pays nothing out of pocket.

The person who lit it is liable

In Germany, anyone who sets off fireworks must make sure nobody is harmed. If a rocket lands on the neighbour's balcony because it was launched at an angle or too close to the house, that is negligent. The person responsible must pay for the damage, and their personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht) steps in. It pays even for gross negligence, but never for intent.

Liability insurance replaces things at their current value, after deductions for age and wear. A five year old garden table therefore brings less than a new one costs. For injuries it pays treatment costs, loss of earnings and compensation for pain and suffering. If you stood too close yourself, part of the blame may be put on you.

When nobody knows who did it

On New Year's Eve it is often impossible to tell whose rocket it was. Then your own policies pay, under their own rules. Your household contents insurance (Hausrat) replaces furniture damaged by fire or firefighting water at the new value. If the facade, roof structure or balcony cladding burns, the owner's buildings insurance (Wohngebäudeversicherung) is responsible. If you rent, that is your landlord's policy.

For cars, the type of damage decides. If the car burns, partial cover (Teilkasko) pays and your no-claims discount stays unchanged. Burn marks in the paint or a broken mirror count as vandalism and only go through comprehensive cover (Vollkasko), with a downgrade.

Damage	Who pays if the culprit is known	Who pays if unknown
Fire on the balcony, furniture destroyed	culprit's liability, current value	your contents insurance, new value
Facade or roof sooted or scorched	culprit's liability	owner's buildings insurance
Window broken by a banger	culprit's liability	glass insurance, if you have it
Car burnt out	culprit's liability	partial cover, no downgrade
Burn marks in the car paint	culprit's liability	comprehensive cover, with downgrade
Injured while watching	culprit's liability, including pain and suffering	health insurance, private accident insurance
Injuring yourself while lighting	nobody except your own policies	health insurance, private accident insurance

A burn hole is not a fire

Contents and buildings cover pay for fire, meaning a fire that can spread by itself. A glowing piece of rocket that only burns a hole in the awning or carpet is scorch damage (Sengschaden) under many terms and not covered. Good policies include scorch damage expressly. Check your terms before relying on it.

With a known culprit this does not matter. Their liability insurance pays for every damage they are liable for, including a small burn hole.

What the law allows

Category F2 fireworks, meaning the rockets, batteries and bangers sold in shops, may only be set off by adults on 31 December and 1 January. They are banned close to churches, hospitals, children's and old people's homes and thatched or half-timbered houses. Many cities add their own no-fireworks zones.

Breaking these rules can mean a fine of up to EUR 50,000. For your own contents or car insurance a breach can count as gross negligence and reduce the payment if the policy does not include it. If you use unapproved fireworks without a test mark or aim deliberately at people or cars, expect disputes and, in the case of intent, no payment at all.

When you do not need extra insurance

There is no special New Year's Eve policy. If you have personal liability with at least EUR 10 million cover, contents insurance and partial cover for the car, you are covered for the usual cases. Just check whether your contents policy includes gross negligence and scorch damage.

Even if you never light fireworks, you need liability insurance if you do not have it. Fireworks damage is just one example, liability cover pays for any everyday damage to others. In Germany it is not compulsory but widely held, and landlords often ask for it.

Step by step

Get people to safety and call the fire brigade on 112 if something is burning.
Photograph the damage that night and keep the remains of the rocket.
Note witnesses and, if possible, the culprit's name and address.
If the culprit is known, ask for their liability insurer and report the claim there.
For fire, also inform your contents insurer or landlord, for car damage your car insurer.
Report damage to property by unknown persons to the police.

Checklist

Personal liability with at least EUR 10 million cover
Gross negligence included in contents insurance
Scorch damage included in contents insurance
Partial cover for the car, comprehensive for a new car
Glass insurance if you have large windows or a conservatory
Only approved fireworks with registration number and CE mark

Common mistakes

Not documenting the damage at once and lacking evidence later
Claiming paint damage on comprehensive cover although the culprit is known
Believing contents insurance pays for every burn hole
Launching rockets from the hand or the balcony and risking gross negligence
Lighting illegal bangers and putting your cover at risk

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does my liability insurance pay if my rocket damages someone else's car?

Yes, if you acted negligently. It pays for the damage to the car at current value and fends off excessive claims. It does not pay for intent.

Who pays if a rocket breaks my window and nobody admits it?

Without a known culprit, your glass insurance if you have one. If a fire follows in the flat, contents insurance pays for the furnishings.

What does partial car cover pay at New Year?

Fire in the car and damage from explosion. Your no-claims discount stays the same. Paint damage and vandalism are only paid by comprehensive cover.

Am I covered if I injure myself?

Health insurance pays for treatment. Private accident insurance pays for lasting harm, for example to a finger or eye. Liability insurance never pays for your own injuries.

Can I bring fireworks from abroad?

Only fireworks approved for sale in the EU with a CE mark and registration number. Unapproved fireworks bought abroad are illegal in Germany and can put your insurance cover at risk.

Can rockets be set off before New Year's Eve?

Adults may only set off category F2 fireworks on 31 December and 1 January. Many cities also ban them in city centres or certain squares.

Does liability insurance pay for illegal bangers too?

For negligence, even gross negligence, generally yes. Aiming banned explosives at people, cars or houses on purpose is intent. Then no liability policy pays, and criminal charges are possible.