What are type class and regional class in German car insurance?

Published class ranges and premium differences, as of September 2026.

Every car model gets its own type class, separately for liability, partial and comprehensive cover. It is based on the claims that cars of this model actually caused over the last three years: how often they were involved and how expensive the repairs and injuries were.

That is why a small hatchback can sit in a high liability class if many young drivers use it, while a big estate car often sits lower because its drivers tend to be careful. Engine power alone does not decide it.

The regional class follows the registration district where the keeper lives. It compares the claims of cars registered there with the national average. Big cities are nearly always at the top, rural districts in the east and north at the bottom.

For 2027 the most expensive liability district is Offenbach, with claims almost 40 percent above average. The cheapest is Elbe-Elster in Brandenburg, about 33 percent below. For partial cover the order is quite different, because animals, hail and theft count there.

The type class usually matters more than the regional class. In a published test calculation, liability for a 30 year old driver in type class 25 cost more than five times as much as in class 10. Checking type classes before you buy a car often saves more than any switch of insurer.

You can hardly influence the regional class. What counts is the keeper's main residence, not where you drive most. If you have a second home, you must state your actual main residence.

Many newcomers are surprised that the same car costs very different amounts in Munich and in a small town. This is the regional class at work, not a mistake in the quote.

If you are about to buy or lease, ask for quotes on two or three models before you sign. The type class is fixed for the model, so a cheaper model to insure stays cheaper for years, while your no-claims history builds up.

New classes are published each late summer and apply to existing policies from the next insurance year, usually 1 January. For 2027 the regional class changed for almost ten million drivers, for most it stayed the same.

If your premium rises only because of a new type or regional class, many policies let you cancel early. The deadline is in your policy terms, usually one month after you receive the notice. If you keep your car and do not move, there is no need to check the classes every year.