What is the HIS database of German insurers and what does it hold about me?
In short
What is the HIS database of German insurers? The information and alert system (Hinweis- und Informationssystem, HIS) is a fraud warning file used by insurers in Germany. It can hold people or cars reported for unusual claims, payouts based on an assessor's report without repair, or higher risks. Entries usually stay four years, ten at most. What it holds about me shows a free self disclosure.
Costs, periods and thresholds around the HIS database according to the German insurance association.
Example
Typical range
Self disclosure about yourself
EUR 0
Self disclosure about a vehicle
EUR 0, with proof as keeper or owner
Usual storage period
4 calendar years from the following year, so up to almost 5 years
Maximum storage period
10 years
Liability claims that can trigger a report
3 claims in 24 months
Information from the industry association's brochure on the HIS, October 2025,
and the operator's website.
The claim amount that triggers a report after notional settlement is not published.
Worked example
Used car bought as accident free, insurer asks about earlier damage
After a new accident the insurer finds an earlier total loss of the car in the HIS database.
Request vehicle self disclosure
free, with registration certificate
Entry shows total loss before purchase
evidence against the seller
New damage to the car
checked, earlier damage assessed separately
Your information in the claim
complete and with the purchase contract
The entry does not harm you if you are honest. It rather helps to back up claims against the seller.
What the HIS database is
The HIS database is the information and alert system of the German insurance industry, run by a separate credit agency on behalf of the insurers. Its aim is to spot insurance fraud and incomplete information in applications. The industry association puts the cost of false information at about EUR 6 billion a year.
The HIS database is split by line of insurance, such as motor, property, liability, accident, life and legal expenses. Each line has one pool for applications and one for claims. Private health insurance does not take part.
What the HIS database may hold about you
Reports follow fixed criteria. They include an unusually high number of claims in a short time, in liability insurance for example three or more claims within 24 months, and anomalies in how a loss happened or how large it is.
In car insurance a common reason is notional settlement (fiktive Abrechnung): you are paid based on an assessor's report without having the car repaired. Above a certain amount the car is then reported, so the same damage is not paid twice. A total loss can also show up in the HIS database this way.
Reason for reporting
Example
Who or what is stored
Unusual claim frequency
three liability claims in 24 months
person
Special consequences of a loss
car damage settled on a report, not repaired
vehicle
Anomalies in a claim
contradictory account of an accident
people and vehicles involved
Increased risk
serious pre existing condition in income protection
person, without diagnosis
High sum insured
large life or income protection benefit
person
What an entry means for you
An entry in the HIS database does not mean you are treated as a fraudster. The industry association stresses that neither a contract nor a claim is refused because of an entry alone. The insurer looks more closely and may ask questions.
If your information matches the entry, it has no consequences. If you concealed a previous claim, it shows. The insurer may then cut or refuse the payout, and in the worst case criminal proceedings follow.
Used cars: a total loss in the HIS database
If you buy a car as accident free and later learn it is listed in the HIS database with a total loss, your issue is with the seller, not the insurer. The entry is evidence that the damage happened before the sale.
Only the keeper, owner or policyholder can get a self disclosure for a vehicle. You need the vehicle identification number, registration number, first registration date, make and model, and proof that the car is yours or registered to you.
Self disclosure, correction and deletion
The self disclosure from the HIS database is free and is requested in writing or via the operator's secure online form. You give your surname, birth name, first names, date of birth and current address. Previous addresses from the last five years make the result more complete.
If an entry is wrong, you are entitled to have it corrected or deleted. If it is correct, there is generally no right to early deletion. You can complain to the operator or to the insurer that reported you.
Step by step
Request a self disclosure about yourself from the operator.
If needed, apply for a vehicle self disclosure with the registration certificate.
Compare entries with your own records.
Report wrong entries in writing for correction or deletion.
Ask the reporting insurer for reasons if the cause is unclear.
If refused, contact the data protection authority.
Checklist
Personal details and addresses of the last five years ready
Vehicle data and proof of ownership ready
Notifications from insurers kept
Previous claims fully stated in new applications
Deletion dates noted
Common mistakes
Asking for information by phone, which is not offered
Leaving out previous claims in a new application hoping they were deleted
Simply accepting a wrong entry
Not asking about accident and assessor history when buying a used car
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Will I be told if I am reported to the HIS database?
Yes.
The insurer informs you directly as soon as it has reported you, your vehicle or your building.
Is the HIS database like a credit check (Schufa) for insurers?
Similar, but with a different purpose: it flags fraud and risks, not creditworthiness.
Will my application be refused because of an entry?
Not because of the entry alone.
The insurer checks more closely and may price differently or decline depending on the risk.
How long is an entry stored?
Usually four calendar years from the year after reporting.
A new report extends the period, to ten years at most.
Why is my car in the HIS database after an assessor's report?
If you settle on a report without repair,
the vehicle is reported above a certain amount so that the same damage is not paid twice.
