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What is the night-time clause in bike insurance?

In short

What is the night-time clause in bike insurance? If your policy has it, bike insurance or the bike add-on to contents insurance only pays for a theft between 10 pm and 6 am if the bike was in a locked room or in use at the time. In German it is called Nachtzeitklausel. It is mainly found in older contracts, and many newer tariffs cover your bike around the clock.

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What it costs

Costs of bike cover without time limits and of a suitable lock in Germany, from published figures.

Example	Typical range
Bike add-on to contents insurance, bike up to EUR 500	from about EUR 4.50 a month on average
Bike add-on to contents insurance, bike up to EUR 1,000	from about EUR 5.80 a month on average
Separate bike insurance	from about EUR 8.30 a month
Bike worth EUR 1,500, depending on cover	about EUR 48 to 370 a year
Lock, rule of thumb	5 to 10 percent of the bike's price

Guide values as of October 2026 from published tariff examples.

Whether your contract contains a night-time clause is set out only in your terms; we obtain the right quote without time limits for you.

Worked example

Bike worth EUR 1,200, locked outside the flat overnight

The bike was locked to a lamp post with a D-lock. It was still there at 9 pm and gone at 7 am. The bike add-on covers EUR 1,500, and the terms contain a night-time clause.

Value of the bike	EUR 1,200
Time of theft	between 9 pm and 7 am, not known more precisely
With night-time clause	EUR 0, as a theft outside the excluded hours cannot be shown
Without night-time clause, deductible EUR 150	EUR 1,050

Here the clause decides on EUR 1,050. Worked example with guide values.

What the clause means

The night-time clause is a restriction in the bike add-on to contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) or in a separate bike policy. If your bike stands outside at night, on the street or in an open courtyard, and is stolen between 10 pm and 6 am, the policy does not pay. During the day, the same bike in the same place is covered.

Germany's Federal Court of Justice ruled in 2008 that such a time limit restricts the insured risk and is not an obligation you can breach (case IV ZR 87/07). For you this means the insurer does not have to prove any fault, and you have to show that the theft happened during the covered hours.

Situation	With night-time clause	Without night-time clause
Bike locked at the station at 3 pm, stolen	covered	covered
Bike locked on the street overnight	not covered	covered
Bike in a locked cellar at night, door forced	covered	covered
Bike parked briefly at a kiosk at 11 pm during a ride	usually covered, as it was in use	covered
Bike left overnight in a friend's courtyard	not covered	covered
Theft noticed in the morning, time unknown	difficult, you must prove the time	covered

What counts as in use

The exception is meant to protect evening rides. A short stop on the way home suggests the bike was in use. A bike left for hours outside a cinema or overnight outside a friend's home is usually no longer seen as in use.

There is no fixed rule for where the line lies, it depends on the individual case. So do not rely on it when you stay out late.

How to find the clause in your contract

Search your terms for the German words Fahrraddiebstahl and Nachtzeit and for the times 22 and 6 Uhr. The wording often says that simple theft is only covered between 6 am and 10 pm, or that a locked room is required at night.

If none of this appears, your cover applies around the clock. Older contracts are worth a close look, as the clause is more common there. The German wording is what counts in a claim, so ask us if you are unsure.

When to act and when not

If your bike is always in your flat, cellar or a locked bike room at night, the clause will not affect you. You do not need to switch just because it is in your contract.

If your bike regularly stands outside at night, for example because there is no cellar, or you often ride in the evening, a tariff without the clause is the better choice. The extra cost is often small compared to the value of the bike.

Step by step

Search your terms for Nachtzeit, Fahrraddiebstahl and the times 22 and 6.
Note where your bike usually stands at night.
If the clause applies and your bike is outside, ask for a tariff without time limits.
After a theft, report it to the police at once and note when you last saw the bike.
Keep the receipt, frame number and photos to hand.

Checklist

Contract checked for a night-time clause
Flat, cellar or locked bike room at night if the clause applies
Bike locked to a fixed object
Sum insured matches the new price
Frame number and receipt stored

Common mistakes

Believing the bike add-on covers the bike around the clock
Leaving the bike outside overnight after an evening with friends
Giving the police no times for when the bike was last seen
Never moving an old contract to current terms

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does the night-time clause apply in the cellar?

No. In your flat and in a locked cellar or bike room, the bike is covered against burglary at night too.

Which hours apply?

Usually 10 pm to 6 am. The exact times are in your terms and may differ.

What if I do not know when it was stolen?

Then it becomes difficult, because you have to show that the theft happened outside the excluded hours. Note when you last saw the bike.

Are there contracts without the clause?

Yes, many newer contents and bike tariffs do without it and apply around the clock.

Is the clause valid at all?

In principle yes. The Federal Court of Justice sees it as a permitted restriction of the insured risk.

Can I have my old contract updated?

Often yes, by switching to current terms or a new bike add-on. Compare the payout limit as well.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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