# Liability insurance for security companies in Germany: the licence condition and what lies beyond it > Anyone in Germany who guards the life or property of others as a business needs a licence under § 34a of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO), and the licence requires liability insurance with the minimum limits of the Security Services Ordinance (BewachV). Those limits satisfy the licensing office. They say little about what a contract with a logistics park, a venue or a construction site actually exposes you to. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-security-company-liability.php Updated: 2026-11-13 ## Is liability insurance compulsory for security companies in Germany? Yes. A licence under § 34a GewO is only granted with proof of liability insurance, and § 14 BewachV sets the minimum limits per occurrence: EUR 1 million for bodily injury, EUR 250,000 for property damage, EUR 15,000 for loss of guarded property and EUR 12,500 for pure financial loss. The policy must cover the liability risks of the guarding business and stay in force for as long as you operate. ## At a glance - **Compulsory?:** Yes, a condition of the licence under § 34a GewO - **Statutory minimums (§ 14 BewachV):** EUR 1m bodily injury, EUR 250,000 property, EUR 15,000 guarded property, EUR 12,500 financial loss - **Applies to:** site and plant security, mobile patrols, event security, door supervision, store detectives, cash in transit - **Premium basis:** payroll, turnover or number of guards, depending on the services - **Staff qualification:** 40-hour instruction course or the IHK expert examination, depending on the task ## Minimum limits are a licensing threshold, not a risk assessment The figures in § 14 BewachV give licensing authorities a uniform yardstick. They are low for real contracts: EUR 15,000 for missing guarded property barely covers one night's theft of copper cable from a building site, and EUR 12,500 for financial loss disappears quickly when an alarm that was never passed on halts a client's production. Industrial, logistics and public sector clients therefore write higher limits into their guarding contracts and ask for the certificate before the first shift. If you set your limits by your largest client, you avoid renegotiating the policy each time you win a tender. ## Guarded property and keys Standard German business liability policies largely exclude damage to third party property in the insured's care, custody or control. For a guarding firm, that care is the product it sells. A security company policy must therefore expressly include loss of and damage to guarded property, ideally including vehicles on guarded car parks. Keys matter just as much. A mobile patrol often carries master keys, access cards and transponders for dozens of sites. If the bunch goes missing, every affected locking system may have to be replaced and the client may bill for extra guarding in the meantime. The key loss limit should match the largest master key system on the route. ## Omissions, force and personal rights Many claims arise from what did not happen: a patrol that was signed off but never walked, a fire alarm left unanswered in the control room. The client's resulting loss is often pure financial loss, which is where policy wordings differ most. Door supervisors, event stewards and store detectives also deal with people. Refusing entry, holding a shoplifter until the police arrive or searching bags sits between self defence, the citizen's arrest right and assault. Good policies expressly cover claims for false imprisonment and infringement of personal rights, and they address guard dogs and defensive equipment. ## What is covered - Bodily injury and property damage to clients, visitors and passers by - Loss of and damage to guarded property, within the agreed limit - Loss of third party keys, access cards and transponders, if included - Pure financial loss, at least up to the statutory minimum - Defence against unjustified claims, including in court - Personal liability of employed guards while on duty - Damage caused by guard dogs and permitted defensive equipment, depending on the policy - Claims arising from detaining or searching people, depending on the policy ## What is not covered - Intentional damage and knowing breaches of duty - Theft by your own staff from a client, which needs fidelity insurance - Contractual penalties and liability beyond the law, unless agreed - Cash, securities and jewellery as guarded property, unless expressly included - Damage from using registered motor vehicles, covered by motor liability - Your own equipment, vehicles and office contents ## Who needs it - Security firms providing site, plant or construction site security - Mobile patrol services that hold client keys - Event security and stewarding companies - Door supervision at bars and clubs - Store detective services and alarm receiving centres - Founders applying for a licence under § 34a GewO ## Who does not need it - Companies that only guard their own premises with their own staff do not need a § 34a licence; correctly described business liability is enough ## What it costs There is no single price, because the premium depends heavily on which services the firm offers. Construction site security with two guards and stewarding at large events are very different risks. A reliable figure needs your services, payroll and the limits your clients require. **What drives the premium:** - Services, especially door supervision, events, cash in transit and close protection - Payroll, turnover or number of guards - Limits for guarded property, keys and financial loss - Use of guard dogs and defensive equipment - Subcontractors and agency staff - Claims history _We do not quote example premiums because policies for different service mixes are hard to compare. Your premium is set in the quote we obtain from your details._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Statutory minimum:** Exactly the limits in § 14 BewachV. Enough for the licence, rarely enough for industrial or public sector contracts. - **Security trade scheme:** Higher combined limit, raised limits for guarded property, keys and financial loss, guard dogs included. The usual route for small and medium firms. - **Bespoke programme:** For cash in transit, control rooms, airports or critical sites, with limits set by the client, fidelity cover and contractual liability. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Limits above the statutory minimum | the § 14 BewachV limits | millions for injury and property, guarded property and financial loss well above the minimum | Clients ask for more, and one warehouse theft exceeds EUR 15,000. | | Guarded property | loss up to the statutory minimum | loss and damage with a separate high limit, including guarded vehicles | Custody of other people's property is the job itself. | | Key loss | small sublimit for third party keys | keys, cards and transponders including consequential costs | One lost patrol bunch can trigger several lock replacements. | | Financial loss from omissions | up to EUR 12,500 | separate limit for missed patrols and unforwarded alarms | A client's downtime is usually pure financial loss. | | List of services | site security and patrols | every service actually provided named, with cover for new ones | Unlisted door supervision or event work may not be covered. | | Personal rights and detention | not addressed | expressly included, also discrimination allegations | Store detectives and stewards detain and search people routinely. | | Fidelity cover | not included | employee theft from clients included or as a separate policy | Liability cover never pays for intent, yet the client wants compensation. | ## Insurers on the German market Not every insurer is keen on guarding risks; many write them only through trade schemes or specialist carriers. The list shows companies offering commercial liability in Germany and says nothing about whom we work with or who will accept your risk. - **Haftpflichtkasse**: mutual insurer focused on liability, sold through brokers - **Markel**: specialty insurer based in Munich, broker only - **Gothaer**: commercial clients via agents and brokers - **VHV**: commercial business mainly through brokers - **HDI**: part of the Talanx group - **R+V**: insurer of the German cooperative banks - **Allianz**: commercial schemes via agents and brokers 127 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Allgemeine Haftpflicht). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded. ## Typical claims and who pays - **Copper cable gone despite patrols** (often five figures): If a patrol was missed, the firm is liable. Minimum cover pays for missing guarded property only up to EUR 15,000. - **Patrol keys with master keys lost** (five to six figures for new locks): Key loss is a separate extension. Without it the firm pays for replacing every affected locking system. - **Guest falls while being escorted out** (thousands, six figures with lasting harm): Bodily injury from an insured service is the core case. The insurer checks whether the force used was lawful. - **Fire alarm left in the control room** (downtime often six figures): The client's downtime is pure financial loss. Minimum cover pays EUR 12,500, and strong policies still set their own limit. - **Guard steals from a client** (depends on the loot): Intent is never covered by liability insurance. Only fidelity insurance pays the client. - **Store detective holds wrong person** (damages and legal fees): False imprisonment and personal rights claims are often not addressed in basic wordings, but strong trade schemes include them. ## Myth or truth - „The statutory minimum limits are enough protection." ✘ False, they satisfy the licensing office. EUR 15,000 for guarded property and EUR 12,500 for financial loss are quickly exhausted. - „No liability insurance, no licence under § 34a GewO." ✔ True, proof of cover is a condition of the licence and must be maintained throughout. - „If a guard steals from a client, the liability policy pays." ✘ False, intentional acts are excluded. The client's loss is a matter for fidelity insurance. - „The insurer also pays to fight unjustified claims." ✔ True, defending unfounded claims is part of every liability policy. - „Any business liability policy works for a guarding firm." ✘ False, it must expressly cover guarding and include the statutory limits, guarded property among them. ## Common mistakes - Buying only the statutory minimum and renegotiating with every larger contract - Not declaring door supervision, events or store detective work - Leaving the key limit unchanged when sites with master key systems are added - Deploying staff without the required instruction or examination - Signing contractual liability the policy does not cover - Using subcontractors at large events who hold no security liability cover of their own ## FAQ ### What minimum limits does German law require? Per occurrence EUR 1 million for bodily injury, EUR 250,000 for property damage, EUR 15,000 for loss of guarded property and EUR 12,500 for pure financial loss, as set out in § 14 BewachV. Industrial and public sector clients usually require more. ### Does ordinary business liability satisfy the licensing office? Only if it expressly covers guarding and includes the § 14 BewachV limits, guarded property and financial loss among them. General business liability usually excludes property in your care and therefore does not meet the requirements. ### Who pays if a guarded site is burgled? First the client's own property insurer, which then seeks recovery from the security firm if a failure can be shown, such as a missed patrol. Your liability insurer pays justified claims within the guarded property limit and defends unjustified ones. ### Is a lost master key covered? Only if key loss is included, and only up to the agreed limit. Without it, the security firm pays for replacing the locking systems itself. Sites with central master key systems justify a high limit. ### Are subcontractors covered by my policy? Your policy covers your liability towards the client for their mistakes. The subcontractor's own liability needs its own security company policy, so ask for the certificate before deployment. ### Can an injured person claim directly against my insurer? Only in limited cases, for example if the security firm is insolvent or cannot be traced. Otherwise the claim goes against the firm, and the insurer handles it and pays if liability exists. ### Why use a broker for security company liability? Because the differences lie in guarded property, keys, financial loss and the list of services, not in the insurer's name. We put your guarding contracts next to the wording and show you where the limits fall short. ## Legal basis and sources - [Insurance Contract Act (VVG, German)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg_2008/) - [BaFin company database (licensed insurers)](https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/) ## Request quotes We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-security-company-liability.php#anfrage --- Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.