# E-scooter insurance in Germany: the plate, liability and theft cover > In Germany an e-scooter counts as a motor vehicle. It needs its own liability insurance, shown by the small insurance plate on the back. Your personal liability policy, the Privathaftpflicht, does not cover it. If your scooter is expensive, add partial cover, called Teilkasko, against theft and fire. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-e-scooter-insurance.php Updated: 2026-11-03 ## Do I have to insure my e-scooter in Germany? Yes. Under the Small Electric Vehicles Ordinance, the eKFV, scooters with handlebars, a top speed of 20 km/h and a type approval are motor vehicles under the Compulsory Insurance Act. They need motor liability insurance, proven by an insurance plate called Versicherungskennzeichen. The insurance year runs from 1 March to the end of February, then you need a new plate in a new colour. Riding without insurance is a criminal offence. ## At a glance - **Mandatory?:** Yes, motor liability with an insurance plate - **Legal basis:** Small Electric Vehicles Ordinance (eKFV) and Compulsory Insurance Act - **Insurance year:** 1 March to the end of February, a new plate every year - **Colour:** changes every year, black lettering since March 2026 - **Typical cost:** liability about EUR 15 to 50 a year, with theft cover about EUR 40 to 80 - **Personal liability enough?:** no, motor vehicles are excluded there ## Why a kick scooter needs a plate Since 2019 the eKFV has set out which small electric vehicles may use German roads: handlebars, a top speed of 20 km/h, a general type approval called ABE, and a rider aged 14 or older. No driving licence is needed. Insurance is, because legally the scooter is still a motor vehicle. The insurance plate proves that motor liability cover is in place. It is valid for one insurance year, from 1 March to the last day of February. After that you are not covered, even if the old plate is still stuck on. Buy the new one in February. ## What liability pays and what it does not Liability pays for damage you cause to others with the scooter: the pedestrian you knock down, the dent in a parked car, the bicycle you topple. It also defends you against unfounded claims. The legal minimum is the same as for cars, and many policies offer far more. Liability never pays for your own scooter. If it is stolen, the battery catches fire or someone wrecks it, only Teilkasko helps. Very few insurers offer full cover for your own crash. Your own injuries are not covered by any of these, that is what accident insurance is for. ## New rules from 2026 The federal government has revised the eKFV, and the amendment was published in the Federal Law Gazette in February 2026. Newly approved models will need indicators, and e-scooters move closer to bicycles in traffic rules. Scooters with an older approval may keep riding. For insurance little changes: the plate and the insurance year stay. What matters is a valid type approval. A scooter without ABE, for instance an import that does 30 km/h, gets no plate and may not use public roads. ## What is covered - Injury to other people, such as a pedestrian you hit - Damage to other people's property, such as a parked car - Financial loss that follows from an accident - Defence against unfounded claims - Teilkasko: theft of the scooter, often only when locked - Teilkasko: fire, short circuit and battery explosion - Teilkasko: storm, hail and flood, depending on the policy ## What is not covered - Damage to your own scooter without Teilkasko - Your own injuries as the rider - Riding under alcohol or drugs, the insurer can claim money back up to a legal limit - Tuned scooters or models without type approval - Riding with an expired plate - Theft of an unlocked scooter if the policy requires a lock ## Who needs it - Anyone who rides their own e-scooter on public roads in Germany - Commuters whose scooter stands outside the station or office all day - Parents of teenagers aged 14 and over who ride to school - Anyone who regularly lends the scooter to friends or family ## Who does not need it - Your own policy for rental scooters: the rental company provides liability - Theft cover for an old, cheap scooter worth little more than the deductible ## What it costs E-scooter insurance is among the cheapest motor policies in Germany. There are no no-claims classes, the premium is a flat rate for the insurance year. Young riders pay a little more with many insurers. | Example | Typical range | | --- | --- | | Liability only, rider 23 or older | about EUR 15 to 50 per insurance year | | Liability and Teilkasko, scooter about EUR 700 | about EUR 40 to 80 per insurance year | **What drives the premium:** - Liability only or with Teilkasko - Age of the youngest rider, often with a threshold at 23 - Value of the scooter for theft cover - Deductible, often EUR 150 in Teilkasko - Buying mid-year: many insurers charge pro rata _Guide values from published market comparisons, 2026. Your premium is only fixed in the quote._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Liability:** The legal must, with insurance plate. Damage to others is covered, your own scooter is not. - **Liability plus Teilkasko:** Adds theft, fire, battery damage from short circuits and, depending on the policy, storms. For new and expensive scooters. - **Liability plus full cover:** Rarely offered. Also pays for damage to your own scooter after a fall or vandalism. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Liability limit | legal minimum, as for cars | EUR 100m combined, at least EUR 15m per injured person | A seriously injured pedestrian can need care for life. | | Theft cover | none | Teilkasko with new value in the first months | Folding scooters are easy to carry off and quick to resell. | | Battery | fire only | fire, short circuit and power surge while charging | The battery is often the most expensive part, and charging damage is common. | | Riders | policyholder only | any authorised rider aged 14 or older | If your teenager or a friend borrows the scooter, you do not want a dispute about who rode. | | Teilkasko deductible | EUR 150 | selectable, including none | On a EUR 500 scooter a high deductible eats most of the payout. | | Lock clause | frame lock not enough | any common lock, also for short stops | Many thefts happen in the five minutes outside the bakery. | | Starting mid-year | full annual premium | pro rata premium until the end of February | If you buy in autumn, you do not want to pay for a whole year. | ## Insurers on the German market Nearly every German motor insurer sells e-scooter plates, alongside direct insurers that sell only online. Theft and battery cover differ more than liability does. This is an overview of the market, not a statement about who we work with. - **Allianz**: tied agents and brokers, plates also online - **HUK-COBURG**: own sales force, does not work with brokers - **DEVK**: mutual-led group with its own sales force - **Die Bayerische**: Munich insurance group, agents and brokers - **Zurich**: part of the Swiss Zurich group - **R+V**: insurer of the cooperative banks - **AXA**: tied agents and brokers - **WGV**: direct insurer from Stuttgart 98 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflicht). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded. ## Typical claims and who pays - **Scooter scrapes a parked car** (about EUR 300 to 2,000): Every liability policy behind the plate pays for the other car. Your premium does not rise, because there are no bonus classes. - **Pedestrian falls and breaks a hip** (from hospital to pain and suffering, quickly five figures): Injury to others is why the law demands insurance. Strong policies have high limits per injured person. - **Scooter stolen outside the station** (price of the scooter, often EUR 400 to 1,000): Liability never pays for your own scooter. Teilkasko replaces it if it was locked as the policy requires. - **Battery burns out while charging** (battery or whole scooter, plus damage in the flat): The scooter itself is only covered by Teilkasko. Fire damage in the flat falls to your contents insurance, or the landlord's buildings cover. - **Riding on 2 March with the old plate** (the full damage to others): Cover ends with the insurance year. Without a new plate no policy pays, and you are riding without compulsory insurance. - **Tuned scooter doing 30 km/h** (insurer claims money back, plus criminal proceedings): Without valid type approval the scooter is no longer a small electric vehicle. The victim is paid, then the insurer recovers the money from you. ## Myth or truth - „I do not need a driving licence for an e-scooter." ✔ True. Anyone aged 14 or older may ride an eKFV scooter without a licence or moped certificate. It still has to be insured. - „The same drink-driving limits apply on an e-scooter as in a car." ✔ Correct. The e-scooter is a motor vehicle, so 0.5 per mille is the limit for a fine, and zero for new drivers and anyone under 21. Your car licence can be at stake too. - „My personal liability pays if I damage a car with my scooter." ✘ No. Motor vehicles are excluded from Privathaftpflicht. For the scooter, only motor liability with an insurance plate counts. - „The plate is valid for twelve months from the day I buy it." ✘ Wrong. The insurance year ends for everyone on the last day of February, whenever the policy started. Buy in December and you need the next plate in March. - „I may ride on the pavement if there is no cycle lane." ✘ No. Pavements and pedestrian zones are off limits unless a sign allows it. Without a cycle lane, you ride on the road. ## Common mistakes - Assuming your Privathaftpflicht also covers the e-scooter - Forgetting to renew the plate in February and riding uninsured from March - Tuning the scooter and losing both type approval and cover - Buying a scooter online without ABE that cannot get a plate at all - Taking out theft cover but not using the lock the policy requires - Riding home after a beer: the drink-driving limits for motor vehicles apply ## FAQ ### Does my personal liability insurance pay if I hit someone with my e-scooter? No. Privathaftpflicht excludes damage caused by motor vehicles, and an eKFV e-scooter is one. Only the motor liability behind the insurance plate pays. ### When do I need a new plate? Every year on 1 March. The insurance year ends on the last day of February, and the plate colour changes so the police can spot expired plates at a glance. ### What happens if I ride without insurance? Riding without liability insurance is a criminal offence under the Compulsory Insurance Act. In an accident you are also personally liable for all damage. If only the plate is missing from the scooter, you face a fine. ### Is there a no-claims bonus for e-scooters? No. Policies with an insurance plate have no no-claims classes. A claim does not raise your premium for years, but you do not build up a discount for a car either. ### Can my teenager ride my insured scooter? The eKFV allows riding from age 14. Whether the insurer accepts every rider depends on the policy. Some charge more if the youngest rider is under 23. ### Is my scooter insured against theft? Only with Teilkasko. Liability pays only for damage to others. Check the lock clause: often the scooter must be locked to a fixed object. ### Do I need my own insurance for rental scooters? No. For rental scooters the operator takes out the liability cover, and the plate is on the vehicle. Damage to the rental scooter itself is governed by the rental terms. ### I come from abroad. Can I bring my e-scooter? Only if it meets the eKFV, which means a German type approval and no more than 20 km/h. Many scooters sold in other countries are faster and cannot get a plate in Germany. ## 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-e-scooter-insurance.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.