# Beekeeper insurance in Germany: bees, hives and liability > If you keep bees in Germany, you are liable as the animal keeper for stings and damage to others. Most personal liability policies include hobby beekeeping, but not all of them. Colonies, hives and bee houses are never covered by personal liability: that is what the group policy of a regional beekeepers' association or a separate beekeeper policy is for. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-beekeeper-insurance.php Updated: 2026-11-13 ## Is my personal liability policy enough for my bees? For liability, often yes: many German personal liability policies include hobby beekeeping, while some insurers do not cover bees at all. Check the terms for bees and any limit on the number of colonies. Once you sell honey, move hives to other sites or want cover for theft, storm and fire, you need more: your association's group policy or a separate beekeeper policy. ## At a glance - **Personal liability:** usually includes hobby beekeeping, not with every insurer - **Group policy:** through a local club and its regional association in the Deutscher Imkerbund - **Association premium:** flat rate or banded by number of colonies, set by each association - **Registration:** report your bees to the veterinary office, Section 1a Bee Disease Ordinance - **Legal basis:** Section 833 Civil Code (keeper liability), Section 906 (neighbour law) ## Personal liability or beekeeper policy: where the line is For hobby beekeepers, the first place to look is your personal liability policy. Most German policies include private beekeeping, some only up to a stated number of colonies, and some insurers exclude bees entirely. If the terms say nothing, ask the insurer in writing before your first colony arrives. Three things push you towards a beekeeper policy: selling honey and other products, moving colonies to other sites, and protecting your own equipment. For tax, the Bavarian State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture treats beekeeping with up to 30 colonies as a hobby, and from 26 colonies contributions to the agricultural social insurance (SVLFG) become due. At that size your cover should match commercial beekeeping. ## The group policy of your regional association Members of a German beekeeping club are usually insured through the group policy of their regional association, which is the policyholder. Claims normally go through the club and the association. Typical cover is liability including stings, financial loss, product and environmental liability, plus property cover for colonies, bee houses, open stands and feed against fire, lightning, storm and flood, often also theft, vandalism and damage by animals. The scope and the premium vary by association: some charge a flat rate per beekeeper, others a band by colony count. According to the intermediary Gaede und Glauerdt, claims in beekeeper insurance exceeded 486,000 euros in 2021, mostly from storm and flood, vandalism, animals and theft. For commercial beekeepers the group limits are not always enough, and a separate policy fills the gap. ## Liability: stings, neighbours and flight paths Under Section 833 of the German Civil Code, the keeper is liable when their bees injure a person or damage property. In practice, defending unjustified claims matters as much as paying valid ones, because it is rarely possible to prove which hive a bee came from. Disputes with neighbours are more often about the bees being there at all. Here neighbour law under Section 906 applies: courts usually accept beekeeping as normal in rural areas, while in urban residential areas it can be prohibited. Liability insurance does not cover such disputes. That is a matter for legal expenses insurance, which some associations offer as an add-on. ## What is covered - Bodily injury and property damage your bees cause to others, such as stings - Defence against unjustified claims, including in court - Product liability for honey you sell, in a beekeeper policy - Environmental damage from beekeeping, in a beekeeper policy - Colonies, hives, bee house and feed against fire, storm and flood, under property cover - Theft, vandalism and animal damage to colonies, depending on the policy - Transport of colonies to other sites, depending on the policy ## What is not covered - Colonies, hives and equipment under personal liability alone - Commercial beekeeping and honey sales in many personal liability policies - Neighbour disputes about keeping bees, which need legal expenses cover - Damage caused deliberately - Damage to your own property under liability cover ## Who needs it - Hobby beekeepers whose personal liability excludes bees - Beekeepers who sell honey or move colonies - Part-time and full-time beekeepers whose colonies have real value - Beekeepers without club membership and so without a group policy ## Who does not need it - Hobby beekeepers with a few colonies whose personal liability expressly includes bees and who need no property cover - Club members whose group policy already covers liability and colonies ## What it costs In a group policy, the premium is a flat rate or banded by colony count, depending on the association. Separate policies for commercial beekeepers depend on colony numbers, values and modules. There are no reliable example premiums, so we do not quote any. **What drives the premium:** - Number of colonies - Hobby, part-time or full-time - Honey sales and product liability - Migration and transport - Value of colonies, hives and bee house - Chosen modules such as accident and legal expenses _No example premiums, because association policies differ widely. Your premium is fixed only in the quote._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Liability:** Bees in your personal liability or a liability-only beekeeper policy. Enough for hobby beekeepers who do not sell and do not insure their colonies. - **Beekeeper policy:** Liability with product liability, plus property cover for colonies, hives and bee house. The usual choice for club members and honey sellers. - **Commercial:** Higher values per colony, transport to other sites, accident and legal expenses. For part-time and full-time beekeepers. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bees in liability cover | hobby keeping up to a colony limit | no colony limit, honey sales included | Some personal liability policies exclude bees or cap the number of colonies. | | Product liability | not included | included for your own products | If you sell honey, you are liable for defects. | | Property cover for colonies | fire and storm | also theft, vandalism, animal damage and flood | Theft and vandalism are among the frequent losses at apiaries. | | Transport and migration | not included | transport and remote sites included | Moved colonies stand far from home and are handled in transit. | | Value per colony | flat amount | realistic amount per colony, including nucleus colonies | A low value will not replace the loss. | | Environmental liability | not addressed | included | Damage to soil or water falls outside ordinary liability. | ## Insurers on the German market German property and liability insurers offer bee cover in personal liability and beekeeper policies, and association schemes usually run through specialist intermediaries. This is a market overview: whether a policy includes bees, we check case by case. - **Haftpflichtkasse**: mutual insurer specialised in liability, sells through brokers - **VHV**: broker-focused insurer with a wide liability range - **R+V**: cooperative insurer with agricultural business - **Allianz**: agents and brokers - **Gothaer**: agents and brokers - **Ammerländer**: mutual insurer from Lower Saxony, sells through brokers - **Die Bayerische**: brokers and direct sales 163 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Allgemeine Haftpflicht, Hagel-, Frost- und sonstige Sachschäden). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded. ## Typical claims and who pays - **Neighbour stung by a bee** (medical costs and damages, depending on the outcome): A classic liability claim. Defence often matters, because the bee's origin is hard to prove. - **Colonies stolen from the stand** (value of colonies and hives): Liability never pays for your own colonies. Theft is covered by property cover in a beekeeper policy. - **Storm knocks over hives** (colonies, hives and frames): Storm and flood are among the most frequent losses. You need the property module. - **Customer complains about honey** (damages, depending on the case): Many personal liability policies lack product liability. Beekeeper policies include it for your own products. - **Colonies damaged in transit** (colonies and hives on the trailer): Transport is a separate module and not every policy has it. Check before you first move hives. - **Neighbour sues to remove bees** (lawyer and court fees): A dispute about keeping bees is not a liability claim. That is what legal expenses insurance is for. ## Myth or truth - „Every personal liability policy covers my bees." ✘ False: many policies include hobby beekeeping, but not all, and some cap the number of colonies. Read the terms. - „As a club member I am probably already insured." ✔ True: regional associations hold group policies for their members. What they cover varies by association. - „Liability insurance pays if my colonies are stolen." ✘ False: liability pays for harm to others. Your own colonies and hives need property cover in a beekeeper policy. - „I have to report my bees to the veterinary office." ✔ True: Section 1a of the Bee Disease Ordinance requires it, from the first colony. - „In a city anyone may keep as many bees as they like." ✘ No: under Section 906 of the Civil Code it depends on local custom. In urban residential areas a court can prohibit beekeeping. ## Common mistakes - Assuming every personal liability policy covers bees - Selling honey without product liability - Moving colonies without transport and remote-site cover - Letting the colony count grow without updating the policy - Not reporting your bees to the veterinary office ## FAQ ### Are bees covered by German personal liability insurance? Most policies include private hobby beekeeping, but not all. Some limit the number of colonies and some insurers do not cover bees at all. Check the terms or ask for written confirmation. ### What does a beekeeping club policy cover? Members are usually insured through their regional association's group policy. Typical cover is liability with product and environmental liability plus property cover for colonies, bee houses and stands. Each association sets its own scope. ### How is the association premium calculated? Depending on the association, you pay a flat rate or a premium based on your number of colonies. It is usually collected with the membership fee. ### Do I have to register my bees in Germany? Yes. Section 1a of the Bee Disease Ordinance requires you to notify the competent veterinary office. Some policies also require registered colonies. ### Am I liable if my bees sting a neighbour? As the keeper you are liable under Section 833 of the Civil Code. Because it is rarely provable which hive a bee came from, defending unjustified claims is an important part of liability cover. ### Can a neighbour have my bees banned? It depends on what is customary locally under Section 906. Courts usually accept bees in rural areas, while in urban residential areas beekeeping can be prohibited. Liability insurance does not cover this dispute, legal expenses insurance does. ### When am I no longer a hobby beekeeper? Insurance law has no fixed threshold. For tax, Bavaria treats up to 30 colonies as a hobby, and from 26 colonies agricultural social insurance contributions apply. By then your cover should fit commercial beekeeping. ### Do I need accident insurance as a beekeeper? Liability only pays for harm to others. Your own injuries, such as a fall while carrying hive boxes, are a matter for accident insurance. Some association policies include an accident module. ### Why use a broker? Because association cover, personal liability and a separate beekeeper policy overlap and leave gaps. We check what you already have and close only the gaps. The insurer pays our fee. ## 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-beekeeper-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.