# Firearms insurance in Germany: hunting and sporting guns, scopes and accessories

> Hunting liability insurance pays for damage you cause to others. It does not pay for your own rifle, shotgun or scope. In Germany that is the job of a separate firearms policy, sold on its own or as an add-on to a hunting package. It covers burglary, robbery, breakage and transport damage, and on some policies hunting trips abroad.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-firearms-insurance.php  
Updated: 2026-11-13

## I already have hunting liability insurance. Do I need firearms insurance too?

Hunting liability is compulsory for a German hunting licence; firearms insurance is optional. It protects something different: not claims from third parties but your own guns, optics and accessories. Household contents insurance helps only at home and usually only after a break-in. If you carry guns and optics worth several thousand euros to the hunt, the range or abroad, a dedicated firearms policy is the better fit.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory?:** No. Only hunting liability is compulsory
- **Storage:** gun safe of at least resistance grade 0 under EN 1143-1, section 36 WaffG and section 13 AWaffV
- **Basis of many policies:** GDV model terms for hunting and sporting guns, new value special terms as amended in 2025
- **Insured items:** guns, scopes, binoculars, spotting scopes and cases, depending on the policy
- **Hunting trips in the EU:** European Firearms Pass, up to 10 guns, valid 5 years

## What firearms insurance covers that contents insurance does not

Firearms insurance is property cover for movable items. It covers the guns listed in the policy schedule and, depending on the policy, scopes, mounts, binoculars, spotting scopes, cases and other accessories. The sum insured is the total of the declared values. Many German policies are based on the non binding model terms of the German Insurance Association (GDV) for hunting and sporting guns, which the association extended with special terms for new value cover in 2025.

German household contents insurance replaces guns stolen in a break-in at home, often only up to a limit for valuables. Away from home its cover is narrow, and breakage, falls and transport damage are not insured. Those are exactly the cases a good firearms policy pays for: the rifle that topples from a high seat, the scope scratched in the car, the shotgun stolen on the way to the range.

## The gun safe: a legal duty and a condition of cover

Section 36 of the German Weapons Act (WaffG) and section 13 of its ordinance (AWaffV) require licensed firearms to be kept in a security cabinet. Safes bought since July 2017 must meet at least resistance grade 0 under EN 1143-1. How many handguns a safe may hold depends on its grade and weight. Guns are stored unloaded. Older safes may remain in use under certain conditions.

Insurers make these rules a condition of cover, often with extra rules for guns left in a car. Leaving a rifle in the boot overnight or the safe key lying around can reduce or cancel a payout. Ask before you sign which storage rules apply in the car, at a hunting lodge and in a hotel.

## New value or current value, schedule and sum insured

Older policies pay only the current value after a loss. For a twenty year old double rifle that is little, even if a comparable new gun costs many times more. New value policies pay replacement cost, some only up to a certain age of the item. Also check for a separate limit on optics: thermal and night vision devices are expensive and on some policies insured only up to a fixed amount.

Keep the gun schedule up to date. Anything not declared is usually not insured, and a sum that is too low leads to underinsurance. Good policies include provisional cover for new purchases and waive underinsurance up to a limit. Update the schedule after every purchase, sale or modification, with serial numbers and receipts.

## Hunting trips and competitions abroad

For hunting trips and shooting competitions in the EU and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland you need the European Firearms Pass. You apply to your local weapons authority; the pass lists up to ten guns and is valid for five years. Carry it together with your ID and firearms licence (Waffenbesitzkarte).

Whether your insurance travels with you depends on its territorial scope. Some policies cover Europe only, good ones worldwide. If you fly to Africa or North America to hunt, check whether guns are covered as checked baggage and what you must do after a loss, such as getting a report from the airline.

## What is covered

- Burglary and robbery, at home and away, depending on the policy
- Breakage, falls and other damage, for example at a high seat or while stalking
- Transport damage by car, train or as checked baggage, if agreed
- Fire, water and storm at the place of storage
- Scopes, mounts, binoculars, spotting scopes and cases, if listed
- Repair costs at a gunsmith, often including re-zeroing
- Theft from a locked car, subject to time and storage rules

## What is not covered

- Wear and tear, barrel wear and ordinary malfunctions
- Simple theft and unexplained disappearance on many policies
- Theft or embezzlement by relatives, depending on the policy
- Losses after a breach of the storage rules
- Seizure or confiscation by the authorities
- Guns and accessories not on the schedule
- Damage you cause to others, which is a matter for hunting liability

## Who needs it

- Hunters with a rifle, shotgun and high quality optics
- Sport shooters who take their guns to training and competitions
- Owners of thermal and night vision devices worth more than the gun
- Hunters who travel abroad to hunt
- Collectors whose guns are only covered up to a limit under contents insurance

## Who does not need it

- A separate policy if you own a single inexpensive gun that stays in the safe and is adequately covered by contents insurance

## What it costs

The premium mainly depends on the sum insured, the value of all declared guns and accessories. Scope of cover, territory and excess also matter.

**What drives the premium:**

- Sum insured from the gun schedule
- New value or current value
- All risks cover or named perils only
- Europe or worldwide
- Excess, sometimes a separate one for theft from a car
- Separate policy or add-on to hunting liability

_We do not quote price ranges because the sums vary too widely between a single shotgun and a full kit with thermal optics. Your premium is set in the quote._

## The policy levels on the market

- **Contents insurance with a valuables limit:** Guns in the safe are covered against burglary, fire and water, usually only at home and up to a limit. No breakage, no transport.
- **Firearms add-on to a hunting package:** Named perils such as theft, robbery and breakage, often current value and cover in Europe. Affordable, but with fixed limits for optics.
- **Stand-alone firearms policy at new value:** All risks cover for all listed guns and accessories, new value, worldwide, provisional cover for new purchases. For hunters with valuable kit and travelling hunters.

## How to recognise a good policy

| Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| New value | current value | new value without a short age limit | Used guns have a low current value, replacing them costs much more. |
| Perils | burglary, robbery, fire | all risks including breakage and transport | Most losses happen in transit and in the field, not in the safe. |
| Optics and thermal devices | optics on the schedule | optics and thermal devices without a separate cap | Modern optics often cost more than the gun. |
| Territory | Europe | worldwide, including hunting trips and checked baggage | Hunting abroad without worldwide cover is a real gap. |
| Theft from a car | only from a locked boot in daytime | clear rules you can meet on the way to the hunt | Many claims fail on time and storage conditions. |
| New purchases and underinsurance | none | provisional cover and underinsurance waiver | If you buy and forget to update the schedule, you are otherwise unprotected. |
| Re-zeroing and expert costs | repair only | re-zeroing and loss adjuster included | After a repair the gun has to be zeroed again. |

## Insurers on the German market

Only a few German insurers offer stand-alone firearms policies, often based on the GDV model terms. Some large hunting liability insurers cover only borrowed guns under liability, not your own. This list is a market overview, not a ranking.

- **Alte Leipziger**: hunting and sporting gun insurance, sells through brokers
- **Gothaer**: hunting and sporting gun insurance, scopes insured when declared with value
- **INTER**: hunting and sporting guns as property cover in its hunting range
- **ARAG**: property cover for shooting clubs
- **Allianz**: hunting liability with cover for borrowed guns, no property cover for own guns found

155 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Hagel-, Frost- und sonstige Sachschäden). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded.

## Typical claims and who pays

- **Burglary, gun safe forced open** (value of all guns in the safe): Burglary from a compliant gun safe is covered by every firearms policy. Without contents or firearms cover, the loss is yours.
- **Rifle falls from a high seat** (gunsmith repair and re-zeroing): Breakage and falls are covered by all risks policies. Basic named perils policies often do not pay.
- **Thermal scope stolen from car** (often several thousand euros): Many policies require a locked boot and cap optics. Strong policies cover thermal devices without a separate cap and with rules you can meet.
- **Gun case lost at the airport** (value of the gun and optics): Checked baggage and worldwide cover come with strong policies. Europe only cover does not help on an African safari.
- **New scope never declared** (price of the scope): What is not on the schedule is usually not insured. Provisional cover for new purchases helps, but only up to a limit and for a short time.
- **Barrel worn out after years** (new barrel from a gunsmith): Wear from normal use is not an insured event. No firearms policy pays for it.

## Myth or truth

- „My hunting liability policy will replace my stolen rifle." ✘ Wrong. Liability pays for damage you cause to others. Your own gun is protected only by property cover such as firearms or contents insurance.
- „A newly bought gun safe in Germany must meet at least resistance grade 0." ✔ True. Since July 2017 German law requires new security cabinets to meet at least grade 0 under EN 1143-1. Older safes may stay in use under conditions.
- „I need no papers for my gun on a hunting trip within the EU." ✘ Wrong. You need the European Firearms Pass listing your guns, plus your ID and firearms licence.
- „If I breach the storage rules, the insurer can reduce the payout." ✔ True. Policies make legal storage a condition of cover. Breaching it can reduce or cancel the payout.
- „My scope is always insured together with the gun." ✘ Not always. Many policies cover optics only when listed with their value, some only up to a fixed amount.

## Common mistakes

- Assuming hunting liability also pays for your own gun
- Buying a new gun or scope and not updating the schedule
- Leaving guns in the car overnight without knowing the policy rules
- Insuring a thermal device without checking the optics limit
- Flying to an African hunt with Europe only cover
- Not keeping serial numbers and receipts

## FAQ

### Is firearms insurance compulsory in Germany?

No. For hunters only hunting liability is compulsory, as a condition of the hunting licence. Firearms insurance is optional cover for your own guns and accessories.

### Does household contents insurance pay if my guns are stolen?

After a break-in at home it often does, but usually only up to a limit for valuables and only at the insured address. Breakage, transport damage and theft away from home are generally not covered.

### Which gun safe does German law require?

Under section 36 WaffG and section 13 AWaffV a security cabinet of at least resistance grade 0 under EN 1143-1. How many handguns it may hold depends on grade and weight. Older safes may stay in use under conditions; if in doubt, ask your weapons authority.

### Is my scope automatically insured?

Not always. Many policies cover optics only if they are listed with their value, and some set a separate cap for thermal and night vision devices.

### Does the policy cover hunting trips?

That depends on the territory. Some policies cover Europe only, others worldwide. For travel within the EU you also need the European Firearms Pass.

### What is the difference between new value and current value?

New value is the price of an equivalent new item. Current value deducts age and wear. For older guns the current value is often far below replacement cost.

### What should I do after a theft?

Report it to the police at once, inform the weapons authority and notify the insurer with the gun schedule, serial numbers and receipts. Deadlines are in the policy terms.

## 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-firearms-insurance.php#anfrage

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