Kfz-Zulassungsstelle (vehicle registration office)
Zulassungsstelle reports missing Kfz-Versicherung (car insurance): what to do?
What this letter means
If the Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung (vehicle liability insurance) ends, for example because a premium was not paid or a change of insurer did not work, the insurer reports this to the Zulassungsstelle (registration office). The Zulassungsstelle must then take the vehicle out of service without delay.
In practice you first receive a letter: within a deadline you must either prove that the vehicle is insured again or deregister it. If you do not react, the authority takes the vehicle out of service by force. The official stamp stickers (Stempelplaketten) are removed from the number plates, and fees are charged.
Even without a letter, as the vehicle keeper (Halter) you are obliged to have a vehicle without liability insurance taken out of service without delay.
What to do now
- 1Do not drive the vehicle until the insurance cover is sorted out.
- 2Call your insurer and ask why the contract was ended and whether it can be restored by paying.
- 3If you have a new insurance, ask the new insurer to send the insurance confirmation (Versicherungsbestätigung) to the Zulassungsstelle.
- 4Before the deadline ends, tell the Zulassungsstelle that the proof is on its way and give the Aktenzeichen (file reference number). Write in German; the templates (Vorlagen) on this site are in German.
- 5If you no longer need the vehicle, deregister it yourself.
How you can reply
Prove new insurance cover
If the Zulassungsstelle has a confirmation of a new liability insurance, there is no need to take the vehicle out of service. Ask whether the confirmation has arrived.
Take the vehicle out of service yourself
This is usually cheaper than a forced deregistration. As a rule, you need the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I (vehicle registration certificate part I) and the number plates.
Widerspruch (objection) against taking the vehicle out of service
This only makes sense if you can prove that there was insurance at the relevant time and the authority took the vehicle out of service anyway. Enclose the proof of insurance.
Template: Widerspruch gegen einen Bescheid (Jobcenter, Krankenkasse)Common questions
I changed my insurance. Why did I get this letter?
The old insurer reports the end of the contract. It only does not report this if the Zulassungsstelle already has the confirmation from the new insurer. If the confirmation is missing, for example because of a typing error in the number plate, ask your new insurer and have the confirmation sent again.
Am I still insured if I have an accident?
Towards the accident victim, the old insurer remains liable for one month from its notification to the Zulassungsstelle. But it can claim the money back from you. In addition, driving without insurance is a criminal offence.
How much does a forced deregistration cost?
Your Zulassungsstelle can tell you the amount of fees and expenses. If field staff come to you to remove the stickers, this usually costs extra. Deregistering the vehicle yourself is therefore usually cheaper.
Sources (German law and official pages)
- § 51 Maßnahmen und Pflichten bei fehlendem Versicherungsschutz (FZV)
- § 117 Leistungspflicht gegenüber Dritten (VVG)
- § 6 Gebrauch eines Fahrzeugs ohne Haftpflichtversicherung (PflVG)
Research as of: 10 November 2026