If you want to transfer a no-claims class (Schadenfreiheitsklasse, SF-Klasse), you usually hope to use your parents’ good class for your own car. That is possible, but tied to conditions, and for new drivers the benefit is smaller than many expect. This guide explains who can take over a class, what is lost and how an application works. It complements Insurance for students: an overview (in German).
In short: A no-claims class can be transferred within the family, for example from parents to children. Only as many claim-free years can be taken over as the recipient has held a driving licence (ADAC, 7 May 2026). Whoever gives up the class loses it permanently. For new licence holders it therefore rarely pays off.
Key points
- According to ADAC, a transfer is usually possible to children and grandchildren, spouses and, at many insurers, partners.
- Only as many claim-free years count as the recipient has held a licence.
- Whoever gives up the class loses it permanently, and the transfer cannot be undone.
- According to ADAC, the transfer applies to motor liability and comprehensive cover (Vollkasko), not to partial cover (Teilkasko).
- An application to the insurer is required, and some have their own form.
Who may take over a no-claims class?
Each insurer sets the rules in its terms. The GDV model terms regulate the transfer of a claims record in section I.6, with subsections on the cases of transfer (I.6.1), conditions (I.6.2), interruption of cover (I.6.3) and transfer of business (I.6.4). ADAC (7 May 2026) summarises the usual cases:
| Recipient | Classification according to ADAC |
|---|---|
| Children and grandchildren | Usually possible, often so that young family members start more cheaply |
| Spouse | Possible, many insurers also admit partners |
| Relatives after a death | Transfer mostly within the running contract if they take over the family car, death certificate required |
| Employer, company car | Class is normally tied to the employer and company car, taking it along only with an agreement in the employment contract |
How many claim-free years can you take over?
This is the key point for students. According to ADAC, only as many claim-free years can be taken over as the recipient has held a driving licence. A complete beginner therefore benefits hardly at all. Your parents’ class is usable only as far as you can show years of licence ownership yourself. In addition, the recipient should have driven the car regularly, and some insurers require both parties to live in the same household.
Assumption: Your parents have 20 claim-free years. You have held your licence for three years. Following the ADAC logic, at most three claim-free years can be taken over. The other 17 years are not counted. If your parents give up the class anyway, they lose it permanently. The example is purely arithmetic and does not replace information from your insurer.
What do the parents lose?
ADAC writes: whoever gives up the class loses it permanently. The transfer cannot be undone. For parents this means giving up their own good class while the recipient can use only part of it. Whether it is still worthwhile depends on whether the parents still drive their own vehicle and whether a second-car model is an alternative.
The second-car model: the car is registered in your parents’ name and insured as a second car with their insurer. The claim-free years are then usually credited to the parents and you do not build a class yourself. How your insurer handles this is set out in the contract terms. Both routes have consequences you should discuss with your family.
Does the transfer apply to all types of cover?
According to ADAC, the transfer applies to motor liability and comprehensive cover, not to partial cover. New drivers usually start in a low class and therefore pay high premiums. A transferred class can reduce these costs, but only within the years that can be taken over. On which cover makes sense, see Motor liability for new drivers and Partial or comprehensive cover for new drivers (in German).
How does the application work?
- Ask the insurer which conditions and documents apply.
- Submit the application, some insurers have their own form.
- The insurer checks the details and approves the transfer unless something speaks against it.
- In the case of a death you present the death certificate.
ADAC names no fixed deadline for the transfer. Even when the giver and recipient change insurers, the class can mostly be taken along. Which further proof your insurer requires is stated in its terms.
What happens to the class if the contract is interrupted?
An interruption of cover, for example through deregistration, affects the claims record. In the GDV model terms, section I.6.3 deals with this question. One model found in practice distinguishes three tiers, and your own contract terms decide: up to six months the record carries on as if nothing had been interrupted. Between more than six months and seven years, the record from before the interruption is taken over. After more than seven years the claim-free record is not taken over. More in Putting car insurance on hold abroad.
What is the alternative to a transfer?
If you cannot or do not want to take over the class, you build your own. The class rises with every claim-free year, and a high class usually means lower premiums. A continuous contract without long interruptions helps. Under one widespread terms model, a contract is classified in the following year as if it had run for a full calendar year if cover lasted at least six months in the year of transfer. For accompanied driving from 17, some tariffs reduce the premium. Ask directly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take over my parents’ class completely?
No, not simply. According to ADAC, only as many claim-free years can be taken over as you have held a driving licence.
Do my parents keep their class?
No. Whoever gives up the class loses it permanently, according to ADAC. Agree the transfer carefully with your parents.
Can I take over a partner’s class?
ADAC names spouses as possible and says that many insurers also admit partners. Ask your insurer about its rule.
Does the transferred class apply to partial cover?
According to ADAC, the transfer applies to liability and comprehensive cover, not to partial cover.
Must the car previously have been registered to the giver?
ADAC names no express duty of prior ownership or of handing over the vehicle. Examples of occasions are that a car is no longer driven for reasons of age or a second car is no longer needed. Details are in your insurer’s terms.
What to do now
- Work out how long you have held your licence, since that limits the years you can take over.
- Talk to your parents about whether they want to give up their class and what they lose.
- Ask the insurer about conditions, form and documents.
- Compare the transfer with the second-car model and with your own contract.
- Submit the application and file the insurer’s confirmation.
If you would like to discuss classification in person, the page How we work describes how Academycon runs a consultation.
Related guides
- Insurance for students: an overview (in German)
- Motor liability for new drivers: which cover makes sense
- Student discount on car insurance: is there one, what proof
- Partial or comprehensive cover for new drivers (in German)
- Putting car insurance on hold abroad
Sources: ADAC, transferring the no-claims class, 7 May 2026 (in German); GDV model motor insurance terms AKB 2015, version 10.2017, section I.6 (in German).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
