Every autumn, many drivers receive a letter from their Kfz-Versicherung (car insurance) provider. It often mentions a “new Typklasse” or a “new Regionalklasse”. Here you can find out what lies behind this.
What are Typklassen?
The Typklasse (vehicle model class) shows how many claims, and how expensive ones, a car model causes compared with other models. For this, the Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft (GDV, German Insurance Association) analyses claims data from 2023 to 2025 for around 33,000 models. There are 16 classes in Haftpflicht (third-party liability insurance), 25 in Vollkasko (fully comprehensive cover) and 24 in Teilkasko (partial cover) (1). For 2027, around 7.4 million vehicles will move into a higher Haftpflicht class and around 5.1 million into a lower one; about 30 million (71 percent) remain unchanged (1).
What are Regionalklassen?
The Regionalklasse (regional class) depends on the Zulassungsbezirk (vehicle registration district) in which your vehicle is registered. What counts is the claims record of the region. There are 413 registration districts. For 2027, the classification changes for almost ten million drivers: in Haftpflicht, around 5.2 million will be placed in a better class and around 4.8 million in a worse one (2).
Good to know
- The GDV statistics are not binding on insurers. They can apply them to new contracts immediately and to existing contracts from the next insurance year (1) (2).
- Typklasse and Regionalklasse are only two of several factors. Annual mileage, repair costs and personal characteristics also affect the premium (1) (3).
- A higher class therefore does not automatically mean a higher premium, and a lower class does not automatically mean a lower one.
What you can check now
Look at your insurer’s letter: which Typklasse and Regionalklasse does it state, and how have they changed? If you want to change or cancel your contract, the cancellation usually has to reach the insurer by 30 November (3). Check the deadline in your contract documents.
You can find more about the process and deadlines in our guide Car insurance: compare and switch.
We are a Tippgeber (referral provider), not a Versicherungsmakler (insurance broker). We do not give advice and do not recommend any insurer or tariff; the decision is yours.
Sources (checked on 30.10.2026)
(1) GDV: Neue Typklassen für über 12 Millionen Autofahrer
(2) GDV: Deutschlandweit neue Regionalklassen für fast zehn Millionen Autofahrende
(3) ADAC: Neue Typklassen 2027