Everything You Need to Know About Claim-Free Years
Claim-free years are the years in which you do not file a claim with your auto insurance provider. For every year you do not file a claim, you earn one additional claim-free year. The more claim-free years you have, the lower your premium will be. You can get up to an 80% discount on your auto insurance. If you do file a claim, you’ll lose claim-free years.
What are claim-free years?
Claim-free years indicate how many consecutive years you have not filed a claim with your auto insurance provider. They determine the size of your no-claim discount and, therefore, how low your premium is. The more claim-free years you have, the higher your no-claim discount. If you do file a claim, you could lose several claim-free years at once. You accumulate claim-free years for each insurance year.
Claim-free years earn you a discount on your auto insurance
For every year you don’t file a claim, you earn one additional claim-free year. You then move up one step on the no-claims discount scale, which gives you a larger discount on your premium. After 15 claim-free years, that discount can reach up to 80%. If you file a claim, you’ll usually move down 5 steps. As a result, your premium may rise significantly, or you may even have to pay a surcharge if you have negative claim-free years.
Would you like to know exactly how the no-claims discount scale works? Read more about the no-claims discount scale.
How Claim-Free Years Affect Your Premium
Suppose you pay €1,200 per year for car insurance without any claim-free years. With 10 claim-free years, for example, you’ll receive a 65% discount through the no-claims discount scale. That means your insurance premium will drop to about €420 per year thanks to the no-claims discount.
Calculation:
- Base premium without discount: €1,200
- 65% discount for claim-free years: €780 discount
- Premium due: €420 per year
If you then file a claim and lose 5 claim-free years, your discount will drop to 40%, for example. Your premium will then increase to about €720 per year.
After a claim for damages:
- Base premium: €1,200
- 40% off: €480 off
- Premium due: €720 per year
Due to the loss of no-claims years, you’ll pay €300 more in premiums each year. Over several years, that can add up to thousands of euros in extra costs.
Keep your discount with a no-claims protection plan
A no-claims protection policy is an additional insurance plan that allows you to file one claim per year without losing your no-claims discount. This means you retain your premium discount, even after filing a claim.
Your claim-free years do decrease as usual, and this can have consequences if you switch to another insurer. That’s because the new insurer looks at your actual claim-free years, not the discount you’ve retained.
Setback in no-claims years after 1 claim
Filing an insurance claim can cost you 5 no-claims years. Damage covered under Limited Comprehensive Coverage does not count toward your no-claims years. This includes damage caused by fire, storms, hail, and lightning; damage caused by stray animals; glass damage; and burglary and theft. However, if the damage is caused by a collision or vandalism, filing an insurance claim will count against your no-claims years.
Negative claim-free years
Don’t have many claim-free years yet? For example, because you’re a new driver or if you’ve filed multiple claims in a short period of time? In that case, you could even end up with negative claim-free years. This will make your car insurance more expensive. Instead of receiving a discount on your premium, you’ll be charged a surcharge. In that case, you’ll pay more for your car insurance.
Do you want to avoid losing claim-free years after an accident? If you pay for the damage yourself, you won’t lose any claim-free years. You can lose a maximum of 5 claim-free years.
Transferring your claim-free years to your partner
Claim-free years are tied to the individual. You only accumulate claim-free years if the auto insurance policy is in your name. This means your partner or child does not accumulate claim-free years—even if they drive the car just as much and are a regular driver on the policy.
In some cases, claim-free years can be transferred to your partner—for example, in the event of a divorce or death. This means you can no longer use claim-free years that have been transferred to a partner for your own auto insurance. You can never transfer claim-free years to your children.
Claim-free years for other vehicles
In general, claim-free years are only valid for the type of vehicle for which they were accumulated. However, some insurers do accept claim-free years accumulated on other vehicles as grounds for a discount.
For example, if you switch from a motorcycle to a car. However, this is not a fixed policy and varies by insurer. Therefore, always check in advance to see if the transfer is possible. You can never carry over the no-claims years from your moped to your car insurance.
Claim-free years and a second car
Many insurers offer a second-car policy if you already have a car insured in your name. A second car—for example, one registered to your partner or child at the same address—can then benefit from the same no-claims discount as the first car. No claim-free years are required for that second policy.
Claim-free years expire
Claim-free years have an expiration date. If your claim-free years are no longer linked to a car insurance policy, they may expire. This does not happen immediately, but only after 3 years.
If you cancel your auto insurance and don’t take out a new policy within 3 years that carries over your no-claims years, you’ll lose them. Read more about the expiration and loss of no-claims years.
Checking Your Claim-Free Years in Roy Data
Claim-free years are tracked in Roy Data. This is the central database of the EPS Foundation (Efficient Processes for Property and Casualty Insurers). When you cancel a car insurance policy, the insurer records your accumulated claim-free years.
Not sure if you’ve accumulated any claim-free years? You can request this information yourself using the right-to-access form. You can also check with your current auto insurance provider. The insurer is also required to inform you annually of how many claim-free years you have. This information is included in the insurance policy you receive each year.
Proving claim-free years
Sometimes your claim-free years aren't listed in Roy Data. In that case, you'll need to provide proof of how many claim-free years you've accumulated. The new insurer will accept these years based on your proof. You can provide this proof in the following ways:
Lease Agreement
If you’ve driven a leased car, no claim-free years will be credited to your name. However, with a lease statement, the leasing company can show how many years you drove the leased car and how many claims you filed.
Employer's Statement
Insurance companies do not always accept an employer's statement. It is important that you were the sole driver of the car. Ask your employer for a statement from the auto insurance company. The new insurance company will decide for itself whether to approve the employer's statement.
Declaration of Disassociation in the Event of Divorce
In the event of a divorce, it is possible to (partially) assign the claim-free years to the ex-spouse who does not have them in their name. Claim-free years can be transferred by means of a waiver.
You often need to fill out a form to complete the waiver. View the waiver for claim-free years (PDF).
Certificate of No Claims from Abroad
In some cases, it is possible to transfer your claim-free years from another country. To do so, request a claim-free certificate from your foreign insurer.
The maximum number of claim-free years
Since 2016, you can accumulate up to 99 claim-free years with any insurer. Previously, insurers could set this limit themselves based on their bonus-malus table. This is now the same for every insurer.
Do you have more than 15 claim-free years? If you file a single claim, your claim-free record always resets to 10 years.
Frequently Asked Questions About Claim-Free Years
How do I know how many claim-free years I have?
You can request your claim-free years from your current insurer. You can also submit a request through Stichting EPS to see what’s in Roy Data. This information is also listed annually on your policy statement. It’s a good idea to check this regularly, especially if you’re thinking of switching insurers.
How long do claim-free years remain valid without car insurance?
They remain valid for 3 years after you cancel your auto insurance. Within that period, you can still use them when taking out a new policy. If you wait too long, they’ll automatically expire, and you’ll start from scratch without a premium discount.
How many claim-free years will I lose if I file a claim?
In most cases, you lose 5 claim-free years for each insurance claim. This applies especially to claims covered under third-party liability or comprehensive coverage. As a result, you may drop significantly on the no-claims discount scale, leading to a higher premium.
Do I always lose my no-claims years if I file a claim?
No, not all insurance claims have consequences. Damage covered under Limited Comprehensive Coverage—such as windshield damage, theft, or storm damage—usually does not affect your no-claims discount. If you’re unsure, it’s best to call your insurer first before filing a claim.
Can I carry over the claim-free years from my leased car?
Yes, you can do that with a lease statement. This document specifies how many years you’ve driven the leased vehicle and whether any claims have been filed. Since 2022, insurers have been required to enter claim-free years into Roy Data based on a lease statement. This allows you to carry them over to a private insurance policy.
Can you buy claim-free years?
No, you have to build up your claim-free years yourself by driving without making any claims. It’s often better to pay for some minor damage yourself to avoid losing claim-free years. A no-claims protection policy can offer temporary protection, but it doesn’t change your actual claim-free years.
What happens to your no-claims years after a divorce?
In the event of a divorce, claim-free years can be transferred to the former spouse through a waiver. An insurer will only accept this transfer if it is accompanied by an officially signed document. Without such a waiver, the claim-free years remain linked to the person in whose name the insurance policy was held.
Can I transfer my claim-free years to my children?
No, claim-free years are tied to the individual, and they cannot be transferred to children. Only spouses are eligible for a transfer—for example, in the event of death or divorce. Children must build up their own claim-free years.
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