The aim of this study was to develop and validate a German adaptation of the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Ways of Coping Checklist (DBT-WCCL), a self-report questionnaire that measures the frequency of adaptive and maladaptive skills used to manage difficult situations over the past month. The adaptive skills are derived from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) but do not include DBT-specific language and can be assessed independent of this treatment. In all, 150 patients with borderline personality disorder completed the German DBT-WCCL adaptation and questionnaires assessing symptom severity. A different sample of 40 patients completed the questionnaire at five different time points while undergoing inpatient DBT. The three-factor structure of the English version was replicated and confirmed. Psychometric analyses indicated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability for all three subscales. Supporting the construct validity of the measure, skills use, as measured with the DBT-WCCL, increased significantly during inpatient DBT. In addition, using skills was significantly positively correlated with prior experience with DBT and perceived use of DBT skills. In conclusion, these results offer preliminary support for the validity and reliability of the German adaptation of the DBT-WCCL.