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Do you want to discontinue your business, move to a location that falls under the jurisdiction of a municipality other than the one that was previously responsible, or do you want to change the legal form of your business? Then you must deregister your business. You can find out more here.

If you wish to discontinue the operation of your trade, you are obliged to deregister your trade.

The same applies if you move the headquarters of your business or a branch or dependent branch of your business to a new location and this results in the jurisdiction of a different municipality. First, deregister your trade or business at the previous location. Then re-register it at the new location.

If you change the legal form of your trade or business, a trade deregistration is also required. First, you must deregister your business under the previous legal form. Then, you re-register your business under the new legal form.

If you move the head office of your business or a branch office or a dependent branch of your business to a new location without any change in the jurisdiction within the municipality, a business re-registration is sufficient.

The deregistration must be carried out by the following persons or their authorized representatives:

• In the case of sole traders, by the trader himself/herself,
• in the case of corporations (e.g. GmbH, AG) by the legal representative(s).

In the case of partnerships (e.g. OHG, KG, GbR/BGB-Gesellschaft, GmbH & Co. KG), trade deregistrations must be carried out by all partners authorized to manage the business.

• The fully completed and signed "Trade Deregistration" - GewA 3.
• Copy of identity card or passport with certificate of registration, or presentation on site. In the case of electronic trade re-registration, depending on the municipality, further suitable and appropriate procedures for establishing identity (e.g. PIN/TAN procedure, the electronic ID function, De-Mail or a self-declaration of identity).
• Copy of the extract from the commercial register, if your company is entered in the commercial register (likewise: register of cooperatives, register of associations).

• liquidation of your business or
• relocation of your registered office or the registered office of a branch or dependent branch outside the previous municipality, or
• change of the legal form of your business

10,00 Euro

You can deregister your trade in writing or electronically.

You will receive a certificate from the authority for the receipt of your trade deregistration.

The office responsible for deregistration forwards the trade deregistration to other offices, such as the tax office, the employers' liability insurance association, the chamber of trade or the chamber of industry and commerce and, if applicable, the registration court.

If you have filled out the form correctly and your documents are complete, the authority will certify receipt of your deregistration immediately if you come in person. If you deregister in writing or electronically, you will receive the receipt of your trade deregistration within 3 days.

You are obliged to deregister your business at the time of the closure of the business or at the time of the transfer of the business to the jurisdiction of another municipality or the change of the legal form.

If the cessation of the business is clearly established and you do not deregister your trade, the deregistration will be carried out ex officio.

• Trade deregistration
• A trade deregistration is required if the business operation is discontinued, if the registered office or the registered office of a branch or dependent branch is moved outside the previous municipality or if the legal form of the business changes.
• If the business is relocated within the area of responsibility of the municipality that was already responsible, a new business registration is sufficient.
• Responsible: The trade licensing office of the district, independent city or large city in whose jurisdiction the business is located.

Please contact the trade licensing office of the district, independent city or large city in whose jurisdiction your business is located.

• You can deregister your trade in person or using the electronic procedure.
• If you deregister in person, you must complete the form "Trade deregistration" - GewA 3 and sign it in person.
• In the electronic procedure, the same data is collected as in the personal deregistration. However, it is possible to deviate from the form and there is no signature requirement.
• The office responsible for deregistration may use suitable and appropriate procedures to establish your identity when deregistering electronically in the online procedure (e.g. PIN/TAN procedure, the electronic ID function, De-Mail or a self-declaration of identity).