Gewerberegisterauszug

Citizens, companies, institutions, lawyers or authorities can submit an application for information from the trade register if they can prove a legitimate interest.

The trade register is kept by the local regulatory authorities (independent city, large city belonging to the district, independent municipality, official administration) and contains all companies and businesses registered in the respective municipality that are registered in accordance with the Industrial Code (GewO).

Public bodies and private individuals can request an extract from the trade register. The consent of the person concerned is not required for the disclosure of his data.

The name of the business or owner, the business address and the activity indicated are generally accessible. For an extended trade register information that goes beyond this, a legal interest must be proven (e.g. for the assertion of legal claims; lending to the trader).

There is no legal claim by third parties to the communication of the data. The trade register is not a public register (such as the register of trade, cooperatives or associations). The provision of information shall be at the discretion of the competent authority.

The information from the trade register corresponds to what was reported to the trade registration office up to the time the information was provided. The authority assumes no liability for the correctness and completeness of the information.

As a matter of principle, no information is provided about deregistered establishments. This means that information can be obtained in the specific individual case in the case of requests for information that are associated with a credible interest (e.g. in legal proceedings, insolvencies and claims of any other kind).

An informal written application must be submitted with the following information:

• Name of the company or trader
• last known address
• Personal information
• in the case of extended information: credibility of the legal interest by describing the facts of the case and attaching existing documents (e.g. debt instruments, copies of contracts, invoices)

Oral applications are not admissible.

Existence of a legal interest in the case of extended information

For the first to tenth person, per person or establishment: 14 €

For each additional person or permanent establishment: 6 €

Information, if inquiries or investigations are necessary beyond the documents available at the trade office, per person or permanent establishment: 17 €

(current No. 2.1.2 et seq. of Annex 1 to § 1 of the Ordinance on Administrative Fees in the Portfolio of the Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy [MWEGebO])

The request for information from the trade register can be made in person, in writing or electronically. Online information is only available from the administrations connected to the system. For citizens, only simple information is provided online. Extended information can be provided to companies online. Citizens should contact the competent authority for further information.

The competent authority examines the application for completeness and whether there is a legal interest in obtaining information from the trade register. If the application is granted, the extract from the trade register will be sent after it has been checked. The fee notice will be sent by post.

maximum 3 months

none

Information from the trade register

Local regulatory authority (independent city, large city belonging to a district, unincorporated municipality) in whose district the trader about whom information from the trade register is obtained has his place of business (§ 1 paragraph 1 of the Ordinance on Responsibilities in Trade Law (Trade Law Jurisdiction Ordinance - GewRZV))

Forms are available from the local trade authority.