Information from the Central Trade Register - Legal entities, associations of persons

Course description

The following legal offences are recorded in the central trade register:

• Administrative decisions (trade bans, withdrawal of licences)
• Decisions on fines for administrative offences in connection with the exercise of the trade
• criminal convictions

You can apply for information from the Central Trade Register online at the Federal Office of Justice or in writing (by post) and in person at the registration office of your main or secondary residence. If you apply in writing or in person, we will forward the application to the Federal Office of Justice for examination and processing. The information will be issued here and sent either to you or to the named authority. If you are not resident in Germany, you must submit the application directly to the Federal Office of Justice in Bonn.

You must submit the application in person in your capacity as a legal representative and cannot be represented by an authorised representative, such as a lawyer or spouse. This ensures that no other person can apply for information from the Central Trade Register without your knowledge and without authorisation.

However, it is possible to have a written application for information from the Central Business Register with an officially or publicly notarised signature delivered by a messenger if all documents are available.

Recipient of the information:

• In principle, the information can only be sent to the legal entity or association of persons (not to an authorised person).
• The information can only be sent directly to an authority in the following three cases:
  • for the preparation of a decision on an application for authorisation for a trade or other economic enterprise
  • for the preparation of a decision on the issue of a certificate of competence in accordance with Section 20 of the Explosives Act and
  • for the preparation of the decision on the verification of reliability according to §38 GewO.

Prerequisites

• At least one person must be registered in Munich. The registered office does not have to be in Munich.
• The application must be submitted by the legal representative or the authorised person of the commercial enterprise entered in the commercial or cooperative register.

Required documents

Personal application:

• Informal application signed by the person or persons authorised to represent the company (according to the extract from the register),
• valid identity card or passport of the person or persons authorised to represent the company (according to the extract from the register),
• Extract from the Commercial Register, Register of Associations or Register of Cooperatives of the competent local court at the time of application.

Online application:

• ID card, eID card or electronic residence permit, each with activated online ID function,
• Extract from the commercial register, register of associations or register of co-operatives,
• if applicable, the address of the authority for which the information is intended, as well as the purpose of use or the reference number.

the certificate of good conduct can be applied for online at the Federal Office of Justice.

Written application:

• Informal application with an officially (by an authority with a seal) or publicly (by a notary) certified signature of the person or persons authorised to represent the company (according to the extract from the register),
• Extract from the commercial register, register of associations or register of co-operatives,
• Proof of payment for the transfer of the fee of 13 euros. Written applications without proof of payment cannot be processed.

Legal basis

§§ 149 ff. Trade Regulation Act (GewO)