Retail & Shop

Anyone who commercially operates gaming machines with the possibility of winnings in Germany needs a vending machine operator license (Automatenaufstellererlaubnis) under Section 33c of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO). The license covers the operator, not the location. Only machines with a type approval from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) may be installed.You apply at the local trade authority (Ordnungsamt or Gewerbeamt). Requirements include proof of personal reliability via a police clearance certificate, an IHK instruction course on responsible gaming, and a social impact concept (Sozialkonzept) from a recognised institution. Each machine also needs a separate site permit (Aufstellerlaubnis) from the location's municipality. The license is typically unlimited but can be revoked if requirements are no longer met.

Issued by: Public Order Office

Starting any commercial business activity in Germany requires a trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung) with the local trade office (Gewerbeamt or Ordnungsamt). This applies to retail, hospitality, manufacturing, services, and all other profit-oriented business activities. Freelance professions (architects, doctors, lawyers, journalists) and primary production (farming, forestry) are exempt. The registration must be filed before or at the time you start the business.You can register online, in person, or by mail at the Gewerbeamt of the municipality where your business is located. Required documents include a valid ID and, for corporate entities, a commercial register excerpt. The fee is typically 20-65 euros. After registration, the Gewerbeamt automatically notifies the tax office (Finanzamt), IHK or HWK, the trade supervisory authority, and the statistical office. The trade registration is not a permit itself but a prerequisite for obtaining any additional required licenses.

Issued by: Trade Office

Commercial motor vehicle trading requires a trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung) at your local trade office. Car dealerships are classified as a monitored trade (überwachungsbedürftiges Gewerbe) under Section 38 of the Trade Regulation Act, which means the authority checks your personal reliability before approval.You must provide a certificate of conduct (Führungszeugnis), a trade register extract, and a tax clearance certificate. Dealers are subject to consumer protection rules including a statutory warranty period of at least one year for used vehicles sold to consumers. Cash transactions above certain thresholds trigger anti-money laundering obligations. If you handle end-of-life vehicles, you must also comply with the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation (Altfahrzeug-Verordnung) for proper disposal.

Issued by: Trade Office

If you want to operate a pawnbroking business (granting loans against the pledge of movable property), you need a license under Section 34 of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO). The license covers both pawnbrokers and pawn intermediaries.You apply at the competent trade authority, which checks your personal reliability and orderly financial circumstances. Required documents include a certificate of conduct, trade register extract, and proof of insurance for the pawned items. Once granted, the license is valid nationwide. You must comply with the Pfandleiherverordnung, which requires detailed record-keeping of each pawn transaction, display of the regulation in your premises, and sets rules on interest rates and storage obligations for pledged goods.

Issued by: Trade Office

If you commercially offer goods, solicit orders, or provide services without prior customer invitation, you need an itinerant trade card (Reisegewerbekarte). This applies to market vendors, fairground operators, door-to-door salespeople, and mobile service providers who operate outside a fixed business location.You apply at the trade office (Gewerbeamt) at your place of residence. The card is valid nationwide and is issued after a check of your personal reliability, including a certificate of conduct and trade register extract. Certain activities are exempt from the card requirement, such as selling newspapers or self-produced agricultural goods at designated markets. The card must be carried during business operations and presented on request to authorities.

Issued by: Public Order Office

Operating a petrol station requires multiple permits beyond the standard trade registration. You need a building permit (Baugenehmigung) for the facility, an emission control permit or notification under the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG), and compliance with water protection regulations since fuel storage poses groundwater contamination risks.The competent authorities (building authority, environmental office, and water authority) review your plans for explosion protection, vapor recovery systems, tank safety, and spill containment. Fuel tanks and dispensing equipment must meet technical safety standards and undergo regular inspections by authorized bodies such as TÜV. You must also comply with the 21st BImSchV, which limits hydrocarbon emissions from fuel handling, and maintain an operations logbook documenting inspections and maintenance.

Issued by: Building Authority / Emission Control Authority

Anyone who commercially auctions third-party movable property, real estate, or rights needs a license under Section 34b of the Trade Regulation Act (GewO). This applies to auction houses, art auctioneers, and online auction businesses that sell goods on behalf of third parties. Publicly appointed auctioneers and certain industry-specific auctions (such as agricultural commodity auctions) are exempt.You apply at the competent trade authority. The authority checks your personal reliability (certificate of conduct, no relevant criminal convictions in the past five years) and orderly financial circumstances. There is a legal right to the license if no grounds for denial exist. Particularly qualified auctioneers may additionally apply for public appointment and swearing-in under Section 34b(5) GewO.

Issued by: Trade Office

Businesses that commercially manufacture, repair, modify, or trade firearms or ammunition require a weapons dealer license (Waffenhandelserlaubnis) under the Weapons Act (Waffengesetz). This applies to gun shops, gunsmiths, ammunition retailers, and firearms importers.You apply at the weapons authority (Waffenbehörde) of your district. The authority first checks your personal reliability and suitability, then registers you for the specialist knowledge examination (Waffenfachkundeprüfung) at the IHK. The exam covers weapons law, ballistics, handling safety, and relevant regulations. Registered master gunsmiths (Büchsenmacher) with a craft roll entry are exempt from the exam. Your business premises must meet security requirements for weapons storage, and you must maintain detailed records of all transactions in a weapons register.

Issued by: Weapons Authority (District Regulatory Office)

Retail trade in tobacco products is subject to the Tobacco Tax Act (Tabaksteuergesetz). If you source tobacco products from the duty-free circulation of other EU member states or operate a tax warehouse for untaxed tobacco, you need a permit from the competent main customs office (Hauptzollamt).For standard domestic retail (selling already-taxed products with German tax stamps), you register your trade normally and comply with product presentation rules: tobacco packaging must remain sealed with tax stamps intact. Strict youth protection rules apply, including a ban on sales to minors and restrictions on vending machine placement. Display bans and advertising restrictions under the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD2) further regulate how tobacco may be presented and marketed in retail.

Issued by: Main Customs Office