The courts' own information · as of 12 October 2026

Find your German register court

All 116 register courts (Registergerichte) in Germany with address, phone and the towns they serve. Search by town, postcode or local court; the court pages are in German.

116 register courts

Baden-Württemberg

Bayern

Berlin

Brandenburg

Bremen

Hamburg

Hessen

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Niedersachsen

Nordrhein-Westfalen

Rheinland-Pfalz

Saarland

Sachsen

Sachsen-Anhalt

Schleswig-Holstein

Thüringen

What the commercial register shows

The Handelsregister is Germany's public register of merchants and companies. It shows a company's name, registered seat, managing directors, share capital and who may represent it; part A lists sole traders and partnerships, part B corporations. It is kept by the local courts (Amtsgerichte) and anyone can search it for free at handelsregister.de.

Guide: the German commercial register

Questions about German register courts

Which register court is responsible for my company?

The local court (Amtsgericht) in whose district your company has its registered seat – for a GmbH, the seat stated in its articles of association, not where you live. Most federal states concentrate register matters at a few courts: in Berlin, the Amtsgericht Charlottenburg keeps the register for the whole city. Search for your town or postcode above.

How do I register a company in the German commercial register?

Through a German notary: every application to the register must be publicly certified and filed electronically (§ 12 (1) HGB). For a GmbH or UG, the notary also records the formation and files everything with the register court; this works by online notarization as well. The register fee for a GmbH or UG founded with cash is €300, the same in every federal state.

Is the German commercial register public?

Yes. Anyone can view register entries and filed documents such as the list of shareholders and the articles of association free of charge at handelsregister.de, since 1 August 2022. A printout from the court costs €10, an official printout (amtlicher Ausdruck) €20.

What do HRA and HRB mean?

Part A (HRA) lists sole traders (e.K.) and partnerships such as OHG and KG, part B (HRB) corporations such as GmbH, UG and AG (§ 3 HRV). The number goes together with the register court in a company's legal notice and on its business letters, e.g. "Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, HRB 12345 B".

Which register extract do I need for authorities abroad?

Usually an official printout (amtlicher Ausdruck) from the register court with an apostille, and often a certified translation as well. Ask the authority abroad which form it accepts before you order.

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Source: the courts' own websites, the federal states' justice portals and their ordinances on register jurisdiction, checked on 12 October 2026; fees under the HRegGebV. No liability for the data; this page is not legal advice.