AmtsDeutschland
0%
Skip to main content
Authorities Most popular Guides
FAQ Contact
Find an official procedure

Handelsregister (commercial register): entry and extract

The entry costs more than before — the extract costs nothing at all

Application through a notaryHRegGebVRechtspfleger (senior judicial officer) decides

The Handelsregister (commercial register) is kept at the Amtsgericht — at the so-called court of registration (Registergericht), which is not located at every Amtsgericht but is centralised for several districts. Applications for registration are filed exclusively through a notary in publicly certified form; direct filing by the entrepreneur is not provided for. The Rechtspfleger (senior judicial officer) then decides on the entry.

The fees have recently become significantly higher, and almost all cost figures online still cite the old ones. On 1 June 2025, the amending regulation to the Commercial Register Fees Regulation (Handelsregistergebührenverordnung, HRegGebV) raised the registration fees by around 50% — the first adjustment since 2011. Since then, the first entry of a GmbH costs €225.00 instead of 150, and €360.00 in the case of contributions in kind; the first entry of a sole trader (Einzelkaufmann) costs €105.00.

Conversely, the opposite applies to access: inspection of the Handelsregister and retrieval of data have been free of charge since the register portal was overhauled. Anyone who pays for a simple extract from the commercial register (Handelsregisterauszug) is paying a private provider, not the court. This distinction is the most practically useful point on the whole page.

Last updated28 August 2026
Legal basisHGB · HRegGebV
VerificationAnnex to the HRegGebV (BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 127) · § 3 RPflG
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not the Amtsgericht, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. No legal advice and not an official authority. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.
First entry of a GmbH€225.00Since 1 June 2025 — previously 150
Register retrievalFree of chargeThrough the official register portal
Registration (Anmeldung)Only through a notaryPublicly certified form
Required documents

What you need

Articles of association or by-laws

For corporations, the notarially recorded contract. For a standard GmbH or UG with no more than three shareholders, the Musterprotokoll (model protocol) can be used, which noticeably reduces notary fees — it changes nothing about the register fee.

Information on managing directors and representation

Name, date of birth, address and scope of authority to represent for each person authorised to represent the company. In addition, there is the assurance that no obstacles to appointment exist — for example, relevant previous convictions or a professional ban.

Evidence of the raising of capital

For the GmbH, confirmation that the minimum payment has been made and is at the free disposal of the management. In the case of contributions in kind, the formation report for non-cash contributions is added, and the register fee is then higher.

Business address and object of the company

A domestic business address must be entered. The object of the company must be sufficiently specific; wording that is too general leads to a Zwischenverfügung (official notice to remedy a defect in the application) and delays the entry by weeks.

Cost advance

The court of registration generally only takes action once the fee advance has been received. The notary fees for the recording and certification are added separately and depend on the value of the subject matter (Geschäftswert).

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Clarify the legal form and fee range

    The register fee depends on the legal form and on whether contributions in kind are made: GmbH €225.00, with a contribution in kind €360.00, sole trader €105.00. These amounts have applied since 1 June 2025 and are around 50% above the previous ones.

  2. 2

    Have the company name checked before registration

    The Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer, IHK) checks, on request, whether the desired company name is permissible and distinctive. This information is free of charge and avoids the most common Zwischenverfügung from the court of registration — a company name that the court objects to means a new notarial recording and new notary fees.

  3. 3

    Register through the notary

    The application for registration is made in publicly certified form and is transmitted electronically by the notary to the court of registration. Direct filing by the entrepreneur is not possible. The notary charges fees under the GNotKG separately from the register fee.

  4. 4

    Wait for the examination by the Rechtspfleger

    The entry is decided by the Rechtspfleger under § 3 RPflG. Objections are issued as a Zwischenverfügung with a deadline for remedying them; the most common ones concern the company name, the object of the company, and the assurance given by the managing directors. There is no statutory deadline for the entry — the duration depends on the court.

  5. 5

    In the event of rejection: Erinnerung

    This application is generally decided not by a judge, but by the Rechtspfleger (senior judicial officer): § 3 RPflG assigns them, among other things, estate, register, land register and insolvency matters. That is more than a question of jurisdiction, because the legal remedy follows from it: if no other appellate remedy is available against the decision, the Erinnerung (objection to a decision of the Rechtspfleger) is available under § 11 Abs. 2 RPflG, to be lodged within two weeks. The Rechtspfleger can grant it themselves; if they do not, they refer it to the judge. The Erinnerung proceedings are free of court fees.

  6. 6

    Retrieve extracts free of charge

    After the entry, register retrieval and inspection of documents through the official register portal are free of charge. Fee-based offers from third parties provide nothing here that the portal does not also offer.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Register fees under the HRegGebVAmounts since 1 June 2025
First entry of a GmbH€225.00
First entry of a GmbH with a contribution in kind€360.00
First entry of a sole trader (e. K.)€105.00
Later entry (e.g. change of managing director)€105.00
Register retrieval and inspection of documentsFree of charge
Notary fees for recording/certificationAdditional, under the GNotKG

The registration fees were raised by around 50% on 1 June 2025 — the first adjustment since 2011. Older cost figures still cite €150 for the GmbH. The notary fees are independent of this and are based on the GNotKG.

Good to know

Important notes

The fees rose by around 50% on 1 June 2025. GmbH €225 instead of €150, sole trader €105. It was the first adjustment since 2011, which is why almost all older overviews are too low.

Register retrieval is free of charge. Anyone who pays for a simple Handelsregisterauszug is paying a private provider — the official register portal charges nothing for it.

You can only register through a notary. Publicly certified form is mandatory; the notary fees are added to the register fee and depend on the Geschäftswert.

Have the company name checked by the IHK in advance. The information is free of charge and prevents the most common Zwischenverfügung — a company name that the court objects to results in a new notarial recording and new notary fees.

The entry is decided by the Rechtspfleger, not a judge. Against a rejection, the Erinnerung under § 11 Abs. 2 RPflG is available: two weeks, free of court fees.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Budgeting €150 for the GmbH entry. Since 1 June 2025, it is €225, and €360 for contributions in kind.

Paying for a Handelsregisterauszug. Retrieval through the official register portal is free of charge; fee-based providers merely pass on what is freely available there.

Phrasing the object of the company too generally. This regularly leads to a Zwischenverfügung and delays the entry by weeks.

Confusing the notary fees with the register fee. These are two separate items: the fee under the HRegGebV to the court, and the notary fees under the GNotKG to the notary.

Having the document recorded without a prior check of the company name. If the court of registration objects to the name, it must be recorded again — and the notary fees are incurred again.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

What does the entry of a GmbH cost?

Under the annex to the HRegGebV, €225.00; for a formation with contributions in kind, €360.00. These amounts have applied since 1 June 2025; before that, it was €150. The fees were raised by around 50%, for the first time since 2011. In addition, there are the notary fees under the GNotKG, which depend on the Geschäftswert.

What does a Handelsregisterauszug cost?

Nothing. Register retrieval and inspection of the documents filed with the register are free of charge through the official register portal. Fee-based extracts come from private providers who pass on the same publicly available data.

Can I file the application for registration myself?

No. The application for registration in the Handelsregister requires publicly certified form and is transmitted electronically by the notary. Direct filing by the entrepreneur is not provided for. The notary fees are separate from the register fee and are based on the GNotKG.

What does a change of managing director cost?

As a later entry, €105.00 under the HRegGebV, plus the notary fees for certifying the application for registration. This amount has also been around 50% above the previous one since 1 June 2025.

Who decides on the entry?

The Rechtspfleger: § 3 RPflG assigns them commercial register matters. Objections are issued as a Zwischenverfügung with a deadline. If the entry is rejected and no other appellate remedy is available, the Erinnerung is available under § 11 Abs. 2 RPflG — within two weeks and free of court fees.

How long does the entry take?

There is no statutory deadline; the duration depends on the court of registration and on the completeness of the application. It can mainly be sped up by avoiding a Zwischenverfügung: have the company name checked by the IHK in advance and phrase the object of the company with sufficient specificity.

Related official procedures

Register of associations
Entry by the Rechtspfleger
Under the HRegGebV
Grundbuchauszug (land register extract)
The Grundbuchamt is the Amtsgericht
Legitimate interest required
Request to open insolvency proceedings
Discharge of residual debt after three years
Deferment possible

Cannot find the official procedure you are looking for?

Tell us what information you need.

Send a request