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Applying for a Mahnbescheid (court payment order) at the Amtsgericht (local court)

One fee for the whole procedure — including the enforcement order

Available online§§ 688 ff. ZPOWithout a lawyer

The Mahnverfahren (payment order procedure) is the fast route to an enforceable title if the debtor is unlikely to contest the claim. It proceeds in writing, without an oral hearing and without a lawyer, at a central Mahngericht (payment order court) of the relevant federal state. In doing so, the court does not examine whether the claim exists — it only checks whether the application has been completed coherently. This makes the procedure fast and, at the same time, susceptible to misuse, which is why the objection (Widerspruch) is kept so simple.

Costs are understated almost everywhere, because the underlying table is out of date. Under GKG KV 1100, the fee is 0.5 according to the table in § 34 GKG, but at least €38.00. The court fees were raised on 1 June 2025 by the costs amendment act KostBRÄG 2025 — value-based fees by 6% and fixed, minimum and maximum fees by 9%. Older fee figures online therefore consistently cite amounts that are too low.

A point that saves real money and is missing from many accounts: this single fee covers the entire Mahnverfahren, including the enforcement order. No separate court fee is charged for the enforcement order. Anyone who had budgeted a flat fee for it does not have to pay it.

Last updated28 August 2026
Legal basis§§ 688 ff. ZPO · GKG KV 1100
VerificationGKG KV 1100 and Annex 2 · § 692 ZPO
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.
Fee0.5 · min. €38Enforcement order included
Objection (Widerspruch)Two weeksFrom service, without giving reasons
Competent bodyCentral MahngerichtNot your local Amtsgericht
Required documents

What you need

The claim by cause and amount

The principal claim, interest and any ancillary costs already incurred, stated separately. The application requires a description of the claim that distinguishes it from others — an invoice number and date are usually sufficient for this. You do not submit supporting documents; the court does not examine them.

Address of the debtor at which they can be summoned

Full name and address, and for companies, the person authorised to represent it. The Mahnbescheid must be served — without an address at which service can be effected, the procedure comes to nothing, and the fee is nonetheless forfeited. If the whereabouts are unknown, the Mahnverfahren is the wrong route.

Statement on the interest

From when and in what amount interest is claimed. For consumer transactions it is five percentage points above the base rate of interest, and between businesses nine. The start of default must be demonstrable — without a reminder or a calendar due date, it begins later than many assume.

Payment details for the court fee advance

The Mahnbescheid is only issued once the fee has been received. With the online application, payment can be made directly afterwards; by post, the court waits for the payment to arrive, which costs several days.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Check whether the Mahnverfahren is the right route

    It is worthwhile if the debtor will not contest the claim and the address is correct. If a dispute is to be expected, a Widerspruch leads to ordinary court proceedings in any case — in that case, bringing legal action directly is faster. If limitation is imminent, the Mahnbescheid is nonetheless useful, because its service suspends the limitation period.

  2. 2

    File the application with the central Mahngericht

    The competent body is not your local Amtsgericht, but the central Mahngericht of the federal state in which you have your place of residence. The application runs through the joint online portal of the state justice administrations; the paper form is still possible, but slower and more prone to errors.

  3. 3

    Pay the fee

    The fee is 0.5 according to the GKG table, with a minimum of €38.00. At a value in dispute of €2,000 it is €51.50, at €5,000 it is €85.25, and at €10,000 it is €141.50. The Mahnbescheid is only issued once payment has been received.

  4. 4

    Wait for the debtor's response

    After service, the debtor has two weeks to lodge a Widerspruch — using a form and without giving reasons. If they lodge a Widerspruch, the Mahnverfahren ends and the matter proceeds, on application, to ordinary contentious proceedings. If they neither pay nor object, you apply for the enforcement order.

  5. 5

    Apply for the enforcement order — without a further court fee

    The application must be filed at the earliest after the period for lodging a Widerspruch has expired and within six months. No separate court fee is charged for the enforcement order; it is covered by the fee for the Mahnverfahren. The debtor can lodge an objection (Einspruch) against it within two weeks; after that, it is an enforceable title that remains effective for 30 years.

Fee information

Costs and payment

0.5 under the GKG tableAt least €38.00 — as of the KostBRÄG 2025
Value in dispute (Streitwert) up to €1,000€38.00 (minimum fee)
Value in dispute up to €2,000€51.50
Value in dispute up to €3,000€62.75
Value in dispute up to €5,000€85.25
Value in dispute up to €10,000€141.50
Enforcement orderNo separate fee

For small claims, the minimum fee applies: 0.5 of a value in dispute of up to €1,000 would be €30.50, but €38.00 is charged. The fee is credited against a later legal action if the procedure becomes contentious — the Mahnbescheid is therefore not a wasted effort.

Good to know

Important notes

One fee for the whole procedure. GKG KV 1100 covers both the Mahnbescheid and the enforcement order; no additional court fee is charged for the enforcement order.

The court does not examine the claim. It only checks whether the application is coherent. This is why a Mahnbescheid is no proof that the claim exists — and this is why a cross on the form is enough for a Widerspruch.

Service suspends the limitation period. For a claim that is at risk of becoming time-barred at the end of the year, the Mahnbescheid is the fastest means — provided the address is correct and service succeeds.

The competent body is the central Mahngericht of your federal state, not the Amtsgericht around the corner. An application to the wrong court is referred on, but costs time.

The enforcement order remains effective for 30 years. It can be enforced for decades — this is why, for doubtful claims, a Widerspruch within the two weeks is so important.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Budgeting a flat fee for the enforcement order. There is none: the fee for the Mahnverfahren also covers it.

Calculating with outdated fee tables. Since the KostBRÄG 2025, at a value in dispute of €5,000 it is €85.25 instead of the €73 often cited.

Filing the application with the local Amtsgericht. The competent body is the central Mahngericht of the federal state; referral costs days.

Initiating a Mahnverfahren with an unknown address. Without service, no Mahnbescheid — the fee is nonetheless used up.

Doing nothing after the Widerspruch. The procedure does not continue automatically; the contentious proceedings must be applied for and the further cost advance paid.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How much does a Mahnbescheid cost?

Under GKG KV 1100, a 0.5 fee according to the table in § 34 GKG, with a minimum of €38.00. At a value in dispute of €2,000 that is €51.50, at €5,000 €85.25, and at €10,000 €141.50. These amounts apply after the increase by the KostBRÄG 2025 on 1 June 2025; older figures are lower.

Does the enforcement order cost extra?

No. The fee under KV 1100 covers the entire Mahnverfahren, including the enforcement order. No separate court fee is charged for it. Additional costs can only arise elsewhere, for example for service by the Gerichtsvollzieher (court bailiff).

Do I need a lawyer?

No. The Mahnverfahren is possible without a lawyer, regardless of the amount of the claim. Mandatory representation by a lawyer applies under § 78 Abs. 1 ZPO only before the Landgericht (regional court) — and the matter only reaches there if, after a Widerspruch, the contentious proceedings are under way and the value in dispute exceeds €10,000.

The debtor has lodged a Widerspruch — what now?

The Mahnverfahren ends, and the matter proceeds, on application, to the contentious proceedings. This does not happen automatically: you must apply for the proceedings to continue and pay the further court fee advance. The Mahnverfahren fee already paid is credited in this process.

Does the Mahnbescheid suspend the limitation period?

Yes, upon service on the debtor. This makes it the fastest means if a claim is at risk of becoming time-barred at the end of the year. The requirement is that service succeeds — if the address is unknown or incorrect, the suspension does not take effect.

For how long can enforcement be carried out on the basis of an enforcement order?

Claims established by an enforceable title become time-barred after 30 years. Enforcement can therefore be carried out for decades on the basis of a final enforcement order. This is precisely why the two-week objection period is so significant: anyone who leaves an unjustified claim unchallenged may find themselves subject to enforcement decades later.

Related official procedures

Compulsory enforcement
Gerichtsvollzieher (court bailiff) or enforcement court
Under the GvKostG
Preliminary injunction
Amtsgericht (local court) up to a value in dispute of €10,000
Interim relief proceedings
Prozesskostenhilfe (legal aid)
Three requirements, not one
Depends on income

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