Fundbüro Germany 2026 – lost property: report & find items

CostsFree of chargeReporting is free of charge

Retention6 monthsFrom the date of the report (§ 973 BGB)

MethodOnline + in personSearch & hand-in

Finder’s reward5 %Up to €500, then 3%

Required documents

What you need to bring

Valid identity card or passport

You need a valid identity document both when handing in a found item and when collecting an item that has been recovered. The lost property office records your personal details as the finder, because otherwise it could not notify you about the finder’s reward or about the transfer of ownership after six months (§ 973 BGB). If you do not have a German identity card (Personalausweis), you can identify yourself with a passport, eID card or residence title; foreign documents are accepted as long as they are valid and bear a photograph.

Exact description of the item

Describe the lost or found item in as much detail as possible: brand, model, colour, size, material, signs of wear, stickers, engravings and – for bags or wallets – the contents. Also note the place and time as precisely as possible, i.e. the street, stop, line or time of day. Only with this information can the staff match your report of the loss with an incoming find; experience shows that generic descriptions such as “black jacket” almost never lead to a match.

Proof of ownership (when collecting)

To get an item back, you must credibly show that you are entitled to receive it. Suitable evidence includes a receipt, invoice, guarantee card, photos, the serial number or IMEI of a smartphone, the frame number of a bicycle, the device’s unlock code or a list of the contents of the wallet. Digital receipts on your mobile phone are usually sufficient; without plausible proof, the lost property office may refuse to hand the item over, because otherwise it would be liable to the true owner.

Find number or confirmation of receipt

After every report of a loss or a find, you receive a file reference or a find number, usually by email for online reports. Bring this number to your appointment, because it allows the staff to find your case immediately instead of having to search the entire stock. For finders, the confirmation is also proof that they have fulfilled the reporting obligation under § 965 BGB – a requirement for the finder’s reward and for later acquiring ownership.

Power of attorney (for representation)

If you cannot attend yourself, another person can collect the item with an informal power of attorney in writing, bearing the date and a signature, a copy of the owner’s identity document and their own identity document. For children and young people, the persons with parental responsibility do this; for companies, a letter on company letterhead is usually sufficient. This is particularly practical if the competent lost property office is in another city – many offices send found items only in exceptional cases and if you cover the costs.

Means of payment for the fee and the finder’s reward

If the local authority charges an administrative or storage fee on collection, it must usually be paid immediately on the spot. Many lost property offices accept only cash or EC card, and credit cards only rarely – ask by phone before your appointment. If a finder has handed in the item and claimed a finder’s reward, this is either settled directly when the item is handed over or your contact details are passed on to the finder with your approval.

Step by step

How to proceed

1
Identify the competent lost property office
First clarify where the item was lost, because jurisdiction depends on this. For streets, parks, public offices and municipal buildings, the city’s lost property office is competent; in smaller municipalities, the municipal administration or the Ordnungsamt takes on this task. For trains and stations, it is the Deutsche Bahn lost property service; for buses, trams, underground (U-Bahn) and suburban trains (S-Bahn), the relevant transport company; for airports, the airport operator’s lost property office. In shops, museums or restaurants, the operator itself initially keeps the item and only hands it in to the lost property office later – so always ask directly on site as well.
2
Report the loss or find without undue delay
Report the incident using your local authority’s online form, by phone or in person at the counter. As a finder, you are obliged under § 965 BGB to report the find without undue delay if the owner is not known – the only exception to this obligation is items with a value of no more than ten euros. State the place and time of the find and give an exact description, and leave a telephone number or email address at which you can be reached permanently. The report itself takes a few minutes online and usually less than a quarter of an hour at the counter, and is free of charge in both cases.
3
Hand in or keep the found item
As a finder, you are entitled under § 967 BGB to hand the item over – and obliged to do so if the authority orders it; until then, you must keep it carefully under § 966 BGB. If the item is lost or damaged in the meantime, you are liable only for intent and gross negligence (§ 968 BGB). If the item was found on the premises or in the vehicles of an authority or a transport company, it must be handed in there immediately under § 978 BGB – keeping it yourself is then not permitted. The authority may dispose of perishable items early or house animals elsewhere.
4
Search for found items
Check your local authority’s online lost property database, if there is one; you can usually filter by category, period and place of the find. Items that have been handed in do not appear there immediately, because they are first recorded, described and valued – it therefore makes sense to search repeatedly over several weeks. If your municipality does not offer an online service, ask by phone or go in person; the staff will then compare your report of loss (Verlustanzeige) with the stock. At the same time, remember Deutsche Bahn, local public transport and the airport, whose stocks are kept separately.
5
Collect your item
If your item has been found, collect it with your identity card, proof of ownership and the find number. In smaller towns, the regular opening hours are sufficient; larger lost property offices increasingly allocate fixed appointments – check this in advance. Depending on the local authority, an administrative or storage fee is charged, which you pay on the spot; you confirm receipt of the item in writing. If a private finder handed in the item, you must also pay them the statutory finder’s reward under § 971 BGB, before or after you receive the item.
6
Note the deadlines and what happens to unclaimed items
The lost property office keeps found items for at least six months from the report. If the person who lost the item does not collect it within this time, the finder automatically acquires ownership (§ 973 BGB) – no official notice (Bescheid) and no application is needed for this. If the finder waives their right or the item was found in a public authority or a means of transport, it passes to the local authority or the transport company (§§ 976, 978 BGB) and is auctioned after a public call to collect it (§§ 979, 980 BGB). The auction proceeds take the place of the item and can still be claimed for three years (§ 981 BGB); after ownership has passed, there is also a claim for unjust enrichment against the finder for up to three years (§ 977 BGB).

Fee information

Costs, finder’s reward and payment

Fees & finder’s reward

Reporting a lossFree of charge

Handing in a found itemFree of charge

Administrative/storage feedepends on the local authority

Finder’s reward up to €5005% of the value

Finder’s reward above €5003% of the excess value

Finder’s reward for animals3% of the value

Find in a public authority/means of transporthalf rate from €50 (§ 978 BGB)

Means of paymentcash / EC card (depending on the office)

Reporting a loss and handing in a found item are free of charge throughout Germany. Any administrative or storage fee on collection is set by each local authority in its own fee by-law (Gebührensatzung) – there is no uniform national amount, so the amount depends on the competent authority and should be checked before your appointment in the local fee schedule or by phone. The fee is often graded according to the storage period or the value of the item, and it is more likely to be charged for bulky items such as bicycles than for a wallet.

Under § 971 BGB, the finder’s reward is five per cent of the value of the item up to €500 and three per cent of the amount above that, and a flat three per cent for animals; § 971 BGB does not set a lower value limit – the ten-euro limit applies only to the reporting obligation (§ 965 Abs. 2 Satz 2 BGB) and to the start of the period (§ 973 Abs. 2 BGB); if the item has only a personal value, the finder’s reward is to be determined at equitable discretion under § 971 Abs. 1 Satz 2 BGB. For finds handed in at a public authority or in a means of transport, only half the rate applies under § 978 BGB, and only from a value of €50. Irrespective of this, the finder can demand reimbursement of necessary expenses under § 970 BGB, such as postage, travel costs or the cost of feeding a found animal. If an item that has not been collected is auctioned, the proceeds take its place and can still be claimed for three years (§ 981 BGB).

Good to know

Important notes

Many local authorities run an online search for found items. Check it regularly over several weeks, as items that have been handed in are only recorded gradually.

Items lost on a train or at a station are handled by the Deutsche Bahn lost property service: found items are first kept at the station for seven days and then at the central depot in Wuppertal; depending on the value category, a processing charge is payable.

For items with a value of no more than ten euros, the reporting obligation does not apply under § 965 Abs. 2 Satz 2 BGB, and under § 973 Abs. 2 Satz 1 BGB the six-month period for acquiring ownership begins as soon as the item is found. This limit has no effect on the finder’s reward, however: § 971 BGB has no lower value limit.

If found items have not been collected on expiry of the deadline, the local authority publicly announces the auction under § 980 BGB – the auction itself is governed by § 979 BGB – and so gives those entitled a last opportunity to assert their claims.

You should hand in found identity documents, bank cards or keys immediately – they are of great value to the person who lost them, but usually bring the finder only a small finder’s reward, because the reward is based on the value of the item. It is not excluded, however: if the item has only a personal value, the finder’s reward is to be determined at equitable discretion under § 971 Abs. 1 Satz 2 BGB.

If you have lost a wallet, block your bank and credit cards immediately via the central blocking emergency number 116 116 and only then report the loss to the lost property office. Under § 27 Abs. 1 of the Act on Identity Cards and Electronic Identification (Personalausweisgesetz, PAuswG), you must report the loss of your identity card to the identity card authority without undue delay – you can find details under Report a lost identity card.

For foreign nationals: the loss of a passport must also be reported to the embassy or consulate of the home country, and the loss of a residence title or a Duldung (temporary suspension of deportation) to the competent Ausländerbehörde (foreigners authority), which issues a replacement document. A Verlustanzeige filed with the police is often the basis for issuing a new document and should therefore be confirmed in writing.

Pets that have run away are legally treated as found items. The municipality is the competent body for housing them and usually works with a local animal shelter for this – so report an animal that has strayed to you to the lost property office and the animal shelter, and, as the animal’s keeper, search in both places.

Treasure trove – an item that has been hidden for so long that its owner can no longer be identified – is not governed by the law on lost property but by § 984 BGB: ownership passes in equal halves to the discoverer and to the owner of the thing in which the treasure was hidden. For archaeological finds, the monument protection acts of each federal state (Bundesland) often take precedence; in that case, contact the Denkmalschutzbehörde (monument protection authority).

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Searching only at the city lost property office. Finds from trains and stations are managed by the DB lost property service, those on local public transport by the transport operators, and those at the airport by the airport lost property office – search everywhere.

Waiting too long. After the expiry of the six-month retention period, ownership automatically passes to the finder or the item is auctioned (§§ 973, 979, 980 BGB). You will not be notified of this; after that, all that remains is the claim for unjust enrichment against the finder (§ 977 BGB) or the proceeds (§ 981 BGB) – both for a maximum of three years.

No proof of ownership with you. Without a receipt, photo or serial number, the lost property office can refuse to hand over the item. Gather everything that proves your ownership in advance.

Concealing or keeping a find. Anyone who does not report a find that must be reported, or conceals it when asked, loses the finder’s reward under § 971 Abs. 2 BGB and the acquisition of ownership under § 973 Abs. 2 BGB. In addition, there is a risk of criminal proceedings for misappropriation (Unterschlagung) under § 246 of the German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch, StGB), which is punishable by a criminal fine (Geldstrafe) or imprisonment of up to three years.

Cards and identity documents not blocked and not reported. Anyone who, after losing their wallet, informs only the lost property office but does not block their bank card via 116 116 can, under certain circumstances, be liable for debits made until the card is blocked. Failing to file a Verlustanzeige for your identity card with the identity card authority (§ 27 Abs. 1 PAuswG) can also be punished with a regulatory fine as a regulatory offence (Ordnungswidrigkeit).

Leaving incomplete or outdated contact details. Without a telephone number or email address at which you can be reached, the lost property office cannot inform you when your item arrives – the item is left unclaimed and is disposed of after six months. So also report a move or a new number while your Verlustanzeige is still open.

Keeping an item found in a means of transport at home. Anyone who takes an item found on a bus or train or in a public authority and keeps it themselves breaches the obligation to hand it in under § 978 BGB. This costs the finder’s reward – which is only half anyway – and can also be treated as misappropriation.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How much does the lost property office charge?

Reporting a loss or a found item to the lost property office is generally free of charge. However, an administrative or storage fee can be charged on collection; each local authority sets the amount itself in its fee by-law. It is usually in the range of a single-digit to a low double-digit euro amount.

How long are found items kept?

Under § 973 BGB, the lost property office keeps found items for at least six months from the date the find is reported. If the item is not collected by the person who lost it within this time, the finder acquires ownership. If the finder does not exercise their right or the item was found in a public authority or a means of transport, it passes to the local authority and is usually sold at public auction (§§ 979, 980 BGB).

Is there an online search for lost property?

Yes, many cities and municipalities offer an online search for found items, in which reported finds are listed with a description and the place where they were found. As new finds are added continuously, you should check the database regularly over several weeks. You can find out whether your local authority offers an online service on the relevant city or administrative portal.

How much is the finder’s reward (Finderlohn)?

Under § 971 BGB, the finder’s reward is five per cent of the value up to €500 and three per cent of the excess value above that; for animals it is three per cent. § 971 BGB has no lower value limit; the ten-euro limit applies only to the reporting obligation (§ 965 Abs. 2 Satz 2 BGB) and to the start of the period (§ 973 Abs. 2 BGB). Under § 971 Abs. 2 BGB, the entitlement is lost only if the finder breaches the reporting obligation or conceals the find. For found items handed in at a public authority or in a means of transport, only half the rate applies under § 978 BGB, and only from a value of €50.

Do I have to report every find to the lost property office?

Anyone who finds a lost item and takes possession of it is obliged under § 965 BGB to report the find without undue delay if the owner is not known. The only exception to this reporting obligation is items with a value of no more than ten euros. Anyone who conceals a find that must be reported loses their entitlement to the finder’s reward and to ownership.

I lost something on a train – is the city’s lost property office the competent office?

No. Items lost on trains or at stations end up with the Deutsche Bahn lost property service, not with the city lost property office. Losses on local public transport (buses, U-Bahn and S-Bahn) are handled by the relevant transport operators, and at the airport by the lost property office there. These lost property offices often charge their own processing fees.

What happens to cash that has been found?

Cash is a found item like any other: if it is worth more than ten euros, the find must be reported and the money usually handed in. If the person who lost it does not come forward within six months of the report, the finder acquires the money under § 973 BGB; for finds in public authorities or means of transport, however, it passes to the local authority or the transport company (§ 978 BGB). If the person who lost the money collects it, the finder is entitled to a finder’s reward of five per cent up to €500 and three per cent of the amount above that.

I have found an identity card or a key – what do I have to do?

Hand in identity documents, bank cards and keys to the lost property office or the police immediately, because the person who lost them faces considerable damage and a risk of misuse. You will practically never receive a finder’s reward for this, because it is based on the value of the item, and for documents and keys this is below the statutory value limits. The person who lost the identity card must report its loss to the identity card authority without undue delay under § 27 Abs. 1 PAuswG.

Lost property office (Fundbüro): report a found or lost item

What you need to bring

How to proceed

Identify the competent lost property office

Report the loss or find without undue delay

Hand in or keep the found item

Search for found items

Collect your item

Note the deadlines and what happens to unclaimed items

Costs, finder’s reward and payment

Fees & finder’s reward

Important notes

Common mistakes

Questions and answers

Cannot find the official procedure you are looking for?

Lost property office (Fundbüro): report a found or lost item

What you need to bring

How to proceed

Identify the competent lost property office

Report the loss or find without undue delay

Hand in or keep the found item

Search for found items

Collect your item

Note the deadlines and what happens to unclaimed items

Costs, finder’s reward and payment

Fees & finder’s reward

Important notes

Common mistakes

Questions and answers

Related official procedures

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