Family Record Book 2026 — Price €20

Costs€20–50 (purchase price)No administrative fee — documents cost an extra €10–15

Processing timeImmediately upon purchaseNo application, no official notice — documents issued immediately to within a few days, depending on the Standesamt

MethodFreely available for purchaseStandesamt (where offered), bookshops, publishers, online retailers

Clarification

Stammbuch, Familienbuch, or Certificate?

Three terms that are constantly confused with one another — and only one of them denotes a document that is still officially issued today.

The difference at a glance

Document	Nature	Evidential value	Status 2026
Stammbuch (family record book)	Private folder, bought in shops	None — only the documents placed inside it have evidential value	Freely available, entirely voluntary
Familienbuch	Official civil status register of the Standesamt	Has evidential value as a civil status register	Abolished on 1 January 2009; continued as the marriage entry in the register of marriages
Civil status document (Personenstandsurkunde)	Official document from the register (§ 55 PStG)	Full evidential value under § 54 (2) PStG	Still issued; €10–15 for the first copy

Until the end of 2008, the Standesamt opened a Familienbuch (family register) on marriage — an official civil status register in which the marriage and the couple's children were recorded. With the reform of civil status law, it was abolished on 1 January 2009: new Familienbücher are no longer opened, and existing ones have since been continued as marriage entries in the register of marriages. Anyone who needs proof of their marriage today therefore applies for a marriage certificate from the register of marriages; for children, the birth certificate from the register of births takes its place.

The family record book was not affected by this reform, because it was never official. It is a folder with insert pockets that families buy to collect their documents in one place. Even though it is often presented ceremonially at a wedding, that does not change its private character: the Standesamt merely inserts the marriage certificate it issues in any event. That is why you will not find a single provision about the Stammbuch in the Civil Status Act – § 55 PStG exhaustively lists the official documents, and the Stammbuch is not among them.

This has three practical consequences for you. First: never present the Stammbuch to an authority, a bank, or a court as evidence; always present the individual document instead — only it has, under § 54 (2) PStG, the same evidential value as the register entry. Second: you may keep an old Familienbuch, but for new evidence it is the continued entry in the register of marriages that is decisive. Third: no fee ordinance applies to the Stammbuch. You pay a market price and may compare suppliers – unlike with the official documents, whose fees are set by the law of the relevant federal state.

Contents and documents

What belongs in a family record book

To buy the folder, you need nothing more than money. What matters is which documents you put inside it — and where you obtain them.

The Stammbuch itself — DIN A4 format

You can obtain the folder from bookshops, specialist publishers, online retailers, and – where still offered – at the Standesamt. Make sure it is in DIN A4 format: the city of Dortmund expressly points out that all documents are now issued in this size, and that suitable Stammbücher are readily available in shops. You need neither an appointment nor any evidence to buy one; depending on the edition, you pay around €20 to €50.

Marriage certificate (§ 57 PStG)

The marriage certificate is the centrepiece of almost every Stammbuch. It comes from the register of marriages kept by the Standesamt that performed the marriage – only that Standesamt can issue it, even decades later. Many couples therefore bring their Stammbuch to the wedding appointment so that the certificate can be inserted straight away; the fee is €10 to €15, depending on the local authority. The Civil Status Act does not prescribe an expiry date for documents, but some bodies require a recently issued copy.

Birth certificates of the children (§ 59 PStG)

The competent office is always the Standesamt of the place of birth, not of the place of residence – for a hospital birth in a neighbouring town, therefore, that town's Standesamt. The birth certificate is issued after the birth has been recorded and likewise costs €10 to €15 for the first copy. Plan for several copies: it is routinely required for Kindergeld (child benefit), health insurance, and registration at a Kita (child daycare centre) or school.

Birth certificates of the spouses

Many families also file their own birth certificates, because this makes it possible to prove descent without a fresh enquiry to the Standesamt. The competent office in each case is the Standesamt of the person's own place of birth. Anyone born abroad files the foreign document – whether a translation or an apostille is needed for this is decided by whichever body later requires the document.

Evidence of the use of a name

If you have determined a common married name or fixed a child's birth name, the certificate regarding the name declaration (Namenserklärung) belongs in the Stammbuch. It proves who has borne which name since when, and avoids queries from authorities, banks and insurers. This is to be distinguished from a change of name under public law: that follows its own procedure and is certified separately.

Acknowledgement of paternity and declaration of parental custody

Unmarried parents file the certified copy of the acknowledgement of paternity and, where applicable, the declaration of parental custody. You obtain these papers from the body that recorded them. A Stammbuch is not a requirement for either of these procedures – it serves only for orderly storage.

Death certificates (§ 60 PStG)

In the event of a death, the Standesamt of the place of death issues the death certificate; in many families it is filed in the Stammbuch. For the estate, pension, insurance, and the bank, you will usually need several copies. Order them at the same time: in Berlin, each further copy ordered at the same time costs only half the fee, that is, €6 instead of €12.

Church and private papers

Baptismal certificates, church marriage certificates or godparent letters are often inserted as well, but they are not civil status documents within the meaning of § 55 PStG and therefore do not carry the evidential value of § 54 PStG. A certificate of leaving the church (Kirchenaustritt) is likewise not among them; which body issues it differs from federal state to federal state. As a personal keepsake, such documents are well placed in the Stammbuch – as evidence for the authorities, they are of no use.

Identity card or passport

You do not need an identity document to buy the folder, but you do need one to order the documents from the Standesamt. Under § 62 PStG, the persons entitled to apply are the person to whom the entry relates, together with their spouses, civil partners, ancestors and descendants; everyone else must credibly demonstrate a legal interest. Applicants must also be over 16 years of age.

Step by step

How to proceed

There is no application and no official notice. The process consists of a purchase and – separately from that – ordering the documents from the competent Standesamt.

1
Check whether you need a Stammbuch at all
Clarify the purpose first, before spending any money. The Stammbuch is voluntary and not regulated in the Civil Status Act; no official procedure, bank, or court requires it, because under § 54 (2) PStG only the individual civil status documents carry the evidential value of the register entry. Anyone who already keeps their documents in good order in a document folder loses nothing by not having a Stammbuch. Anyone who, on the other hand, wants a family document to pass on to the next generation makes a deliberate private decision in buying one – not an administrative act.
2
Clarify where to obtain it
Before your appointment, ask the Standesamt whether it sells Stammbücher at all. The common assumption that this is possible at every Standesamt is not correct: the city of Dortmund, for example, expressly refers people to bookshops and the internet, because the choice there is wider than the Standesamt can offer. Where folders are available, the range is usually limited to a few editions. In shops and online, by contrast, you can buy one at any time – even years after the wedding or the birth of a child.
3
Choose the edition and format
First, make sure it is in DIN A4 format, because civil status documents are now issued in this size; older or smaller folders no longer fit. Allow generously for the number of insert pockets, because adding more later is rarely possible. Simple editions cost around €20 to €30, high-quality bindings with embossing or leather-grain finish €30 to €50; bespoke editions cost more. Because no fee ordinance applies to the folder, you are free to compare suppliers.
4
Order the documents from the competent Standesamt
The marriage certificate is issued exclusively by the Standesamt that performed the marriage; the birth certificate exclusively by the Standesamt of the place of birth – for a hospital birth in a neighbouring town, that town's Standesamt, not the one at the place of residence. Under § 62 PStG, the persons entitled to apply are the person to whom the entry relates, together with their spouses, civil partners, ancestors and descendants; everyone else must credibly demonstrate a legal interest, and applicants must be at least 16 years old. Many Standesämter accept applications online, in writing, or in person. Have the names, date of birth, date of the event, and an identity document ready.
5
Pay the purchase price and the document fees
Keep the two amounts separate: the price of the folder is a purchase price with no official tariff, whereas the document fee is a genuine administrative fee set by the law of the relevant federal state (§ 72 PStG). For the first copy you pay €10 to €15, depending on the local authority – €10 in Cologne, €12 each in Berlin and Munich, €15 in Münster. Each further copy of the same entry ordered at the same time is reduced, to €6 in Berlin. Order all the copies you need in a single transaction, therefore, rather than reordering individually later.
6
Bring the Stammbuch to the wedding and fill it with your documents
If you have bought the folder beforehand, bring it to the wedding appointment – the Standesamt will then insert the marriage certificate straight away. There is no obligation to do this, and without a Stammbuch you receive exactly the same certificate. Later, add the children's birth certificates, the evidence of the name declaration and, for unmarried parents, the acknowledgement of paternity. Arrange the documents chronologically and note which Standesamt holds which entry – this saves you having to search for it if you reorder later.
7
Store the Stammbuch securely
Store the folder somewhere dry, protected from light, and inaccessible to third parties, because it contains original documents with sensitive personal data. Also keep copies or scans in a second location; they do not replace a document, but they make reordering easier. If the Stammbuch is lost, no legal loss arises: the registers remain with the Standesamt and are maintained for a long time under § 5 (5) PStG – the register of births for 110 years, the register of marriages for 80 years, the register of deaths for 30 years. Every document can therefore be reissued on payment of a further fee; in the end, it is only the folder itself that you need to replace.

Purchase price and fees

Costs and payment

For the Stammbuch you pay a purchase price, not an administrative fee. A fee is charged only for the documents you place inside it.

What you pay for

Stammbuch (folder)Around €20–50 purchase price depending on edition and material — no administrative fee, no official tariff; bespoke editions cost more

Civil status certificatesFirst copy €10–15 depending on local authority: Cologne €10, Berlin €12, Munich €12, Münster €15

Further copiesReduced when ordered at the same time for the same entry, usually around €5–9 — €6 in Berlin

Place of purchase and paymentBookshops, specialist publishers and online retailers; at the Standesamt only where folders are still offered there. You pay document fees at the competent Standesamt.

Means of paymentFor the folder, whatever is usual with the relevant retailer. For the documents, EC card, bank transfer or cash, depending on the Standesamt — cash payment is not possible everywhere.

ExemptionsConceivable only for the documents, and varies under the law of the federal state or local authority; there is no exemption for the folder, because it is not an official service.

Document fees compared

Local authority	First copy	Further copy (same order)	Nature
Cologne	€10.00	reduced	Administrative fee under state law
Berlin	€12.00	€6.00	Administrative fee under state law
Munich	€12.00	reduced	Administrative fee under state law
Münster	€15.00	reduced	Administrative fee under state law
Stammbuch (folder)	€20–50 purchase price		Private purchase, no fee

The most important point first: anyone who pays for a Stammbuch is buying a product. There is no fee tariff, no official notice, and no legal entitlement to it – and therefore no fixed nationwide price either. The usual range is around €20 to €50 and depends on the binding, material, and finish. Where a Standesamt stocks folders, it also sells them at the retail price; the range on offer there is usually smaller than in bookshops or online.

It is different with the official documents: their fees are set by the law of the relevant federal state (§ 72 PStG), which is why they vary from one local authority to another. In practice, they range between €10.00 (Cologne) and €15.00 (Münster) for the first copy; Berlin and Munich charge €12.00 each. If you apply for several copies of the same entry in one transaction, each further copy is reduced – to €6.00 in Berlin. Anyone who reorders individually later, by contrast, pays the full rate again.

Budget realistically, therefore: a folder at €20 to €50, plus a marriage certificate and, for each child, a birth certificate at €10 to €15. Whether a fee exemption applies for particular purposes – such as pension or social benefits – is regulated locally; ask the competent Standesamt. No such exemption exists for the folder.

Good to know

Important notes

Special cases, time limits, and the points where the common half-truths about the Stammbuch become expensive or annoying.

No obligation, no requirement. There is no official procedure in Germany for which a Stammbuch may be demanded. The folder is not required either for giving notice of a marriage, for the recording of a birth, for registering a child, or for an application for child benefit. Anyone who does not want one forgoes only a form of storage – not a right.

Only the documents have evidential value, not the folder. Under § 54 (2) PStG, civil status documents prove marriage, birth and death, together with the particulars recorded with them – this effect attaches to the individual document. The Stammbuch is a container and proves nothing in law. Always present authorities, banks, insurers and courts with the document itself, therefore, never with the book.

Not every Standesamt sells Stammbücher. A later purchase is possible at any time, but not necessarily at the office: the city of Dortmund, for example, expressly refers people to bookshops and the internet, because the range there is wider than the Standesamt can offer. Ask before your wedding appointment whether your Standesamt stocks folders at all. If not, buy one yourself and bring it with you.

Old folders often no longer fit. Civil status documents are now issued in DIN A4 format; older Stammbücher handed down in the family have smaller insert pockets. Anyone continuing to use such a folder has to fold the documents – damaged documents may well be queried.

Unmarried parents and civil partnerships. For them too, the Stammbuch is purely a private matter and not a requirement for any official procedure. Equivalent folders are available in shops, into which birth certificates, the acknowledgement of paternity, and declarations of parental custody can be inserted just as well. The same applies to registered civil partnerships (eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft), which it has no longer been possible to enter into since 1 October 2017: what matters is the register entry, not the folder.

Loss is not a loss of rights. All the documents filed in the Stammbuch come from registers that remain with the competent Standesamt and are maintained there under § 5 (5) PStG: the register of births for 110 years, the register of marriages for 80 years, the register of deaths for 30 years. If the folder burns or goes missing, you simply apply for the documents you need again and pay the standard fee. In the end, it is only the book itself that you need to replace.

An old Familienbuch inside the Stammbuch. Many older Stammbücher contain a Familienbuch from before 2009. You may of course keep it, but it is no longer suitable as current evidence: since 1 January 2009, existing Familienbücher have been continued as marriage entries in the register of marriages, and it is the entry there that is decisive. For evidence, apply for the marriage certificate.

Foreign connection. If the marriage or birth was recorded abroad, the foreign document belongs in the Stammbuch – a German Standesamt cannot issue it. Whether a certified translation, an apostille, or a legalisation is required is decided by whichever body later requires the document, not by the Stammbuch. Clarify this in good time, because such certifications can take weeks.

Beware of commercial document portals. Private intermediary services appear online whose presentation resembles that of an authority. However, you can only obtain civil status documents from the competent Standesamt – order from there or through its official service portal.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Every one of these mistakes really does cost money, time, or an appointment – the most common ones stem from the assumption that the Stammbuch is an official document.

Presenting the Stammbuch as evidence. Anyone who submits the folder instead of the document to a bank, insurer, probate court (Nachlassgericht), or Familienkasse will be turned away: under § 54 (2) PStG, only the civil status document has evidential value. The result is a wasted appointment, an incomplete file, and, in the worst case, a missed deadline – for instance with applications subject to a cut-off period. Always take the individual document with you, not the book.

Confusing the Stammbuch with the Familienbuch. Anyone who applies to the Standesamt for "the Familienbuch" is applying for a document that has not been newly opened since 1 January 2009. The application comes to nothing, and the matter is delayed by days to weeks. The correct application is for a marriage certificate from the register of marriages, in which existing Familienbücher have since been continued.

Assuming the Standesamt sells folders. Many couples turn up at their wedding without a Stammbuch, intending to "pick one up on the spot" – and then find an office that no longer stocks any. You still receive the marriage certificate, but the ceremonial handover does not take place, and you have to buy the folder and fill it with your documents yourself later. A quick phone call beforehand spares you the disappointment.

Ordering only a single copy. Anyone who applies for just the copy for the Stammbuch forgoes the reduction for second copies ordered at the same time – €6.00 instead of €12.00 in Berlin. Any later reorder costs the full fee of €10 to €15 again and takes days to weeks, depending on the Standesamt. Think in advance about how many copies you will need for child benefit, the health insurance fund, the Kita, or the estate.

Ordering through a commercial portal instead of the Standesamt. Private document services look official, but are not: they merely forward the application and charge a mark-up on the official fee. You therefore pay more than the local authority's €10 to €15 and additionally hand over sensitive personal data to a company. Apply directly to the Standesamt of the place of the event, or through its official service portal.

Handing over originals. Anyone who permanently submits or lends out the documents from the Stammbuch to a body is left without evidence the next time it is needed, and pays the full fee again for every reissue. Where possible, submit copies and present the original only for inspection. This does not cause a loss of rights – the registers remain with the Standesamt – but it does cause unnecessary extra effort.

Buying the wrong format or too few pockets. Documents are now issued in DIN A4; in a folder that is too small you have to fold them, which damages the documents and, in the worst case, results in a chargeable reissue. Too few insert pockets also come back to bite you once further children arrive. Check the format and capacity before buying, because most editions do not allow for adding more later.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Is a family record book compulsory?

No. The Stammbuch is entirely voluntary, is not regulated in the Civil Status Act, and is not required for a single official procedure. Anyone who does not want one can keep their documents equally well in their own folder or document box.

Is the Stammbuch an official document?

No. § 55 PStG exhaustively lists the documents a Standesamt issues – the Stammbuch is not among them; it is a private folder. Under § 54 (2) PStG, only the civil status documents filed inside it have evidential value, not the folder.

What does a family record book cost?

Standard editions cost around €20 to €50; this is a purchase price, not an administrative fee, which is why there is no fee ordinance for it either. The documents cost extra: €10 to €15 for the first copy, depending on the local authority – for example €10 in Cologne, €12 in Berlin and Munich, and €15 in Münster.

What is the difference between the Stammbuch and the Familienbuch?

The Familienbuch was an official civil status register and was abolished on 1 January 2009 as part of the reform of civil status law; existing Familienbücher have since been continued as marriage entries in the register of marriages. The Stammbuch, by contrast, was and is a private document held by the family, and is still sold in shops today.

Can I buy a Stammbuch after the event?

Yes, you can buy a Stammbuch at any time, even years after the wedding or the birth of a child. Do not rely, however, on your Standesamt having any in stock: the city of Dortmund, for example, no longer sells Stammbücher and refers people to bookshops and the internet.

What belongs in a family record book?

Common contents are the marriage certificate, the birth certificates of the children and of the spouses, and evidence of the use of a name. Death certificates of the parents, the acknowledgement of paternity, and church papers are often added as well – the latter, however, are not civil status documents within the meaning of § 55 PStG.

What happens if the Stammbuch is lost?

No loss of rights arises, because the civil status registers remain with the Standesamt and are maintained there for a long time: the register of births for 110 years, the register of marriages for 80 years, the register of deaths for 30 years (§ 5 (5) PStG). You can apply for any document again on payment of a further fee; in the end, it is only the folder that you need to replace.

Do unmarried parents or civil partners need a Stammbuch?

No, for them too the Stammbuch is purely a private matter and not a requirement for any official procedure. Equivalent folders are available in shops, into which birth certificates, the acknowledgement of paternity, and declarations of parental custody can be inserted just as well.

Family Record Book (Stammbuch) — Not an Official Document

Stammbuch, Familienbuch, or Certificate?

The difference at a glance

What belongs in a family record book

How to proceed

Check whether you need a Stammbuch at all

Clarify where to obtain it

Choose the edition and format

Order the documents from the competent Standesamt

Pay the purchase price and the document fees

Bring the Stammbuch to the wedding and fill it with your documents

Store the Stammbuch securely

Costs and payment

What you pay for

Document fees compared

Important notes

Common mistakes

Questions and answers

Cannot find the official procedure you are looking for?

Family Record Book (Stammbuch) — Not an Official Document

Stammbuch, Familienbuch, or Certificate?

The difference at a glance

What belongs in a family record book

How to proceed

Check whether you need a Stammbuch at all

Clarify where to obtain it

Choose the edition and format

Order the documents from the competent Standesamt

Pay the purchase price and the document fees

Bring the Stammbuch to the wedding and fill it with your documents

Store the Stammbuch securely

Costs and payment

What you pay for

Document fees compared

Important notes

Common mistakes

Questions and answers

Related official procedures

Cannot find the official procedure you are looking for?