Re-register business

If you wish to relocate the registered office of your business within the area of responsibility of the municipality that was already responsible, you must re-register your business. The same applies if you change the location of your registered office or the registered office of a branch or dependent branch.

If you change the object of your trade, you must also re-register your trade. This is the case, for example, if you offer goods or services in your business exclusively or additionally in the future that are not customary in relation to your registered trade. An example would be the expansion of a stationery shop to include travel agency services. The same applies if you continue to sell the same goods but change the scope of your business from retail to wholesale.

If you change the subject matter of your business, you need to re-register not only your standing business but also your travel business.

You must also re-register your trade if the name of the trader changes.

The following persons or their authorised representatives must reregister:

in the case of sole traders, by the trader himself/herself,
in the case of legal entities (e.g. GmbH, AG), by the legal representatives

In the case of partnerships (e.g. OHG, KG, GbR/BGB-Gesellschaft, GmbH & Co. KG), business re-registrations must be made by all partners authorised to manage the business.

If you move your place of business to the jurisdiction of another municipality, you must first deregister the trade at the previous location and then re-register it at the new location. This is not a case of re-registration.

Activities that pose a potential risk to third parties and are therefore subject to special monitoring trigger a review of personal reliability by the competent regulatory authority. Accordingly, if you expand your business to include such "supervisable" activities, you must apply for the documents required to verify your reliability.

Related forms and processes

Prerequisite

You move the registered office, a branch or a dependent branch within the jurisdiction of a municipality, or
You change or expand the goods and services offered so that the character of your business changes, or
the name of the trader changes.

Responsible department

the municipality/town council of the place of business

Procedure

You can re-register your trade in person, in writing (for example by fax or letter) or by electronic means.

If you deregister in person or in writing, you must fill in the form "Gewerbe-Ummeldung" - GewA 2 and sign it personally.
The form "GewA 2" is available at the office responsible for the re-registration or, depending on the offer, can also be downloaded. The same data is collected in the electronic procedure as in the personal re-registration. However, the form may not be the same and you do not have to sign it personally.
The competent office may use suitable and appropriate procedures to establish your identity (e.g. PIN/TAN procedure, the electronic ID function, De-Mail or a self-declaration of identity) in the case of electronic re-registration in the online procedure.
You will receive a certificate from the authority for the receipt of your trade re-registration.
The competent authority forwards the trade re-registration to other authorities, such as the tax office, the employers' liability insurance association, the chamber of trade or the chamber of industry and commerce and, if applicable, the registration court.
After receipt of your complete documents, your application will be processed

Deadlines

You are obliged to re-register your trade at the time you move or change your business. If you change or expand the subject matter of the trade or if the name of the trader changes, you must also re-register at that time.

Required documents

Copy of identity card or passport with certificate of registration, or presentation on site. In the case of electronic business re-registration, depending on the municipality, further suitable and appropriate procedures for establishing identity (for example PIN/TAN procedure, the electronic ID function, De-Mail or a self-declaration of identity).
Copy of the extract from the commercial register, if your company is registered in the commercial register (also: register of cooperatives, register of associations)

Costs

The amount of the fees is determined by the municipal fee statutes.

Processing time

If you have filled out the form correctly and your documents are complete, the competent office will certify receipt of your re-registration immediately if you come in person. If you re-register in writing or electronically, you will receive the receipt of your re-registration within 3 days.

Miscellaneous

If you expand your trade to include an activity that requires a permit and a corresponding permit is not on file with the authority, the competent body can prevent you from continuing your business.

Appeal

Release note

26.09.2023 Wirtschaftsministerium Baden-Württemberg