Dienstleistungen
Business re-registration
If you wish to relocate the registered office of your company within the jurisdiction of the municipality that was previously responsible, you must re-register your business. The same applies if you change the registered office of a branch or dependent branch office.
If you change your business activity, you must also re-register your business. This is the case, for example, if you offer goods or services in your business exclusively or additionally in future that are not customary in relation to your registered trade (e.g. new range of goods that is not customary for the registered trade; change of sector, expansion from retail to wholesale).
In addition, you must re-register your business if your name as a trader or the name of the legal entity as a trader changes.
In the event of a change in the object of the trade, a change of registration is required not only for the standing trade, but also for the travelling trade.
The following persons or their authorised representatives must carry out the re-registration:
- in the case of sole traders, by the trader himself,
- by the legal representatives in the case of legal entities (e.g. GmbH, AG)
In the case of partnerships (e.g. OHG, KG, GbR/BGB-Gesellschaft, GmbH & Co. KG), trade 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 business at the previous location and then re-register it at the new location. This is not a re-registration.
Responsible department
the municipal/city administration of the business premises
Details
Prerequisite
- You relocate the registered office, a branch office or a dependent branch office 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.
Procedure
You can re-register your business in person, online, by post or fax.
- If the re-registration is done in person or in writing, you must complete and personally sign the form "Gewerbe-Ummeldung" (GewA 2).
- The "GewA 2" form is available at the office responsible for the re-registration or, depending on the service, can also be downloaded.
- The competent office will certify receipt of your business re-registration if the re-registration form has been completed in full.
- The responsible office forwards the business re-registration to other offices, such as the tax office, the employers' liability insurance association, the Chamber of Crafts or the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and, if applicable, the registry court.
- The procedure can be handled by a single point of contact.
Deadlines
You are obliged to re-register your business at the time of relocation or change. If you change or expand the object of your business or the name of the trader changes, you must also re-register at this time.
Required documents
- Proof of identity (e.g. identity card, passport with registration certificate). In the case of electronic business re-registration, the competent authority may use other suitable and appropriate procedures to establish identity (e.g. 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 entered in the commercial register (also: register of co-operatives, register of associations, register of foundations)
Costs
The amount charged is based on the local regulations governing the fees.
Processing time
If you have filled out the form correctly and your documents are complete, the responsible office will immediately certify receipt of your re-registration if you attend in person. If you re-register in writing or electronically, you will receive the confirmation of receipt of your re-registration within 3 days.
Miscellaneous
If you expand your business to include an activity that requires a licence and the authorities do not have a corresponding licence, the competent authority may prevent you from continuing your business.
Legal basis
Gewerbeordnung (GewO):
- § 11 Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten
- § 14 Anzeigepflicht
- § 15 Empfangsbescheinigung
- § 55c Anzeigepflicht bei Reisegewerbe
- § 6b Absatz 1 GewO und § 71a ff. LVwVfG in Verbindung mit §§ 1 ff. des Gesetzes über einheitliche Ansprechpartner für das Land Baden-Württemberg (EAG BW) (Verfahren über eine einheitliche Stelle, einheitliche Ansprechpartner)
Verordnung zur Ausgestaltung des Gewerbeanzeigeverfahrens (GewAnzV)
Landesverwaltungsverfahrengesetz (LVwVfG):
- § 3a elektronische Kommunikation
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Wirtschaftsministerium Baden-Württemberg, 06.03.2025
