Dienstleistungen
Catering trade - apply for a permit for up to four days
If you wish to temporarily exercise a catering trade requiring a licence for a special reason, the competent authority may allow you to do so, namely
- under simplified conditions,
- on revocation.
Please note: You do not require either a catering permit or a catering licence for the mere serving of
- non-alcoholic drinks,
- free samples,
- food that has already been prepared or
- in connection with an accommodation establishment for the supply of drinks and prepared food to house guests.
Responsible department
the municipal or city administration of the place where you wish to carry out the temporary activity
Details
Prerequisite
They only provide visitors with food and drink on the occasion of a special event (an otherwise independent event).
Special events can be, for example
- Street parties
- Wedding celebrations
- School parties
- Anniversary celebrations
- Shooting festivals
- Sporting events
- Public festivals
- Club events
- Markets and similar events.
As the organiser, you must comply with the relevant legal provisions when holding the event.
Ask the relevant authority about the exact requirements. The following regulations, for example, are relevant:
- Protection of minors
- Youth labour protection
- Protection against infection
- Fire protection
- food and hygiene regulations
- Price list
You must appoint a person responsible for the event. This person must be available for the entire duration of the event.
Tip: As the organiser, you are liable for any damage. You should therefore ensure that you have adequate liability insurance cover.
Procedure
You must always apply for a catering permit in writing, i.e. signed by hand, to the competent authority. Alternatively, you can also submit the application electronically. However, a simple e-mail is not sufficient; your electronic application must fulfil one of the following requirements:
- The application must have a qualified electronic signature.
- You submit your declaration in an electronic form that is provided by the competent authority in an input device on site or via the Internet. If you submit your declaration via the Internet, you must prove your identity using the electronic ID function of your identity card or residence permit.
- You submit your declaration from a special electronic lawyer's mailbox or a comparable professional electronic mailbox.
- You submit your declaration from a special electronic mailbox for citizens and organisations.
- You send a sender-confirmed De-Mail to the responsible office. Sender-confirmed means that your De-Mail provider confirms in the De-Mail with a qualified electronic signature that
- it has received exactly this message content from you and
- You have logged into your De-Mail account to send this De-Mail using the electronic ID function of your ID card or another secure method instead of your user name and password.
You must provide the required information and submit any documents that may be relevant to the assessment of your application.
Please note: The organiser himself must submit the application. If the organiser is a legal entity or an association without legal capacity, a legal representative must submit the application.
The competent authority can impose conditions on the catering licence at any time, i.e. also retrospectively.
Deadlines
You must submit the application for authorisation at least two weeks before the start of the above-mentioned activity requiring authorisation.
Exception: The activity takes place for a short-term reason that precludes a timely application.
Required documents
- Completed application form
- Copy of identity card or comparable identification document; in the case of electronic applications, the proof of identification required for the respective communication channel, e.g. electronic signature, secure proof of identity.
- The competent authority may request further documents or information, for example
- submission of a rental agreement for the venue of the event
- details of how unreasonable noise nuisance is to be avoided.
Costs
The amount of the fees depends on the relevant municipal fee regulations.
Note: Many municipalities do not charge fees for events that serve non-profit or charitable purposes.
Processing time
The competent body must decide on your application within a period of three months. This period begins with the receipt of the complete documents. Once this period has expired, the authorisation applied for is deemed to have been granted if your application is sufficiently specific.
Note: The authority may, however, extend the deadline once if this is justified by the complexity of the matter. The authority must justify such an extension and notify you in good time.
Miscellaneous
Do you need a catering permit for more than four days? You will find the relevant information in the procedure description"Catering trade - applying for a permit for more than 4 days".
Legal basis
Landesgaststättengesetz (LGastG):
- § 1 Geltung des Gaststättengesetzes in Verbindung mit
Gaststättengesetz (GastG):
- § 12 Gestattung
Gaststättenverordnung (GastVO):
- §§ 1 und § 3 Zuständigkeit und Verfahren
Landesverwaltungsverfahrensgesetz (LVwVfG):
- § 3a Elektronische Kommunikation
- § 42a Genehmigungsfiktion in Verbindung mit
Gewerbeordnung (GewO):
- § 6a Absatz 2 Entscheidungsfrist, Genehmigungsfiktion
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Wirtschaftsministerium und Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg, 19.03.2025
