Start with the company’s registered name, legal form and registered office. If you have its register court and number, check those as well before choosing a document. A website or brand can help you start, but it may belong to a different legal entity.
Prepare the identifying details
Take the details from an existing contract, invoice or legal notice. Separate the contracting entity from its trading brands and group name. Several companies in one group may have similar names while remaining separate legal entities.
- Full registered name and legal form, such as GmbH or GmbH & Co. KG.
- Registered office and any former location mentioned in older documents.
- Register court, register type and number, if available.
Search, then narrow the results
Use the joint register portal of the German federal states to search for registered companies. Begin with your most reliable information. Compare legal forms, locations and register identifiers before adding more filters. An old location can otherwise exclude the company you need.
Investigate missing results systematically
No result means that the particular search did not identify a matching record. Check spelling, name changes and outdated locations. A transfer to another register court may explain differences between old correspondence and current records. Where relevant, include closed register sheets and look for references to the continuing sheet.
- Are you searching for a brand rather than a registered name?
- Have you confused a GmbH with a GmbH & Co. KG?
- Could the details refer to a former name or a branch?
Consider whether another register applies
Not every German business has a commercial register entry. Freelancers and small businesses without registration may not appear there. Depending on the organisation, the civil partnership, partnership, association or cooperative register may be relevant instead. A missing commercial register result alone does not establish fraud.
Confirm identity before retrieving documents
Record the name, registered office and complete register identifier of the matching company. Compare them with your original paperwork and ask the other party to explain unresolved discrepancies. Once identity is clear, choose the current position, earlier entries or a separately filed document according to your purpose.