Commercial register extracts for North Rhine-Westphalia – Register courts in North Rhine-Westphalia

Commercial register North Rhine-Westphalia: order a current commercial register extract from North Rhine-Westphalia directly from the competent register court online — from 14,00 € as a PDF, without registration. In North Rhine-Westphalia, 19 courts maintain the commercial register, with the largest register courts in Köln, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, Bochum, Bonn, Münster. Current extracts, chronological extracts, official certification and apostilles are available.

PDF extracts: usually within 1–15 minutes after acceptance of the complete order during our service hours (Monday–Friday 09:00–18:00, Saturday 09:00–15:00, German local time). Outside these hours, processing starts in the next service period. Without a valid request for early performance, processing starts no earlier than the end of the withdrawal period. We confirm the processing start when accepting your order. Official certification: usually 2–4 weeks; apostilles: usually 6 weeks, in each case after acceptance of the complete documents. Postal transit time is additional. Legalisation: processing time on request. Availability and processing by public authorities may delay delivery; these are estimates, not guaranteed deadlines.

The economy of North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany’s most populous state, home to Thyssenkrupp, Bayer, RWE, E.ON and many DAX-listed companies. Companies registered in North Rhine-Westphalia range from owner-managed family businesses and medium-sized corporations to international groups headquartered in the state. The daily entries in the commercial registers of the competent local courts reflect this diversity.

Which documents are available for North Rhine-Westphalia?

• Current commercial register extract – your company’s current registration details at the competent register court in North Rhine-Westphalia, including all active data.
• Chronological extract – the complete registration history, including all changes since initial registration.
• Articles of association – copies of the articles and agreements filed for registered companies.
• Certified extract – bearing the register court’s seal, for use with authorities, banks and notaries.
• Apostille – international authentication for use abroad.

Which register courts are responsible in North Rhine-Westphalia?

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the commercial register is maintained by 19 local courts. The main register court location is traditionally Köln. The court responsible for your company depends on its registered office — we automatically direct your order to the correct register court.

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Commercial register in North Rhine-Westphalia: legal basis

The commercial register in North Rhine-Westphalia is maintained electronically, as throughout Germany since the 2007 reform. Its legal basis includes section 8 HGB (establishment and maintenance) and section 9 HGB (public register). Under section 9 HGB, anyone can inspect the register for a small fee without demonstrating a legitimate interest. Entries for companies in North Rhine-Westphalia can also be searched nationwide through the joint register portal of the German states.

The joint register portal of the German federal states

Since 2007, the German states have jointly operated a central register portal. It provides access to basic data on companies registered in Germany, including companies registered in North Rhine-Westphalia. Many customers use our service to order quickly without having to register with the official portal.

Processing and delivery

PDF extracts: usually within 1–15 minutes after acceptance of the complete order during our service hours (Monday–Friday 09:00–18:00, Saturday 09:00–15:00, German local time). Outside these hours, processing starts in the next service period. Without a valid request for early performance, processing starts no earlier than the end of the withdrawal period. We confirm the processing start when accepting your order. Official certification: usually 2–4 weeks; apostilles: usually 6 weeks, in each case after acceptance of the complete documents. Postal transit time is additional. Legalisation: processing time on request. Availability and processing by public authorities may delay delivery; these are estimates, not guaranteed deadlines.

Frequently asked questions