German Commercial Register Extract (Handelsregisterauszug): Free, Types & How to Read It

What the German commercial register is (§8 HGB)

The commercial register is the public record of merchants and companies. "Das Handelsregister wird von den Gerichten elektronisch geführt": the register is kept electronically by the courts, and the designation "Handelsregister" is protected (§8 HGB). Inspection is available to everyone for informational purposes (§9 HGB), which is why a counterparty, bank or investor can check your company without your permission.

HRA vs HRB decoded from the register number

The register is split into two divisions, and the prefix in the register number tells you which:

• HRA (Abteilung A) holds registered sole traders (eingetragene Kaufleute, e.K.) and partnerships such as the oHG and KG.
• HRB (Abteilung B) holds corporations with share capital: the GmbH, the UG (haftungsbeschränkt), the AG, the KGaA and the SE.

So a register number such as HRB 12345 immediately signals a capital company; a GmbH always sits in HRB. If you only have the number, the prefix already tells you the entity type.

The three extract types: AD, CD, HD

There is not one extract but three, and asking for the wrong one wastes time. The table below sets out each type, its German name, its code, what it contains and when you would use it.

Extract type	German	Code	Contains	Typical use
Current	aktueller Ausdruck	AD	Only the entries currently in force	Bank onboarding, contracts, proof of who may sign
Chronological	chronologischer Ausdruck	CD	Current entries plus entries deleted since the move to the electronic register	Light due diligence
Historical	historischer Ausdruck	HD	Entries from before the electronic conversion (an image of the old paper register)	Deep due diligence

Which one do I need?

For the most common purpose, opening a bank account or proving who is authorised to sign for the company, the aktueller Ausdruck (AD) is normally what you need, because it shows the current state without the historical noise. Reach for the CD or HD only when you are running due diligence and need to see what changed over time.

Simple vs certified (beglaubigt), and apostille for foreign use

For most purposes (opening a bank account, signing contracts, KYC checks) the free electronic printout is accepted. But it is not accepted everywhere, and you should not assume it is.

A court-certified extract (beglaubigter Ausdruck) carries the court's certification of accuracy (§9 HGB) and is what some notaries, courts and foreign authorities require. For use abroad it often also needs an apostille, which authenticates the document for the country where you will present it. The certified extract is a different document from the free PDF, may carry a fee, and takes longer to obtain. If a foreign bank, notary or registry is involved, check in advance whether the simple printout will be accepted or whether a certified, apostilled version is required.

How to read your extract

Once you have the extract, the key fields are:

• Name and legal form: the full company name and its form (e.g. GmbH, UG, AG).
• Register number and court: the HRA/HRB number and the local court (Amtsgericht) keeping the register.
• Seat and business address: the registered seat and the current business address.
• Business object: the company's stated purpose.
• Share capital: the registered capital (for a GmbH or AG).
• Managing directors / board: the appointed managing directors or board members, each with their power of representation (Vertretungsbefugnis), for example sole representation or joint representation with another, and any Prokura (a registered commercial power of attorney).
• Status: whether the company is active, in liquidation, or dissolved.

The shareholder trap: GmbH owners sit on the Gesellschafterliste, not the extract

Here is the reading trap that catches due-diligence readers: the extract shows the directors and the share capital, but for a GmbH it does not show the current shareholders. The owners are recorded on a separately filed Gesellschafterliste (shareholder list). If you are checking who actually owns a GmbH, you must look at the shareholder list, not the register extract alone. For more on this, see the shareholder list versus the register extract.

Can you rely on what the register says? (§15 HGB)

A good-faith counterparty can generally rely on the managing directors and representation rules shown in the register, because §15 HGB gives registered facts legal effect against third parties. But this is good-faith reliance, not absolute truth: actual knowledge of the real position defeats the protection.

Negative vs positive publicity

§15(1) HGB is negative publicity: a fact that should have been registered and published but was not cannot be used against a good-faith third party. §15(3) HGB is positive publicity: a third party may rely even on an incorrectly registered fact, unless they knew it was wrong. Together these protect someone who reasonably trusts the register.

The 15-day window

§15(2) HGB completes the picture: once a fact has been entered and published, a third party must generally accept it, subject to a 15-day window during which a third party who could not yet have known the fact is still protected. Actual knowledge defeats the protection, so the register is not always conclusive; do not overstate it.

Handelsregister vs Unternehmensregister

Two portals are easy to confuse. The Unternehmensregister (unternehmensregister.de) aggregates register entries, filed documents, published annual financial statements and official announcements in one place. The Handelsregister (handelsregister.de) is the underlying register kept by the courts. For the extract itself, use handelsregister.de; for a company's published accounts and announcements, use the Unternehmensregister.

Why foreign companies and founders need an extract

A register extract is the standard proof that your German company exists and who may act for it. Banks require it to open a business account; counterparties and landlords request it before contracting; investors and acquirers use it in due diligence. For use before a foreign authority, you may need a certified, apostilled extract rather than the free printout. See the register extract your bank will ask for and the entry in the commercial register that completes formation.

How quickly can you get one?

The electronic printout is available immediately online once you have located the company on handelsregister.de; there is no waiting period for the free PDF. A court-certified copy takes longer to obtain and may carry a fee. So plan ahead only if you need the certified, possibly apostilled, version.