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Security guard business - apply for a permit

Bewachungsgewerbe - Erlaubnis beantragen
Official English page German-only parts machine-translated, 2026-09-15
If you want to guard the lives or property of other people on a professional basis, you need a permit. Guarding requires an active custodial activity (supervision or control). The guarding activity must be aimed at protecting persons from danger to life, limb or freedom or at protecting property against loss, destruction or damage. The care must consist of human activity. Simple security, observation or investigative activities (e.g. detective agencies) or the simple provision of space (e.g. a safe deposit box) do not require a licence. The concrete activities covered by the term "guarding" are broadly diversified. They include • the traditional guarding of bicycles, motor vehicles and buildings, • event services, • passenger screening, • the transport of money and valuables.., • personal security or • the guarding of industrial and military facilities as well as nuclear power plants. A guarding contractor may be a natural person or a legal entity. In the case of partnerships (e.g. OHG, KG), each managing partner is a trader. In the case of legal entities (e.g. GmbH, AG), the permit is granted to the legal entity. Procedure • You must apply to the relevant authority for a licence to operate a security business. • Following the assessment, you will either be granted a licence or receive a notice of refusal. A licence may be subject to certain conditions.

Book an appointment

Book an appointment (service.berlin.de)

Requirements

• Personal reliability Reliability is checked on the basis of various forms of evidence. For this purpose, the competent public order office obtains at least one unrestricted information from the Federal Central Register and one information from the Central Commercial Register as well as a statement from the authority of the state police responsible for the place of residence, a central police station or the competent state criminal investigation office. • Orderly financial circumstances It is checked whether the applicant has debts (private or public) or whether insolvency proceedings are known. • Expert knowledge Proof of successfully passed examination of competence before a CCI or a similar approved professional qualification. • Adequate insurance cover Proof of professional liability insurance for the business operation • For online applications: registration/login via BundID

Documents you need

• Application for a permit according to § 34a of the Trade Regulations You can submit your application online or you can use the form. • Identity document Identity card or other official identification document with photo (not required for electronic application). Residence permit if the applicant is not a national of an EU country. • Proof of competence service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/330153/en/ Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handleskammer or IHK) proof of professional qualification or another comparable recognised professional qualification. • Information from the debtors' register (Central Enforcement Portal) service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/327028/ Information on entries can be requested online at the Central Enforcement Portal of the Federal States. (see "More information") • Information from the insolvency register service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/327527/ • For insolvency proceedings of natural persons residing in Berlin, two certificates are required as proof. The first for consumer insolvency proceedings is to be applied for at your local court and the second for regular insolvency proceedings at the Charlottenburg Local Court Amtsgerichtsplatz 1, 14057 Berlin. • The Charlottenburg Local Court, Amtsgerichtsplatz 1, 14057 Berlin, is responsible for insolvency proceedings of legal entities and trading partnerships with their place of business in Berlin. • Applicants with their place of residence/business outside of Berlin should inform themselves about the respective jurisdiction of the insolvency courts via the central local and court directory (see "More information"). • Certificate in tax matters ("Bescheinigung in Steuersachen") service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/324713/en/ Certificate of no objection from the local tax office. • Professional liability insurance www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bewachv_2019/__14.html Confirmation from an insurance company of the existence of professional liability insurance for the security guard business. • Up-to-date excerpt from the Trade Register www.handelsregister.de/rp_web/welcome.do;jsessionid=2A22D37A Registered companies please submit a current excerpt from the commercial register when applying. Legal entities in the process of formation (e.g. GmbH, AG) submit the articles of association.

Forms

• Application for a permit according to § 34a of the Trade Regulations (security guard business) www.berlin.de/formularverzeichnis/?formular=/ordnungsamt/ste • Security guard permit - supplement for additional legal representatives www.berlin.de/formularverzeichnis/?formular=/ordnungsamt/ste

Fees

84.00 to 2,045.00 euros per expense

Legal basis

• Trade Regulations (Gewerbeordnung or GewO) § 34a www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gewo/__34a.html • Security Guarding Ordinance (Bewachungsverordnung or BewachV) www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bewachv_2019/ • Schedule of Administrative Fees (Verwaltungsgebührenordnung (VGebO)) <https://gesetze.berlin.de/bsbe/?aiz=1&docId=jlr-VwGebOBE2009rahmen&query=JURISLINK%3A%22VwGebO+BE%22>

Processing time

1 month

Further information

• Informationen zum Bewachungsgewerbeder (IHK Berlin) www.ihk.de/berlin/service-und-beratung/existenzgruendung/inf • Information from the debtor register (central enforcement portal of the federal states) www.vollstreckungsportal.de/zponf/allg/willkommen.jsf • Insolvency announcements online (justice portal of the federal states) neu.insolvenzbekanntmachungen.de/ap/ • Search for the competent court (central directory of places and courts) www.justizadressen.nrw.de/de/justiz/suche • Information on data protection (Ordnungsämter des Landes Berlin) www.berlin.de/formularverzeichnis/?formular=/wirtschaft/gewe • Security Guard Register – Information on registration (Federal Statistical Office) www.bewacherregister.de/bwrweb/DE/Home/_inhalt.html • Security guarding business - register for the expert knowledge examination (service) service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/330153/en/

Who is responsible

The permit must be applied for at the Ordnungsamt (public order office) responsible for the place of business. If a place of business is not yet known, the permit can also be applied for at the Ordnungsamt responsible for the applicant's place of residence.

Responsible for you

Choose a location; the appointment itself is booked on the original page.

Original

German originalOfficial English page

Service number 124508 · same path as the original: service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/124508/