Commercial Register

The Commercial Register is the central, publicly accessible directory of all merchants and companies registered in Germany. It is maintained by the competent registry court; since 2007, the administration has been purely electronic, allowing a commercial register extract to be retrieved online in a few minutes. Registration is usually done through a notary, who electronically submits the documents to the registry court; simultaneously, the data is published in the company register. In Section A (sole proprietorships, OHG, KG) and Section B (GmbH, UG, AG, and other corporations), the register documents legally binding information such as company name, registered office, legal form, share capital, management, and representation powers. An entry in the Commercial Register creates transparency, fulfills the disclosure obligation, and enjoys high trust protection: business partners can rely on the accuracy of the published data. For founders, registration in the Commercial Register is a prerequisite for full merchant status; for creditors and investors, the current commercial register extract forms an important basis for creditworthiness assessment. Thanks to the accessible chronicle, changes such as capital increases, management changes, or deletions can be seamlessly traced. Anyone wishing to buy, supply, or finance a company should therefore always consult the German Commercial Register to minimize risks and gain legal certainty.

Commercial Register data forms the core of the handelsregister.ai API. Users receive real-time access to official entries such as company name, legal form, managing directors, historical changes, and published financial statements – ideal for due diligence, KYC, lead generation, and risk assessment.