File the application with the craft chamber
The register is kept by the chamber of the district where your business is located. Entry and trade registration are two separate acts, and their order matters.
✓ Verified: 11/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
Prepare a list of the work you intend to offer. That list is exactly what the chamber uses to decide whether you fall under Anlage A and which craft to register.
Do not postpone change notifications: the entry rests on a specific basis, and with the technical manager that basis leaves when they do.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where exactly is the application filed? ▾
With the craft chamber of the district in which the business is located: the statute assigns the register to it. Forms and procedures differ between chambers, but the basis for entry is the same everywhere.
Which comes first, trade registration or entry? ▾
For a craft in Anlage A only one order makes sense: the basis of authorisation must exist, otherwise the activity is not permitted. Chamber and trade office exchange data, so discrepancies surface quickly.
What is the Handwerkskarte? ▾
Proof that you are entered in the Handwerksrolle. Clients, banks and public tenders ask for it — keep a copy with your trade licence.
Does anything have to be reported later? ▾
Yes. A change of technical manager, new fields of activity and closing the business all touch the basis of the entry and are reported to the chamber. For licence-free crafts the statute expressly requires notification of start and end.
Can you work while the application is processed? ▾
For a craft in Anlage A independent practice without entry is not permitted. If time is short, discuss interim solutions with the chamber — for instance entry via a technical manager.