Check whether you need authorisation at all
German crafts fall into three groups and only one requires entry in the Handwerksrolle. A mistake here costs you the activity itself, not a small fine.
✓ Verified: 11/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
Start with Anlage A rather than with your company name: the same activity can be licence-free or require a master craftsman, depending on which specific work you do.
The notification for a licence-free craft is not a formality for later. The statute requires it without delay, and the chamber learns about you through the trade office anyway.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Handwerksrolle? ▾
A register kept by the craft chamber. Running a craft from Anlage A independently as a standing trade is permitted only to those entered in it — individuals, legal entities and partnerships.
Which crafts require authorisation? ▾
Those listed in Anlage A: 53 trades, from bricklayers, roofers and electrical technicians through vehicle mechanics and hairdressers to bakers, opticians and dental technicians. The list is in the statute and changes only by regulation.
And if my activity is not on the list? ▾
Then it is a licence-free craft or a craft-like trade from Anlage B. No authorisation is needed, but starting and ending the business must be notified to the craft chamber of your district without delay.
What does essential activities mean? ▾
A business belongs to a licensed craft where activities essential to that craft are carried out. Not essential are, in particular, those that can be learned within up to three months and those that are secondary to the overall picture of the craft.
Can you simply offer only the simple work? ▾
That distinction exists but is narrow: the statute states expressly that several simple activities taken together may still be essential for a particular craft. The chamber draws the line, and it is frequently disputed.