Travel trade; application for a permit

In contrast to a commercial activity in a stationary business, the exercise of a traveling trade does not generally require a business registration, but rather an official permit (traveling trade card).

Anyone who sells or buys goods, offers services and/or seeks out orders for services outside of a commercial establishment or without the existence of such an establishment without a prior order is engaged in a traveling trade. This includes, in particular, visiting homes or stores (door-to-door sales) without a prior order or offering goods and services on the street or in squares, e.g. from non-fixed sales stands.

A traveling trade is also exercised by anyone who carries out entertainment activities as a showman or in the manner of a showman (typical fairground business).

If the business owner is a partnership without its own legal personality, a travel trade license must be issued for each partner operating a travel trade.

Certain activities are exempt from travel trade permits, e.g. offering goods for sale occasionally at trade fairs, exhibitions, public festivals or on special occasions with the permission of the responsible municipality or the sale of home-grown products from agriculture and forestry, vegetable growing, fruit growing and horticulture, poultry farming and beekeeping as well as hunting and fishing.

However, some of the trades that do not require a travel trade license must be registered with the relevant municipality, unless the trade is already subject to trade registration. These are

• offering goods for sale, soliciting orders, offering services or soliciting orders for services in the municipality of his place of residence or commercial establishment, provided the municipality has no more than 10,000 inhabitants,
• the distribution of foodstuffs or other everyday goods from a non-fixed sales outlet or other facility at regular, shorter intervals at the same location,
• the offering for sale of printed works on public paths, streets, squares or in other public places.

Certain activities are prohibited in the itinerant trade, such as the sale of poisons and goods containing poisons, breakage bands, electromedical devices, securities or the offering for sale and purchase of precious metals.

Showmen must take out liability insurance for certain activities (Showmen's Liability Ordinance).

The holder of a traveling trade card is obliged to carry it with him during the exercise of the trade, to present it to the competent authorities or officials on request and to cease his activity on request until the traveling trade card is obtained. Upon request, they must present the goods they are carrying.

If the holder of the traveling trade license does not carry out the activity in person, he is obliged to hand over a duplicate or a certified copy of the traveling trade license to the employees in the business if they are to come into direct contact with customers; this also applies if the employees are working at a different location than the holder.

Please give priority to using the online service offered to apply for the issue/extension/renewal of a travel trade license and the secure contact form for the responsible office.

You will also find the following supplementary sheet among the forms:
- Travel trade card - Supplement to the application for a legal entity (details of additional managing directors).

Further information on the operation of food trucks can be found in the information sheet under the further links.

The license requirement is the reliability of the trader.

You must apply for the permit before starting work.

• Application for a travel trade license
• Travel trade license - supplementary sheet for legal entity application (indication of additional managing directors)

• Travel trade card: EUR 30 to 500 in accordance with the Schedule of Costs under the Costs Act (Tariff No. 5.III.5/23.1.1)
• Certificate of good conduct and extract from the central trade register: EUR 13 each

• Ordinance on Liability Insurance for Showmen (Showmen's Liability Ordinance - SchauHV)
• §§ 55 ff. Trade Regulations (GewO)

• Information sheet for the operation of food trucks

You must apply for the permit from the district administrative authority in whose district you have your habitual residence.

Duration of the procedure approx. 2 - 4 weeks

• Restaurant license; application