Certificate of good conduct; application for a simple certificate of good conduct
If you need a certificate of good conduct for official or private purposes, you can apply for one at your local authority or electronically via the online portal of the Federal Office of Justice.
Description
The certificate of good conduct is an extract, in particular of criminal convictions, which you can apply for from the age of 14 at your local authority / registration office (citizens' office) or via the online portal of the Federal Office of Justice (see "Online procedure").
If you apply for the certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority, it will be sent to the authority directly. However, as the applicant, you can be granted access to the certificate of good conduct on request.
You can apply for a simple certificate of good conduct in person, in writing or electronically.
- If you apply in person at the local authority, you must present your passport or identity card.
- To apply electronically via the online portal of the Federal Office of Justice (see "Online procedure"), you will need either a new ID card, an eID card with a domestic address or an electronic residence permit, each with the online ID function activated.
- If you apply in writing , your signature must be notarized by a seal-bearing authority. Public certification by a notary is also possible. You must also state the intended use for the certificate of good conduct. Information on notarizations can be found under "Further links".
An application by an authorized representative is not possible.
Important instructions for service providers
- Sofern Sie auf den Handel mit Gebrauchtwaren spezialisiert sind, müssen Sie ein Führungszeugnis zur Vorlage bei Behörden beantragen.
Prerequisites
- Completion of the 14th year of age
- in the case of legal incapacity, the application must be submitted by the legal representative, if applicable
Special notes
The following general information can be provided on the certificate of good conduct:
- In addition to the Federal Central Criminal Register, convictions of offenders also appear in the certificate of good conduct, which any person over the age of 14 can apply for from their registration authority.
- However, there are a number of exceptions to the entry in the certificate of good conduct, e.g. the following:
- Provided that no other sentence is entered in the register, a conviction of up to 90 daily fines or up to three months imprisonment will not be entered in the certificate of good conduct (but will be entered in the central register, from which, however, only certain authorities receive information).
- Juvenile sentences of up to 2 years are also not recorded if they are suspended.
- There are also eradication periods for the certificate of good conduct; these are generally shorter than for the Federal Central Register (between 3 and 20 years, depending on the type of conviction).
Processing time
approx. 2 to 3 weeks
Required documents
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when applying in person: presentation of passport or identity card
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for electronic applications: ID card, eID card with domestic address or electronic residence permit with activated online ID function in each case
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in case of written application: official or publicly certified signature
Forms
Please select a location in "Localization" so that the address of the responsible authority can be filled in.
Fees
13.00 EUR
Exemption from fees (see also under "Further links"): In the case of indigence (e.g. receipt of citizen's allowance, social assistance, child supplement according to § 6a of the Federal Child Benefit Act, BAföG or benefits according to the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act), the Federal Office of Justice can reduce the fee or waive the costs on application. If a certificate of good conduct is required for the exercise of voluntary care (§ 19 Para. 1, § 21 BtOG) or voluntary work that is carried out for a non-profit organization, for a public authority or as part of one of the services listed in § 32 Para. 4 No. 2 letter d EStG, there is no fee.
If the application is submitted electronically, proof of the existence of a reason for the fee exemption must be provided electronically.
Links to more information
Status:17.11.2023
Responsible for editing:Bayerisches Staatsministerium des Innern, für Sport und Integration
- Online transactions, Bavaria-wide
- Online transactions, locally limited
- Form, Bavaria-wide
- Form, locally limited
- Prefillable Form, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, Bavaria-wide
- Legal bases, locally limited
- Fees, Bavaria-wide
- Fees, locally limited
If you select a location under "Localization" the contact details of the responsible authority and, if applicable, locally valid information will be displayed.