German Impressum Requirements: Checklist & Templates

Any website run commercially in Germany needs an Impressum, a legal notice identifying who operates it. Exactly what has to be in it depends on your legal form, but Section 5 DDG (formerly Section 5 TMG) always requires a name, a serviceable address, a way to contact you, and, for corporations, commercial register details and authorized representatives.

A missing or incomplete Impressum invites cease-and-desist letters from competitors or industry associations, and fines of up to €50,000, or up to €300,000 in cases of deliberately concealed operator identity. Here's what has to go in, how it's typically structured, and a template you can adapt.

What information does an Impressum need?

Every Impressum needs at minimum: your full name, a serviceable address, and an email address that allows for quick electronic contact. Depending on your legal form and activity, further details apply.

For every operator:

• First and last name (for sole proprietors) or full company name with legal form
• Serviceable address (no PO box)
• Email address
• Authorized representative (e.g., managing director, board member)

Additionally for corporations (GmbH, UG, AG):

• Commercial register number and the responsible register court
• Share capital (customary for GmbH/UG, sometimes required depending on context)

If applicable:

• VAT ID, only if you have one. Small businesses under Section 19 UStG (the German small-business VAT exemption) usually don't and can leave this out.
• Supervisory authority and chamber, for licensed professions (e.g., tax advisors, architects, real estate agents)
• Professional title and the country where it was granted, for regulated professions
• The person responsible for editorial content under Section 18(2) of the Interstate Media Treaty, if the site offers journalistic or editorial content (e.g., a blog with opinion pieces)

How is an Impressum structured?

There's no legally mandated order, but a structure has become standard in practice, and it reads well for both users and authorities:

1. Operator identification (name/company, legal form, address)
2. Contact details (email, optionally phone)
3. Authorized representative
4. Register entry (commercial register number, register court)
5. VAT ID, if applicable
6. Supervisory authority/chamber, if applicable
7. Dispute resolution (a note on the EU's online dispute resolution platform and, where relevant, a consumer arbitration body)

That last point gets forgotten often: online sellers must reference the EU's online dispute resolution platform, even though it has run in reduced form since 2025. A short sentence with a link is enough.

Impressum checklist

Before you publish, run through this list:

| Check | Done? | |---|---| | Full name/company with legal form | ☐ | | Serviceable address (no PO box) | ☐ | | Working email address | ☐ | | Authorized representative named | ☐ | | Commercial register number + court (for corporations) | ☐ | | VAT ID listed, if you have one | ☐ | | Supervisory authority/chamber, if a licensed profession | ☐ | | Reference to the EU dispute resolution platform (for online sales) | ☐ | | Reference to Section 5 DDG, not the outdated Section 5 TMG | ☐ | | Impressum reachable from every page in at most one click | ☐ |

Impressum templates

The templates below cover the two most common cases. Replace the placeholders with your own details.

Template for freelancers/sole proprietors:

Information according to Section 5 DDG

[First name Last name]
[Street Number]
[Postal code City]

Contact:
Email: [[email protected]]

VAT ID according to Section 27a UStG:
[VAT ID, if applicable]

Template for GmbH/UG:

Information according to Section 5 DDG

[Company name GmbH/UG (haftungsbeschränkt)]
[Street Number]
[Postal code City]

Represented by:
[Name of managing director]

Contact:
Email: [[email protected]]

Register entry:
Registered in the commercial register
Register court: [Local court, city]
Register number: [HRB XXXXX]

VAT ID according to Section 27a UStG:
[VAT ID]

Who actually needs an Impressum?

Anyone running a website or online offer on a commercial basis needs an Impressum, purely private use is exempt. The threshold is low: advertising for your own or someone else's offer, affiliate links, or a recognizable intent to earn money are all enough. Where exactly the line between private and commercial sits, including on social media profiles, is covered in our guide to the Instagram Impressum for content creators.

What address belongs in the Impressum?

The law requires a serviceable address, one where you can actually be reached, a PO box doesn't qualify. For freelancers without an office, that raises the question of whether a home address has to be published. What legally makes an address "serviceable," and how that differs from what a commercial register entry requires, is explained in What is a serviceable address?

In practice, many people use a rented business address with reliable mail handling instead, such as Clevver's digital mailbox: a real address where mail is received and digitized on your behalf.

Example

A freelance graphic designer based in Munich works mostly on the road and doesn't want to publish her home address for privacy reasons. She rents a virtual business address with a digital mailbox, lists it as her Impressum address, and has incoming mail scanned and forwarded to her inbox. She stays reachable without exposing where she lives. Register now and activate your own address in minutes.

Impressum FAQ

Do I have to list a phone number in the Impressum? No, following a ruling by the European Court of Justice, another fast electronic contact option, such as a contact form or email address, is enough, as long as you respond promptly.

Can I use a PO box instead of my home address? No, a plain PO box doesn't meet the serviceable-address requirement.

How quickly do I need to update my Impressum? As soon as your address, legal form, authorized representative, or register data changes, update the Impressum without delay.

Do small businesses need a VAT ID in the Impressum? Only if you have one. The small-business exemption under Section 19 UStG doesn't require you to obtain a VAT ID. Still have questions? → Contact us