Applying for a permit for a prostitution business

Once you have submitted the application and all documents are complete, the competent authority will check whether you meet all the requirements for the permit you have applied for.

If you meet all the requirements, you will receive the permit.

You may only commence the prostitution business once you have received the permit.

Please note that once a prostitution business has been granted a permit, there are additional notification obligations in the cases of prostitution events and prostitution vehicles.

• Age of majority: The applicant must have reached the age of 18.
• Personal reliability: Anyone wishing to operate a prostitution business must undergo a reliability check by the competent authority.

• In prostitution establishments, it must at least be ensured that the rooms used for sexual services

• are not visible from the outside,
• have an appropriate emergency call system and
• the doors can be opened from the inside at any time and
• are not intended for use as living or sleeping quarters.

• Prostitution establishments must also have

• adequate sanitary facilities,
• suitable recreation and break rooms and
• individually lockable storage facilities for personal belongings.

• Prostitution vehicles must

• have a sufficiently large interior and
• adequate interior fittings and
• have adequate sanitary facilities,
• have a valid operating license and
• be in a technically operational condition.
• It must be possible to open the doors from the inside at all times and
• help must be available at all times via technical precautions.

• The minimum requirements for prostitution establishments apply accordingly to the rooms used for prostitution events.

Sole proprietorship (natural person):

• Identity card, passport, electronic residence permit if applicable
• Operating concept
• Certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority according to document type "0", or European certificate of good conduct (to be applied for at the respective municipality of residence)

Companies (legal entities) e.g. GmbH:

• Current excerpt from the commercial register / register of cooperatives
• Operating concept
• Identity card, passport, electronic residence permit for the legal representative if applicable
• Certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority according to document type "0" for the legal representative, or European certificate of good conduct (to be applied for at the respective municipality of residence)

For prostitution vehicle license additionally:

• Operating license (registration certificate part I and part II)

Is based on the respective administrative fee schedule of the federal state or on the fee statutes of the authorities responsible under federal state law.

You must have a corresponding permit before you start operating. An application must be submitted in good time.

If you wish to employ persons who take on a deputy, management or supervisory function, they must also be notified to the competent authority before starting work. These functions are subject to a background check.

• § Section 2 of the Prostitutes Protection Act (ProstSchG)
• § Section 12 of the Prostitutes Protection Act (ProstSchG)

Appeal (appeal may be excluded depending on state law), administrative court action

The competent authority has extensive monitoring rights. Failure to comply with the licensing requirement can be punished by law.

Please note that in addition to the licensing requirement for the prostitution trade, there are other licensing or notification requirements under other regulations, in particular under the provisions of restaurant, trade, building, water or immission control law. A permit for the special use of public road areas may also be required.

19.06.2024