Security guard business - register security guards

If you wish to employ security guards in your security business or commission persons to manage the business or a branch office, you must register them only online via the Security Guard Register of the Federal Office of Economics and Export Controls (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrollen or BAFA) before commencing employment.

If security guards or persons with management duties leave the security company or if the data or duties of these persons change, this must also be reported online via the Security Guard Register.

The obligation to report guards and persons entrusted with the management of the company or branch also applies to security companies that hire out these persons or assign them by way of temporary employment.

Procedure

1. You must register your security business with the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) in the Security Guard Register.
2. After successful registration, you can log in with your user data.
3. The competent residence authority then checks the reliability and qualifications of the registered persons. You may only employ these persons with guarding tasks or management activities after official confirmation of their reliability.

Online processing

Service provided online

Prerequisites

• Reliability of the security guard, the manager of the business, the head of the branch office
  
  Only persons who are reliable may be employed for security guard duties.
• Expert knowledge
  
  Proof of instruction from an Chamber of Industry and Commerce for conventional guarding activities, proof of expert knowledge examination from an Chamber of Industry and Commerce for special guarding activities or a comparable recognised professional qualification, persons who are commissioned as company managers or with the management of branch offices require a proof of expert knowledge.

Documents required

• Register security guards (register in the Security Guard Register)
  only online processing possible
• Certificate of instruction from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer or IHK) for employees or other recognised certificates
  sufficient for standard security guarding activities
• Proof of having passed the expert examination at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (Industrie- und Handelskammer or IHK) or other recognised proofs
  is only required for the following activities:
  

  • patrols in public traffic areas or in areas of house rights with actual public traffic
  • protection against shoplifters
  • security in the entrance area of discotheques in the hospitality industry (bouncers),
  • as far as in a leading function: security of accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees or security of access-protected major events

Fees

Legal basis

• Trade Regulation (Gewerbeordnung or GewO) § 34a
• Ordinance on the Security Guarding Business (Bewachunsverordnung or BewachV) § 16
• Schedule of Administrative Fees (Verwaltungsgebührenordnung (VGebO))

Average time to process request

More information

• Information on the guard register from the Federal Office of Economics and Export Controls (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrollen or BAFA)
• Information by the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Industrie- und Handelskammer or IHK) regarding the security guarding business
• Security guarding business - register for the expert knowledge examination
• Security guarding business - register for proof of instruction
• Information about privacy

Responsible authorities

Security guards and persons who are entrusted with the management of operations or branch offices must be registered only online via the Security Guard Register of the Federal Office of Economics and Export Controls (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrollen or BAFA).

• public order office