Germany
1. Legal Gazette
1.1. Overview
Bundesgesetzblatt
(Federal Legal Gazette)
Published by:
Bundesministerium der Justiz
(Federal Ministry of Justice)
through
Bundesamt für Justiz
(Federal Office of Justice)
Adenauerallee 99–103 — 53113 Bonn
Germany
Tel. +49 228 99 41040
Fax +49 +49 228 410 5050
E-mail: poststelle@bfj.bund.de
Website: https://www.bundesjustizamt.de
| Official journal / legal gazette |
There are distinct official publications for primary/secondary legislation (Bundesgesetzblatt) and for legal notices, ministerial circulars and other official texts (Bundesanzeiger); see point 1.2 for details. |
| First edition |
Bundesgesetzblatt No 1, 23 May 1949
Part I: 1949
Part II: 1951 |
| First online edition |
Part I: 1998
Part II: 1999
Since 1 January 2023, the online version is the only legally binding version. |
| Paper edition |
Published until 31 December 2022 as the legally binding edition. |
| Online edition |
https://www.recht.bund.de
Access and texts are free
Legally binding version
Online archive for the publications before 1 January 2023:
https://www.bgbl.de
Available texts
Part I: from 1949
Part II: from 1951 |
| CD/DVD edition |
N/A |
1.2. Details on the legal gazette in general
| Content |
- Part I: Federal laws, statutory instruments, official orders and announcements in particular cases
- Part II: International agreements and treaties, legislation to implement them, related proclamations, laws regarding custom tariffs
|
| Legal basis |
Basic Law (Grundgesetz) Article 82, Promulgation and Announcement Act (Verkündungs- und Bekanntmachungsgesetz – VkBkmG) |
| Legally binding |
Online edition |
| Financing |
State budget |
| Other gazettes |
The Bundesanzeiger (Federal Gazette) has been published since 1949 by the Bundesanzeiger Verlag GmbH. It contains official notices and other legal and judicial announcements. Since 2002 promulgations of statutory instruments, announcements of annual financial statements, official, judicial and other announcements have been published in an electronic series of the federal gazette Bundesanzeiger (https://www.bundesanzeiger.de).
Since 1 January 2023, the Bundesanzeiger contains no promulgation of statutory instruments anymore; these are exclusively published in the Bundesgesetzblatt.
All 16 Länder (States) have their own legal gazettes. |
1.3. Details on the online edition
https://www.bundesgesetzblatt.de
See also point 1.1
| Functionalities |
- Download
- Search function
- Notification service (e-mail and RSS-feed)
|
| Format description |
PDF |
| Authenticity |
Authenticity and integrity of the PDF files are guaranteed by qualified electronic seals. |
| Archiving |
Each number of the Bundesgesetzblatt must be submitted for permanent storage together with proof of the time of publication. Long-term archiving is guaranteed. |
1.4. Details on the publishing institution
Authority
responsible |
Bundesministerium der Justiz
(Federal Ministry of Justice)
Mohrenstraße 37 — 10117 Berlin
Germany
Tel. +49 3018580-0
Fax +49 3018580-9525
Website: https://www.bmj.de
through
Bundesamt für Justiz
(Federal Office of Justice)
Adenauerallee 99–103 — 53113 Bonn
Germany
Tel. +49 2289941040
Fax +49 228994105050
E-mail: poststelle@bfj.bund.de
Website: https://www.bundesjustizamt.de |
1.5. Drafting and publishing procedures
Text processing
systems |
Currently, common text editors (Microsoft Word) are used; files are converted to XML and to PDF using typesetting software applications. However, eNorm, an add-in for Microsoft Word, used for the creation, revision and exchange of official documents in German legislation is widely spread and used more and more. |
| Workflow |
- Currently no fully integrated electronic workflow
- Proofreading, structuring and publishing on the promulgation platform are carried out by the editorial department of the Federal Office of Justice
|
2. Collections of consolidated Legislation
See full details
2.1. Gesetze im Internet
(Laws on the Internet)
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Body carrying out
consolidation |
Federal Office of Justice, Bonn |
| Content |
Nearly all German Federal legislation currently in force. For further details, see point 3.1. |
Status of the
consolidated texts |
Consolidation is for information purposes only. |
Deadline for
consolidation |
Normally two to five days |
2.2. Bundesrechtsdatenbank (Database on Federal Law) available from juris GmbH https://juris.de
For details, see point 3.2
3. Legislative portals and online databases
3.1. Official portals/databases
For the Bundesgesetzblatt online, see point 1.3
For the Bundesanzeiger online, see point 1.2
3.3.1. Gesetze im Internet
(Laws on the Internet)
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de
Organisation
responsible |
Federal Ministry of Justice and the Federal Office of Justice |
| Content |
The Federal Ministry of Justice (Bundesministerium der Justiz) and the Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz) make nearly all German Federal laws and statutory instruments currently in force available online, free of charge. You can access the most recent versions of the laws and statutory instruments, which are continuously updated by the documentation office of the Federal Office of Justice. The texts available on the internet are not official versions of the laws and statutory instruments. These can be found in the Federal Law Gazette which is published electronically on the federal government’s promulgation platform since January 1, 2023. Up to this point in time, the official version of the Federal Law Gazette was only issued in paper form (see also point 1.2).
English translations of numerous important laws and statutory instruments can be accessed.
Furthermore, there is an update service which displays links to all new provisions which have recently been promulgated in Part I of the Federal Law Gazette for up to six months from the date they enter into force. The service also provides the texts of the amendments upon which the consolidated laws and regulations are based. Additionally, you can subscribe to the update service as an RSS feed.
Finally, there are links to other databases that contain laws from the Länder, administrative regulations of the highest federal authorities in Germany as well as decisions made by the Federal Constitutional Court, the Supreme Federal Courts and the Federal Patent Court. |
| Access |
Free of charge |
3.1.2. juris legal portal
(Database on Federal Law) available from juris GmbH
https://www.juris.de
Organisation
responsible |
juris GmbH
(in its capacity as provider of a public service) |
| Content |
Almost the entire federal law (current and historical versions that have already been promulgated and those that will come into force in the future) in a version consolidated by the Federal Office of Justice since spring 1990, provided that this is shown in Fundstellennachweis A. |
| Access |
Subscription-based |
3.2. Additional information: other commonly used legal databases
