If you operate a traveling business, you need a permit from the competent authority (traveling business license) if you engage in commercial activities on a regular basis without a prior appointment, outside your place of business, or without having such a place of business,

• offer goods for sale, solicit orders, or purchase goods, or
• offer services or solicit orders for services.

This includes, in particular, activities such as:

• visiting homes or businesses (door-to-door sales) without a prior appointment,
• offering goods and services on the street or in public places,
• entertainment activities as a fairground performer or in a fairground-style manner (stalls typical of folk festivals).

A prerequisite for the issuance of the permit (traveling trade license) is the personal reliability of the applicant with regard to the specific traveling trade activity declared.

For the practice of licensed trades (including security guards, real estate agents, property developers, construction managers, investment advisors, insurance brokers, and insurance consultants) within the itinerant trade, additional requirements corresponding to those for stationary businesses apply.

Any expansion of business activities or of the goods and services offered requires a new license and will be added to the existing traveling trade license upon request. The traveling trade license is valid nationwide.

If you employ workers, they must have a duplicate or a certified copy of your itinerant trade license. The itinerant trade license, or a copy or duplicate thereof, must be carried with you while conducting itinerant trade activities.

Activities Not Requiring an ItinerantTrade License
For certain itinerant trade activities, you do not need an itinerant trade license. This applies, for example, to:

• the sale of food or other everyday goods, provided they are sold from non-fixed—i.e., mobile—sales locations at regular, relatively short intervals at the same location,
• the sale of printed materials via street vending (mobile newspaper sales)

However, these activities are subject to the other provisions governing the itinerant trade (e.g., the obligation to file a notice), unless otherwise specified therein.

• Identity document
• Identity card or other official identification document with photo (not required for electronic applications).
• Residence permit if the applicant is not a national of an EU country.
• Certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority according to document type O.
• Extract from the central trade register for submission to an authority according to document type 9.
• Current excerpt from the commercial or association register
• Registered companies should submit a current extract from the register when submitting their application. Legal entities in the process of being founded (GmbH, AG) submit the articles of association or articles of incorporation.
• If applicable, certificate from the public health department confirming instruction in accordance with the Infection Protection Act
• According to the rules of the Infection Protection Act, this is only required when manufacturing, treating or placing food on the market

The itinerant trade license must be issued before the start of the activity, so it is necessary to submit the application in good time (several weeks before the intended start of operations).

If you have applied for a permit for a traveling trade activity, the permit is deemed to have been granted if the authority has not made a decision on your application within three months of receiving the complete documentation

It is an offense to operate without the required travel trade license.