Certificate of good conduct; application for a simple certificate of good conduct

The certificate of good conduct is an extract, in particular of criminal convictions, which you can apply for from the age of 14 at the local authority / registration office responsible for you (citizens' office) or via the online portal of the Federal Office of Justice (see "Online procedure").

If you apply for the certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority, it will be sent to the authority directly. However, as the applicant, you can be granted access to the certificate of good conduct on request.

You can apply for a simple certificate of good conduct in person, in writing or electronically.

• If you apply in person at the local authority, you must present your passport or identity card.
• To apply electronically via the online portal of the Federal Office of Justice (see "Online procedure"), you will need either an ID card, an eID card with a domestic address or an electronic residence permit, each with the online ID function activated.
• If you apply in writing , your signature must be notarized by a seal-bearing authority. Public certification by a notary is also possible. You must also state the intended use for the certificate of good conduct. Information on notarizations can be found under "Further links".

An application by an authorized representative is not possible.

• Completion of the 14th year of age
• in the case of legal incapacity, the application must be submitted by the legal representative, if applicable

The following general information can be provided on the certificate of good conduct:

• In addition to the Federal Central Criminal Register, convictions of offenders also appear in the certificate of good conduct, which any person over the age of 14 can apply for from their registration authority.
• However, there are a number of exceptions to the entry in the certificate of good conduct, e.g. the following:

• Provided that no other sentence is entered in the register, a conviction of up to 90 daily fines or up to three months imprisonment will not be entered in the certificate of good conduct (but will be entered in the central register, from which, however, only certain authorities receive information).
• Juvenile sentences of up to 2 years are also not recorded if they are suspended.

• There are also eradication periods for the certificate of good conduct; these are generally shorter than for the Federal Central Register (between 3 and 20 years, depending on the type of conviction).

An exception to the personal visit is possible if you still have a valid identity card or passport - issued by the city of Erlangen. In this case, it is sufficient if you send us the signed form with a copy of your identity document by post without notarization.

approx. 2 to 3 weeks

• If applying in person: presentation of passport or identity card
• for electronic applications: identity card, eID card with domestic address or electronic residence permit with activated online ID function in each case
• For written applications: officially or publicly notarized signature

• In case of application by legal representative: birth certificate of the represented person or certificate of appointment
• Information on the intended use

13.00 EUR

Exemption from fees (see also under "Further links"): In the case of indigence (e.g. receipt of citizen's allowance, social assistance, child supplement according to § 6a of the Federal Child Benefit Act, BAföG or benefits according to the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act), the Federal Office of Justice can reduce the fee or waive the costs upon application. If a certificate of good conduct is required for the exercise of voluntary care (§ 19 Para. 1, § 21 BtOG) or voluntary work that is carried out for a non-profit organization, for a public authority or as part of one of the services listed in § 32 Para. 4 No. 2 letter d EStG, there is no fee.

If the application is submitted electronically, proof of the existence of a reason for the fee exemption must be provided electronically.