Handelsregister

Handelsregister is the official commercial register used in several German-speaking countries, serving as the public registry for companies and certain commercial partnerships. It records essential information about business entities to provide legal certainty, transparency, and publicity for commerce and civil life.

In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the register has similar core functions but is organized according to national law. The Handelsregister entries typically include: the legal name of the entity, legal form (GmbH, AG, KG, etc.), registered seat, object of the business, share capital or equity, and information about managing directors, board members, or partners; the register also records changes such as alterations of legal form, address, management, and capital, as well as statuses like insolvency or dissolution. In addition, each entry carries the date of registration and the register number.

Access is public: interested parties may consult the register to verify a company’s status and details. In practice, many countries provide online portals or integrated information systems that display active registrations and recent amendments; some jurisdictions require notarial authentication or court filing for changes, and certain data may be subject to privacy or data-protection rules.

Effects and significance: registration generally creates or confirms legal personality and the authority to represent the entity; unregistered businesses may have limited capacities or restrictions, and changes become binding on third parties once entered or published.