A word of caution: It is always the German original, not the English translation which is authoritative. Statutes are frequently amended. For reasons of copyright and practicality, we do not constantly update the translations which we publish. Some parts may therefore be outdated.
 
 
 

Constitution (Basic Law) and Constitutional Statutes

• Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz, GG)

Link : Download a more recent version from the website of the German Federal Parliament (in PDF format)

• Federal Constitutional Court Act
• Rules of Procedure of the Federal Constitutional Court

• Federal Electoral Law
• 13th Law to Amend the Federal Electoral Law

• Political Parties Act

Introductions to the Federal Constitutional Court Act and to the Federal Electoral Law are available in the literature section of the German Law Archive.

Relations with the European Union

• Federation-Länder Agreement on EU Cooperation

• German Judiciary Act (in PDF format and a slightly outdated version), kindly provided by the Federal Ministry of Justice, but no longer available from their website

• German Civil Code: Provisions Amended by the Law of Obligations Reform Act
• German Civil Code: Provisions Relating to Restitution
• Standard Contract Terms Act (Excerpts)

• Foreign Maintenance Act
• Adoption Placement Act

• Insolvency Statute (Insolvenzordnung, InsO) in HTML format (as of 1 January 2002)

• Insolvency Statute (Insolvenzordnung, InsO) in PDF format (as of 1 January 2004), kindly provided by the Federal Ministry of Justice, but no longer available from their website
  

• Act Against Restraints on Competition
• Banking Act
• Bundesbank Act
• Law on the Supervision of Insurance Undertakings
  

• Securities Trading Act
• Prospectus Act
• Directive of the Securities Supervisory Board of 26 May 1997 under §§ 31, 32 Securities Trading Act (Excerpts)
• Ordinance on the Allocation of the Costs of the Federal Securities Supervisory Office
• Ordinance on the Allocation of the Costs Incurred by the Federal Securities Supervisory Office during the Years of 1994 to 1997
• Ordinance on the Fees Levied for the Deposit of Prospectuses
• Ordinance on the Examination of Investment Services Enterprises pursuant to Section 36 of the Securities Trading Act
• Ordinance on the Reporting Requirements Relating to Trades in Securities and Derivatives
• Ordinance on the Prospectus for Securities Offered for Sale
  

• Criminal Code
• Criminal Procedure Code
• Code of Crimes Against International Law (Völkerstrafgesetzbuch) in PDF format, kindly provided by the Federal Ministry of Justice, but no longer available from their website
• Link: Download the draft bill and explanatory memorandum for this Act from the website of the Max Plack Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law
  

• Chemicals Act (Excerpts)
• Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act (Excerpts)
• Environmental Information Act
• Environmental Impact Assessment Act (Excerpts)
• Federal Immisions Control Act (Excerpts)
• Federal Nature Conservation Act (Excerpts)
• Federal Soil Protection Act (Excerpts)
• Federal Water Act (Excerpts)
• Waste Water Charges Act (Excerpts)

An introduction to these statutes is available in the literature section of the German Law Archive.

Link: Download from the Fedeal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety website in PDF format:

• Act to Reform Nature Conservation and Landscape Management Law and Amend Other Statutory Provisions
  

• Equipment and Product Safety Act
  
  Link: Download this translation in PDF format from the website of the Bundesamt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin
  

• Copyright Act

• Local Authorities Law, Bavaria

An introduction to this statute and local authorities in general is available in the literature section of the German Law Archive.

Broadcasting and Radio Tranmission Statutes

• Interstate Broadcasting Agreement
• Broadcasting Act for the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia
• Electromagnetic Compatibility Act
• Ordinance Concerning Contributions in accordance with the Electromagnetic Compatibility Act
• Amateur Radio Act

An introduction to Broadcasting Law in Germany is available in the literature section of the German Law Archive.

Communication and Information Service Statutes

• Digital Signature Act
• Telecommunications Act
• Teleservices Act
• Teleservices Data Protection Act
• Network Access Ordinance
• Telecommunications Rates Regulation Ordinance
• Ordinance concerning Telecommunications Licence Fees
• Telecommunications Customer Protection Ordinance
• Telecommunications Universal Service Ordinance

Data Protection

• Federal Data Protection Act
• Stasi Documents Act
• Telecommunications Data Protection Ordinance

Link : Download a translation of the Stasi Documents Act in RTF format from the website of the Bundesbeauftragte für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen Deutschen Demokratischen Republik

Post

• Postal Act
• Postal Universal Service Ordinance

Protection of Young Persons

• Act to regulate the dissemination of writings and media contents harmful to young persons
• Youth Protection Act
• Guidelines issued by the Land Media Institutes on ensuring protection for young persons

An introduction to Media and the Protection of Young Persons is available in the literature section of the German Law Archive.

Regulation of the Press

• Press Law for the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg

• Aliens Act (Excerpts)
• Nationality Act
• Asylum Procedure Act

• Federal Regional Planning Act
• Federal Building Code

Link : Download a Translation of the Federal Building Code in Rich Text format from the Federal Ministry for Building, Transport and Housing

Bibliography of German Statutes in English Translation

• Bibliography: Translations of German Statutes

© 1998-2006 Gerhard Dannemann