Applying for a permit for a prostitution business

If you want to run a prostitution business, you need a permit from the competent authority. The authority has extensive monitoring rights. It can impose legal sanctions for non-compliance with the licensing requirement.
A prostitution business is a business in which sexual services are offered commercially by at least one other person and/or premises are provided for this purpose.
You require a permit if you

• operate a prostitution establishment, i.e. use a building, individual rooms or other fixed facilities to offer sexual services, for example as a brothel, walk-in brothel or tantra massage studio,
• provide a prostitution vehicle for the provision of sexual services, for example a bus, camper van, caravan or boat,
• organize or conduct a prostitution event for an open circle of participants at which sexual services are offered for payment by at least one of the persons directly present, or
• operate a prostitution agency, i.e. arrange for at least one other person to provide sexual services outside of the operator's prostitution establishments, for example a call boy or call girl agency or an escort agency. This also applies if it is only apparent from the circumstances that the procured services also include sexual acts.

The competent authority may limit the permit and impose conditions.
The permit for the provision of a prostitution vehicle is valid for a maximum of 3 years. You can extend it on application.
If you wish to operate your prostitution business through a proxy, you will also require a proxy permit.

Please note that in addition to the permit requirement for the prostitution business, other permit or notification requirements apply in accordance with other regulations:

• Catering trade,
• trade protection
• building protection
• water protection
• immission control
• Special use of public road areas

Requirements

• You are at least 18 years old.
• If you wish to operate a prostitution business, you must undergo a background check by the competent authority.
• In prostitution establishments, you must ensure that the rooms used for sexual services meet certain standards. This includes:
  
  • the rooms are not visible from the outside
  • the establishment has a proper emergency call system
  • the doors can be opened from the inside at any time
  • the rooms are not intended for use as living and sleeping areas.
• The places of prostitution also have:
  
  • adequate sanitary facilities
  • suitable recreation and break rooms
  • individually lockable storage facilities for personal belongings
• The prostitution vehicle meets the minimum requirements for prostitution vehicles. These include
  
  • a sufficiently large interior
  • adequate interior fittings
  • adequate sanitary facilities
  • a valid operating license
  • the vehicle is in a technically operational condition
  • the doors can be opened from the inside at any time
  • help is available at all times via technical precautions
• The minimum requirements for prostitution establishments apply accordingly to the rooms used for prostitution events.