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German Crafts Code and the master craftsman requirement

Anyone who wants to run one of the 53 crafts in Annex A must be entered on the Handwerksrolle before starting; for the trades in Annex B a notification to the chamber of crafts is enough. The first module shows when activities are essential and the routes onto the register: master examination, equivalent qualifications, the practice authorisation for journeymen with six years of experience, four of them in a senior position, and the exceptional authorisation. The second covers the operations manager, notifications under sections 16 and 18, fines of up to €10,000 under the Crafts Code and up to €50,000 under the Act to Combat Undeclared Work, and chamber membership with the contribution exemption for founders. Two modules with case studies based on the statute.

Intermediate2 modules48 minModule 1 free to read

2026 rules — verified on September 23, 2026

Figures are tied to dated, sourced tax constants. A module whose rules have changed is flagged for review, and is unpublished automatically beyond 90 days.

By the end of this course, you can…

These outcomes are the modules' own: the promise cannot say anything the course does not teach.

  • use Annexes A and B of the Crafts Code to check whether a planned business is a licensed craft, a free craft or a craft-like trade
  • recognise when individual activities are essential and when they may be carried out without an entry
  • distinguish the routes onto the craft register: master examination, equivalent qualifications, practice authorisation and exceptional authorisation
  • apply the conditions of the practice authorisation for experienced journeymen under section 7b and its exclusions
  • explain the entry procedure, the three-month deadline and the craft card
  • explain how a company or an owner without their own qualification gets onto the craft register through an operations manager
  • distinguish the notification duties towards the trade office and the chamber of crafts for licensed and free businesses
  • know the chamber's rights to information and inspection and their limits
  • place the consequences of unauthorised craft work under the Crafts Code and the Act to Combat Undeclared Work
  • apply membership of the chamber of crafts and the contribution exemptions for founders

The programme, module by module

Each module has its own page. Durations are derived from the actual text, never announced by hand.

  1. Module 124 minFree — no accountLicensed or free: which crafts belong on the Handwerksrolle and who can be enteredWhat you will be able to do
    • use Annexes A and B of the Crafts Code to check whether a planned business is a licensed craft, a free craft or a craft-like trade
    • recognise when individual activities are essential and when they may be carried out without an entry
    • distinguish the routes onto the craft register: master examination, equivalent qualifications, practice authorisation and exceptional authorisation
    • apply the conditions of the practice authorisation for experienced journeymen under section 7b and its exclusions
    • explain the entry procedure, the three-month deadline and the craft card
    Read this module
  2. Module 224 minIncluded in the full courseOperations managers, notifications, fines and membership of the chamber of craftsWhat you will be able to do
    • explain how a company or an owner without their own qualification gets onto the craft register through an operations manager
    • distinguish the notification duties towards the trade office and the chamber of crafts for licensed and free businesses
    • know the chamber's rights to information and inspection and their limits
    • place the consequences of unauthorised craft work under the Crafts Code and the Act to Combat Undeclared Work
    • apply membership of the chamber of crafts and the contribution exemptions for founders
    View the module — full course

What you take away

A handout you keep, not just a page you read. The sections are derived from the course itself: what is announced here is exactly what gets generated.

  • Participant handout (PDF)

    PDF

    • Learning objectives (2)
    • Key figures (10)
    • Mistakes to avoid (2)
    • Official sources (2)

  • Exercise workbook (Word)

    Word

    • Learning objectives (2)
    • Key figures (10)
    • Mistakes to avoid (2)
    • Official sources (2)

Answers live in a separate appendix: the participant handout and the workbook stay distributable before the exercise.

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Where this course leads

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Educational content, current with the sources cited. It does not replace advice tailored to your situation. These courses are neither certifying nor CPF-eligible: they prepare for no certification registered with the French RNCP or specific register.