Opening a bar in Germany: what you need to know for a bar, pub or club

Gaststättenerlaubnis or notice

A bar without alcohol is rare, so there is no way around hospitality law. Bavaria, Berlin, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Schleswig-Holstein apply the federal Gaststättengesetz: you need a licence under § 2 GastG and the IHK Unterrichtungsnachweis (certificate from the Chamber of Commerce briefing). Bremen has its own licence. The other states, including Baden-Württemberg since 2026, require a notice (Anzeige) a few weeks before opening, and the authority checks your reliability. The state table and the list of documents are in our guide to the Gaststättenerlaubnis.

Especially important for bars: the authority looks closely at the premises and the neighbourhood. Under § 4 (1) no. 3 GastG, a licence can be refused if the location of the business suggests harmful environmental effects, which mainly means noise. Under building law, a club with a dance floor is also often an entertainment venue (Vergnügungsstätte), which is not permitted in every zone. Clarify this with the building authority before you sign a lease.

Closing hours: how long you can stay open

The federal law leaves closing hours to the states: under § 18 GastG, state governments can set them by regulation and extend, shorten or lift them where there is a public need or special local circumstances. Most states have cut the general closing hours sharply in recent years. In Bavaria and Saxony, for example, bars and restaurants only have a cleaning hour from 5 to 6 a.m.; other states such as Berlin and Hamburg largely do without general closing hours.

That does not mean you can automatically stay open until morning. Municipalities can impose longer closing hours for individual venues or areas, building permits often include operating hours, and outdoor areas usually have much earlier closing times. Ask your municipality about the current closing hours regulation (Sperrzeitverordnung) and any conditions for your location.

Youth protection: alcohol, presence and dancing

The Jugendschutzgesetz applies nationwide and must be displayed clearly in your venue (§ 3 JuSchG). For bars and clubs, these rules are key:

For presence in venues and at dance events, parents or a person entrusted with their upbringing count as an accompanying adult; for alcohol from 14, only persons with parental custody count, usually the parents. In August 2026 the federal cabinet decided to abolish this exception for accompanied drinking; the law has not yet been passed (as of November 2026). That is why many clubs check IDs at the door and use wristbands for guests aged 18 and over. Train your bar team: violations are administrative offences and can call your reliability for the licence into question.

Noise protection and non-smoker protection

Noise is the most common reason for trouble with neighbours and authorities. For venues inside buildings, the authority regularly applies the TA Lärm (Technical Instructions on Noise Protection). It sets emission limits per zone, for example 60 dB(A) by day and 45 dB(A) at night in mixed, core and village zones; night begins at 10 p.m. Open-air venues are excluded from the scope of the TA Lärm but in practice are often assessed along similar lines.

• Get a sound insulation report before conversion if you plan live music or DJs.
• Fit a sound level limiter to the system, decouple the speakers, keep doors and windows closed.
• Plan for smokers outside: especially after 10 p.m., conversations on the pavement often disturb more than the music inside.
• Get in touch with neighbours before the first complaint lands at the public order office.

Non-smoker protection in hospitality is state law. Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland are considered particularly strict, with a near-total smoking ban in bars and restaurants. Other states allow, under conditions, separate smoking rooms or small single-room pubs without food as smoking venues; minors are not allowed in. Check your state's Nichtraucherschutzgesetz (non-smoker protection act) before planning a smoking room.

GEMA, security and door control

Every public performance of music, whether a background playlist, a live band or a DJ, needs a licence from GEMA, the German music rights society. You register music use before you start; for permanent background music, there is an ongoing contract, and for events there are separate tariffs based on room size and admission price. If you play without a licence, you will usually pay considerably more afterwards.

Door staff fall under security law: anyone who commercially guards the life or property of others needs a permit under § 34a GewO. For security work at the entrance of hospitality discos, § 34a (1a) GewO also requires a competence exam (Sachkundeprüfung) taken at the IHK. So only hire security companies with a permit and qualified staff. Whether, and which, requirements apply to your own employees at the door is something to clarify with the IHK or the public order office.

Drinks menu and price display

Under § 13 PAngV (Preisangabenverordnung, the Price Indication Ordinance), you need a price list for all drinks and food on the tables or to show before ordering, and a list of the main prices next to the entrance. Prices are final prices including VAT, service charges and any other surcharges. Work out prices per glass and bottle in advance from purchase price and target margin with the drinks price calculator. A happy hour price or an admission fee that includes a free drink must be clearly recognisable. More in our guide to price display; what your till must be able to do is explained in the guide to till systems with TSE.

Website with events and reservations

Bars and clubs live from occasions: DJ nights, tastings, quiz evenings, football. A website with an events calendar, drinks menu, opening hours and table reservations turns Instagram posts into real guests. With events in your Google Business Profile and structured data on your website, your dates also appear in Google Search. For groups and company parties, a dedicated enquiry page pays off; how to avoid no-shows is covered in our guide to online reservations.