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Apply for a licence to handle and transport explosive substances commercially

Any responsible person handling explosive substances on behalf of a licence holder requires an official certificate of competence for handling and/or dealing with explosive substances. This includes, for example:

  • Supervisors, especially managers of the relevant company departments
  • Individuals authorised to carry out blasting
  • Foremen
  • Supervisory personnel qualified in explosive ordinance disposal,
  • Warehouse managers and
  • Individuals who transport explosive substances and deliver them to others as part of their transport role or accept them from the transport company.

Holders of a certificate of competence for the commercial handling and trading of substances with a risk of explosion can only be natural persons.

Related forms and processes

Prerequisite

  • Reliability
  • Specialist knowledge
  • Personal suitability
  • At least 21 years of age
  • German citizenship or citizenship from another EU member state

Responsible department

The local police authority

Local police headquarters depending on your place of residence:

  • The city administration in large cities in the district or
  • The district administration

Procedure

The certificate of competence for the handling and/or trading of substances with a risk of explosion can be applied for.

Please fill in the following forms for this purpose and submit these to the responsible authority personally:

  • “Application for the issuing of a certificate of competence in accordance with § 20 of the Law relating to Explosives”
  • If applicable: Form “A”

Please provide the necessary proof of your specialist knowledge.

Deadlines

A certificate of competence is usually limited to five years. You must apply for an extension in good time.

Required documents

  • Completed application forms
  • valid passport or personal ID card
  • Evidence of specialist knowledge
  • as evidence of personal reliability:
    • If residing in Germany:
      • certificate of good conduct (Führungszeugnis)
    • If residing abroad: documents from your country of residence that testify to your personal reliability.

The competent body may request additional documents in order to verify your personal reliability.

Costs

  • The fee rates stipulated by your local authority or district office in the fee regulations for explosives legislation apply.
  • For the Freiburg Regional Council, number 7.1.10.1 of the schedule of fees of the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Environment applies: EUR 70,00 - EUR 130,00

Legal basis

Sprengstoffgesetz (SprengG):

  • § 20 Befähigungsschein

Verordnung des Umweltministeriums über die Festsetzung der Gebührensätze für öffentliche Leistungen der staatlichen Behörden in seinem Geschäftsbereich (Gebührenverordnung UM - GebVO UM)

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Umweltministerium Baden-Württemberg, 06.02.2025