A criminal record certificate is a document that certifies whether or not you have a criminal record. If you need to prove whether or not you have a criminal record, you can apply for a criminal record certificate.

There are the following types of criminal record certificates:

• Basic criminal record certificate
• extended criminal record certificate
• Certificate of Good Conduct for submission to a government agency
• European criminal record certificate

If you need the certificate of good conduct for personal purposes, you’ll need a standard certificate of good conduct. This is used, for example, for submission to your employer.

You’ll need an extended criminal record check if you

• plan to work with children and youth, for example at a school or a sports club, or
• plan to work with people who require care or with people with disabilities.

The criminal record certificate for official purposes is intended exclusively for submission to a government agency, for example, if you need a driver’s license. The certificate is then sent directly to the agency that requested it from you. In addition to criminal court decisions, it also includes certain decisions by administrative authorities, such as the revocation of a professional license. If you suspect that the certificate contains entries, you can request that it first be sent to a local court of your choice so that you can review it there.

If you hold citizenship of one or more other EU member states or the United Kingdom in addition to German citizenship, you will receive the requested document as a European Certificate of Good Conduct. In addition to the German certificate of good conduct, it includes information about entries in the criminal record of the home Member State in the language in which it was transmitted, provided that the home Member State requires such transmission under its law.