Do you need a building permit for vending machines?
A building permit is roughly defined as follows: A building permit is an official authorization that ensures that a construction project complies with the applicable building regulations and safety standards. It is issued following an inspection by the responsible building supervisory authority.
If you read through this definition, you would not necessarily think that vending machines could also be subject to a building permit requirement. Unfortunately, this impression is misleading; depending on the federal state, a building permit is required for the installation of a vending machine. As there are severe penalties for violations, we would like to explain in this article how you can find out whether a building permit is required or not.
What does the building permit requirement depend on?
The building permit requirement is a matter for the federal states. In other words, each of the 16 German federal states has its own laws and regulations that are set out in the building code.
There are sometimes complicated rules as to when planning permission is required and when it is not. For example, a building permit may be required for site A and no building permit may be required for site B, which is less than 50 meters away from site A.
The right way to find out whether planning permission is required:
The first step is to think about where you want to set up the vending machine. If you have chosen an attractive location, you should contact the responsible building supervisory authority and ask them whether a building permit is required for the desired location. Alternatively, you can also consult the building regulations of your federal state, although we would recommend that you contact the building inspectorate directly to be absolutely certain.
If a building permit is required, you should apply for it promptly, as the processing of such an application can sometimes take a while.