European Accessibility Act in Germany: what small online businesses need to know
How the EAA applies in Germany: the national law, who enforces it, the fines, the microenterprise exemption and the duties that catch small businesses out.
Last checked: 3 November 2026. Guidance, not legal advice.
The law
Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), in force since 28 June 2025.
Who enforces it
The Länder share one market surveillance body, the MLBF (Marktüberwachungsstelle der Länder für die Barrierefreiheit von Produkten und Dienstleistungen) in Magdeburg, working since 26 September 2025.
Fines
- Up to €100,000 for offering a service that does not meet the accessibility requirements (§ 37 BFSG).
- Up to €10,000 for missing, wrong or late information and documents.
Are small businesses exempt?
Exempt for services: fewer than 10 staff, and annual turnover or balance sheet total of at most €2 million (§ 2 Nr. 17, § 3(3)). Microenterprises that sell products are not exempt from the product rules.
What to watch for
- Publish the accessibility information (Annex 3) in your terms and conditions or somewhere clearly visible, in an accessible form — and it must name the market surveillance authority.
- Products already used to provide a service before 28 June 2025 may stay in use until 27 June 2030.
- Consumers and recognised associations can ask the authority to act (§ 32), or use free conciliation (§ 34).
Not yet confirmed
We only state what we could confirm. These points still need checking against the official text:
- Competitor warning letters (Abmahnungen) under unfair-competition law are widely discussed but were not researched for this page.
Sources
- BFSG — gesetze-im-internet.de (official)
- BFSG § 37, fines (official)
- BFSG Annex 3, information to publish (official)
- MLBF — Land Schleswig-Holstein (official)
Where do you stand?
The free 5-minute EAA checklist gives you a readiness score and a prioritised fix list, and Coffer for Business can scan your site automatically.