Law · Updated October 2026

Impressum for sole traders and e.U.: what Austrian law requires (as of October 2026)

Draft. This page has not been editorially reviewed yet. The legal review is still pending.

As a sole trader, your website needs an Impressum (legal notice) under § 5 ECG (E-Commerce Act): name, address, email, contact details, chamber, trade authority, professional rules and – if you have one – your UID number (VAT ID). If you're not in the Firmenbuch (company register), add the location of your trade licence (§ 63 GewO); as an e.U. you instead need your Firma (registered business name), legal form, registered office, company register number and company register court (§ 14 UGB). The Mediengesetz (Media Act) also requires a short disclosure. For a plain business website, your name, business purpose and place of residence or registered office are enough for that. This page is an overview, not legal advice.

What the law requires

§ 5 Abs. 1 ECG
A service provider must keep at least certain information permanently, easily and directly accessible to users: name or Firma (registered business name), geographic address of the establishment, contact details including email address, Firmenbuch (company register) number and court where applicable, the supervisory authority if any, chamber/professional title/professional rules, and the UID number (VAT ID) if one exists.
§ 63 Abs. 1 GewO 1994
Self-employed traders who are natural persons and not entered in the Firmenbuch (company register) must state their name and the location of their trade licence on business letters, order forms and websites.
§ 14 Abs. 1 UGB
Businesses entered in the Firmenbuch (company register), including the e.U., must state their Firma (registered business name), legal form, registered office, company register number and company register court on business letters, order forms and their websites. Sole traders must also state their own name if it differs from the Firma.
§ 25 Abs. 5 MedienG
For a website whose opinion-forming content goes no further than presenting the media owner (a "small website"), only the name or Firma, the business purpose where applicable, and the place of residence or registered office of the media owner must be disclosed.
§ 26 ECG
Breaches of the information duties under § 5 Abs. 1 ECG are an administrative offence and carry a fine of up to EUR 3,000.

Checklist

ItemLegal basis
Name of the business owner (first name and surname) (Business not entered in the company register.)§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 1 ECG; § 63 Abs. 1 GewO
Firma (registered business name) as in the Firmenbuch, including the legal form suffix (e.g. e.U.) (e.U. only.)§ 14 Abs. 1 UGB; § 5 Abs. 1 Z 1 ECG
Name of the owner, if it differs from the Firma (e.U. only.)§ 14 Abs. 1 UGB
Legal form (registered sole trader) (e.U. only; according to the WKO not strictly needed separately if it is clear from the business name. Add "in Liquidation" where applicable.)§ 14 Abs. 1 UGB
Registered office as in the Firmenbuch (e.U. only.)§ 14 Abs. 1 UGB
Company register number (Firmenbuchnummer) (e.U. only.)§ 14 Abs. 1 UGB; § 5 Abs. 1 Z 4 ECG
Company register court (Firmenbuchgericht) (e.U. only.)§ 14 Abs. 1 UGB; § 5 Abs. 1 Z 4 ECG
Location of the trade licence (Only traders not entered in the Firmenbuch.)§ 63 Abs. 1 GewO
Full geographic address of the establishment (According to the WKO, an address suitable for official and court service of documents, not a PO box.)§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 2 ECG
Email address (Explicitly named in the law.)§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 3 ECG
A further way to get in touch quickly and directly (e.g. phone) (The WKO recommends at least two contact channels; for online shops, according to the WKO, the FAGG (Distance and Off-Premises Contracts Act) requires phone and email in any case.)§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 3 ECG
UID number (VAT ID) (Only if you have one.)§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 7 ECG
Supervisory authority / trade authority (Where the activity is subject to official supervision; the WKO recommends stating the trade authority (BH/Magistrat, district authority or municipal office) in every case.)§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 5 ECG
Chamber membership (e.g. member of the WKÖ, regional chamber, trade organisation) (For activities regulated by trade or professional law.)§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 6 ECG
Professional title and state in which it was awarded (If applicable; according to the WKO, the master craftsperson title (Meistertitel) is not a professional title that must be stated under the ECG.)§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 6 ECG
Reference to the applicable trade/professional rules and how to access them (WKO example: "Gewerbeordnung: www.ris.bka.gv.at".)§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 6 ECG
Business purpose (Unternehmensgegenstand) (Disclosure for a small website.)§ 25 Abs. 5 MedienG
Place of residence (not registered) or registered office (e.U.) of the media owner (Disclosure for a small website.)§ 25 Abs. 5 MedienG
Blattlinie (basic editorial line) (Large website only.)§ 25 Abs. 4 MedienG
Any silent partnerships and trust arrangements (Large website only.)§ 25 Abs. 2 MedienG

Who is exempt

  • § 63 GewO (name and location of the trade licence) applies only to traders not entered in the Firmenbuch (company register); for the e.U., § 14 UGB applies instead (WKO brochure on the e.U., as of August 2025).
  • § 14 UGB applies only to businesses entered in the Firmenbuch; for sole traders who are not registered, the company register number, company register court and legal form do not apply.
  • The UID number (VAT ID) only has to be stated if you have one (§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 7 ECG).
  • Supervisory authority only where the activity is subject to official supervision (§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 5 ECG); chamber, professional title and professional rules only for activities regulated by trade or professional law (§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 6 ECG).
  • The Blattlinie (editorial line) and details of shareholdings are not required for a small website (§ 25 Abs. 5 MedienG: Abs. 3 and 4 do not apply).

Common mistakes

  • As an unregistered one-person business, you've added a company register entry or legal form suffix that doesn't exist for you.
  • As an e.U., your company register number or company register court is missing.
  • Your Firma differs from your own name, but your name as the owner isn't in the Impressum.
  • There's only a contact form instead of an email address.
  • The UID number (VAT ID) is missing even though you have one.
  • The trade authority, chamber membership or the link to the Gewerbeordnung on ris.bka.gv.at is missing.
  • The business purpose for the disclosure under the Mediengesetz (Media Act) is missing.
  • You've given only a PO box instead of a full geographic address.

Frequently asked questions

Do I still need an Impressum as a small business without a UID number?

Yes. The Impressum duty under § 5 ECG doesn't depend on your turnover, but on the fact that you run a website as a service provider. According to § 5 Abs. 1 Z 7 ECG, however, you only have to state your UID number (VAT ID) if you have one. You still need all the other details, such as name, address, email, chamber, trade authority and the reference to the Gewerbeordnung (Trade Regulation Act).

What changes if I register as an e.U. in the Firmenbuch?

Then § 14 UGB applies instead of § 63 GewO. You must state your Firma (registered business name), legal form, registered office, company register number and company register court. If your Firma differs from your own name, your name as the owner must be added too. The details under § 5 ECG, such as email, chamber and trade authority, stay the same. So after registering, check your Impressum, your email signature and your social media profiles.

Does my private address have to go in the Impressum if I work from home?

§ 5 Abs. 1 Z 2 ECG requires the geographic address at which you are established. According to the WKO (Chamber of Commerce), this must be an address suitable for official and court service of documents; a PO box isn't enough. If your trade location is your home, that's usually this address. Whether another business address is possible is best clarified with your Wirtschaftskammer.

Is a contact form enough instead of an email address?

No. § 5 Abs. 1 Z 3 ECG requires details for quick and direct contact, explicitly including your email address. The WKO recommends at least two contact channels, such as email plus phone. If you run an online shop, according to the WKO the FAGG (Distance and Off-Premises Contracts Act) requires a phone number and email address in any case.

This page is not legal advice. What counts are the laws in force and the information from your chamber or your legal adviser.

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Sources

  1. RIS – § 5 ECG (retrieved on 3 October 2026)
  2. RIS – § 63 GewO 1994 (retrieved on 3 October 2026)
  3. RIS – § 14 UGB (retrieved on 3 October 2026)
  4. RIS – § 25 MedienG (retrieved on 3 October 2026)
  5. RIS – § 26 ECG (retrieved on 3 October 2026)
  6. WKO – Das korrekte Website Impressum für nicht im Firmenbuch eingetragene Einzelunternehmen (retrieved on 3 October 2026)
  7. WKO – Broschüre (PDF, Stand August 2025), nicht im Firmenbuch eingetragene Einzelunternehmen (retrieved on 3 October 2026)
  8. WKO – Das korrekte Website Impressum für e.U. (retrieved on 3 October 2026)
  9. WKO – Broschüre (PDF, Stand August 2025), e.U. (retrieved on 3 October 2026)
  10. WKO Firmen A-Z – ECG-Service (retrieved on 3 October 2026)

Last checked on 3 October 2026.

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