Setting up a vending machine: permits, obligations and choice of location

A Vending machine works around the clock, without staff and without shop opening hours. But before it takes its first euro, a few formalities need to be completed. Most are quick; others depend on what you sell and where the vending machine stands. This overview shows what to consider before installation. It describes the situation in Germany; in other countries, the respective national rules apply.

Registering a trade and labelling the vending machine

Anyone who installs vending machines as a self-employed trade must register this with the trade office. Under Section 14(3) of the German Trade Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung), this is done with the authority at the location of your head office, not separately for each location. The trade office usually informs the tax office and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce automatically. If you already run a business, check whether installing vending machines is covered by your existing registration.

Your surname with at least one first name written out in full, your address for service and the address of your head office must be clearly displayed on the vending machine itself. If your company is entered in the commercial register, the company name must be added. A small, weatherproof sign next to the control panel is sufficient.

Registration with the food inspection authority

As soon as you sell food or drinks, you are a food business operator. Under Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, you must register with the food inspection authority responsible for the location of the vending machine. If new locations or new ranges are added, update the registration.

Hygiene and self-monitoring

For packaged goods that do not need to be chilled, simple checks are usually sufficient: check best-before dates, keep the vending machine clean, store goods properly. It becomes more demanding with chilled, frozen or freshly prepared food. In that case, the authorities expect a self-monitoring system based on HACCP principles with documented temperature checks, a cleaning schedule and goods-in checks. The cooling must work reliably even when nobody is on site. Vending machines with temperature monitoring and cloud alarms make this proof much easier.

Anyone who handles unpackaged, perishable food themselves, for example when restocking a fresh food vending machine, also needs an initial instruction from the public health office under Section 43 of the German Infection Protection Act.

Labelling and allergens

For pre-packaged goods, the mandatory information under the Food Information Regulation is on the packaging. You make sure it is complete and legible. If the vending machine dispenses food unpackaged or freshly prepared, for example pizza, French fries or speciality coffees, allergens and additives requiring labelling must be identifiable before purchase. This can be done with a sign on the vending machine or directly in the ordering menu on the touchscreen.

Securing the right location

Private land and commercial premises

Most vending machines stand on private or commercially used land: in a company, hotel or gym, on petrol station premises or in the entrance area of a residential building. Here you mainly need the consent of the owner or landlord. Record in writing whether you pay a fixed site rent or a revenue share, who pays for electricity, who is liable for damage and with what notice the agreement can be terminated.

Public spaces

If the vending machine is to stand on the pavement or a public square, you need a special use permit from the municipality. Many towns are cautious about this, and some refuse vending machines in public street space altogether. So ask the public order office or civil engineering office early on.

Building law

In many German federal states, vending machines are exempt from building permit procedures, in Baden-Württemberg for example under the annex to Section 50 of the State Building Code. But exempt from procedures does not mean exempt from rules: development plans, monument protection, design statutes or a redevelopment area can still impose requirements. This applies in particular to outdoor vending machines with lighting or large-scale advertising. A brief enquiry with the building authority provides clarity.

Power and transport route

Before ordering, check whether a suitable power connection is available at the location. Refrigerated snack and drinks vending machines usually run on a normal socket, whereas freezer and pizza vending machines with an oven need a dedicated, adequately fused circuit. The connection values are in the data sheet. Also think about weight and dimensions: larger vending machines weigh several hundred kilograms and have to get through doors, over steps and onto a load-bearing floor.

Youth protection for tobacco, e-cigarettes and alcohol

Tobacco products and other nicotine-containing products, including e-cigarettes, may only be sold in public via vending machines if the machine is located in a place inaccessible to children and young people, or if technical devices or constant supervision prevent sale to minors (Section 10(2) of the German Youth Protection Act). In practice, this is handled by age verification with an ID scanner directly on the unit.

The rules for alcohol are stricter. Under Section 9(3) of the German Youth Protection Act, sale via vending machines in public is only permitted in places that are not accessible to minors, or in commercially used premises where technical devices or constant supervision prevent removal by children and young people. A wine vending machine in a farm shop or hotel is therefore more feasible than at a freely accessible roadside. Clarify locations for alcohol with the public order office in advance.

Prices, cash register and taxes

For private customers, the German Price Indication Ordinance applies: every item needs a clearly visible final price including VAT, on the vending machine or on the display.

Pure merchandise vending machines do not need a certified technical security device (TSE). Under Section 1 of the German Cash Register Security Ordinance, merchandise and service vending machines are not considered electronic recording systems. You must still record your takings in full, and the sales data from telemetry and the card terminal helps with this.

For VAT, the reduced rate of 7 percent usually applies to food and 19 percent to most drinks. Details such as mixed ranges or coffee drinks are best clarified with your tax adviser.

Sales around the clock

Individual vending machines are not points of sale within the meaning of the German shop opening laws and may therefore also sell at night and on Sundays. Some federal states have issued their own rules on floor space and Sunday opening for walk-in vending shops, known as smart stores.

Checklist before you start

• Trade registered and mandatory information displayed on the vending machine
• Registered with the responsible food inspection authority
• Site agreement covering rent or revenue share, electricity and liability signed
• Special use and building law clarified, if necessary
• Power connection and transport route checked
• Age verification for tobacco, e-cigarettes or alcohol set up
• Prices, labelling and allergens visible
• Cleaning schedule and temperature checks defined
• Insurance against theft, vandalism and liability claims taken out

Advice from VendSpot

VendSpot supplies vending machines throughout Europe and advises you on location, range, payment system and financing. Talk to us before you order. Together we clarify which vending machine suits your location and what needs to be considered there. You can reach us Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm on +49 176 63463646 or by email to kontakt@vendspot.shop. You can read about the costs to expect in our guide How much does a vending machine cost?

As of: September 2026. This overview does not replace legal or tax advice in individual cases.