Lost property and finder’s reward: the rules when you find something

In short: Anyone in Germany who finds a lost item may not simply keep it. The German Civil Code (BGB) sets out when you have to report a find, when you are entitled to a finder’s reward and when you can become the owner yourself.

In more detail: The rules on found property are in sections 965 and following of the BGB. They aim to return property to the person who lost it while also rewarding honest finders.

In detail

• Duty to report: If you find something, you must report it to the person who lost it or, if that person is unknown, to the responsible authority, usually the local council’s lost property office (Fundbüro).
• Minor finds: For items worth no more than ten euros, there is no duty to report the find to the authority; however, the item still belongs to the person who lost it.
• Keeping it safe: Until it is returned or handed in, the item must be looked after carefully; you can also hand it in directly at the lost property office.
• Finder’s reward: By law the finder’s reward is five per cent of the value up to 500 euros and three per cent of any value above that; for animals it is three per cent.
• Finds in public buildings and transport: If you find something in the premises of a public authority or on public transport, you must hand it in there; a finder’s reward is then only paid at a reduced rate and only above a certain value.
• Ownership after the deadline: If the rightful owner does not come forward, the finder can usually become the owner six months after reporting the find to the lost property office.
• Keeping it is a criminal offence: Anyone who deliberately conceals a find and keeps it may be committing the offence of misappropriation (Unterschlagung).
• If you have lost something: If you have lost something yourself, it is best to ask at the local lost property office as well as at transport operators, the railway or the place where you lost it; for ID cards, bank cards or keys you should also have them blocked or secured straight away.
• Individual cases: The rules are simplified here; in disputes about value, reward or ownership, the lost property office, the Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centre) or a lawyer can help (verjaehrung-im-zivilrecht).