← FFCheckWho do I contact?DE
Government · Germany
Updated September 2026

💡 A streetlight, road or pavement is broken — who do I report it to?

Direct answer

The municipality — Ordnungsamt / Bürgeramt der Stadt (115) — through its reporting app or online form; most cities fix streetlights within days when they are reported with the pole number (on a small plate on the pole). Lights on main roads and motorways belong to the road authority; the form routes it. A whole street dark or a damaged cable: Your grid operator — outage line, the grid operator. If a hazard you reported is ignored for weeks, Petitionsausschuss / Bürgerbeauftragte der Länder (epetitionen.bundestag.de) takes complaints about municipal service.

Call firstOrdnungsamt / Bürgeramt der Stadt
Report toYour grid operator — outage line
If that failsPetitionsausschuss / Bürgerbeauftragte der Länder

🗣️ What to say

"Streetlight [pole number] at [street, near number] has been out since [date] / the pavement at [place] is broken and dangerous. Photo attached. Please repair it and confirm the report number."

🪜 Step by step

  1. Pole number and photoThe plate on the pole; a photo with a landmark. Reports with a number are fixed first.
  2. Report: Ordnungsamt / Bürgeramt der StadtApp or online form; most cities have one. Keep the report number.
  3. Whole area dark: Your grid operator — outage lineThat is a grid fault, not a lamp; the grid operator's outage line.
  4. HazardA hole, a loose slab, a fallen sign: say "hazard" — it changes the response time. If someone is hurt, the municipality is liable; keep the report.
  5. Ignored: Petitionsausschuss / Bürgerbeauftragte der LänderAfter a written reminder; the ombudsman handles municipal inaction.

📇 All contacts

Ordnungsamt / Bürgeramt der StadtPublic-order office: nuisances, noise, waste, registration, lost propertyFor anything the city regulates📞 115🔗 www.behoerdenfinder.de
Your grid operator — outage linePower cuts, damaged lines, meter faults (not the supplier)During an outage; the number is on your bill
Petitionsausschuss / Bürgerbeauftragte der LänderComplaints about authorities, inaction, unfair treatmentWhen the authority does not answer or acts unfairly🔗 epetitionen.bundestag.de

❓ Frequently asked

How long should it take?

Streetlights: days to two weeks. Road defects: depends on severity; hazards should be made safe within 24–48 hours.

I tripped and got hurt

Photograph the spot, get witnesses, see a doctor, report to the municipality in writing, and claim — they are liable for known, unrepaired defects.

Private road or car park?

Then the owner; the municipality will tell you who if you ask.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

  • “report broken streetlight Germany”
  • “report pothole municipality”
  • “streetlight out who to call”
  • “pavement damage report city”
  • “municipal reporting app”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related questions

🗑️Illegal dumping→⚡Power outage→📩Object to a decision→🔨Building without permit→

Your tools for Germany

Before it goes wrongCan I?What is allowed, what is not, which permit you need — with the official source.Energy · GermanyElectricity & gasThe rules that protect you as an electricity and gas customer in Germany, and who to contact. Every fact is checked on an official source.Recognise it firstIs dit veilig?Check a phone number, website or message against 47,000 scam dossiers.