A serviceable address (ladungsfähige Anschrift) is an address at which legal documents can be formally served on you, for example letters from courts or authorities. It consists of name, street, house number, postal code and city. A P.O. box or just an email address is not enough. It is required, among other places, in the legal notice (Impressum) under Section 5 of the German Digital Services Act (DDG).

For you as an influencer or model with a business social media presence, this is especially relevant, because business accounts also need a legal notice with a serviceable address. If it’s missing or wrong, you risk cease-and-desist letters and fines.

But you don’t necessarily have to publish your private address. One option is your agency’s or management’s address with the addition “c/o” (“care of”), provided the agency explicitly agrees, actually accepts mail for you and reliably forwards it to you. You can also state your own office or a co-working space if you actually work there and mail is accepted for you. Legal-notice services with a c/o address are also widespread, but they are not entirely risk-free, because pure mailbox addresses where you can’t actually be reached are considered legally uncertain.

What matters is always that mail sent to the stated address really reaches you. A c/o must not obscure how you can be reached. If in doubt, get legal advice on which solution is safe for you.

See also: Legal Notice Requirement, Contracts.