🧭 Advice and contact points

Where to find advice on civil rights, data protection, discrimination and legal matters. Only checked, nationwide bodies.

advice contact points anti-discrimination agency BfDI legal advice assistance (Beratungshilfe) Bundesnetzagentur Justiz-Services

In brief

These bodies are nationwide and checked:

Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes (Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency): antidiskriminierungsstelle.gov.de
BfDI (data protection and freedom of information, federal): Graurheindorfer Straße 153, 53117 Bonn, poststelle@bfdi.bund.de, tel. 0228-997799-0
Justiz-Services (legal advice assistance test): service.justiz.de/beratungshilfe
Bundeswahlleiterin: bundeswahlleiterin.de
HateAid (help with online hate): hateaid.org

For your federal state and your city, please look up the responsible body yourself. We do not list unchecked addresses.

Step by step

Determine the topicDiscrimination, data, elections, law in general?
Choose the right bodySee the list above or the responsible offices on the topic page.
Organise your documentsDate, incident, correspondence.
Mention deadlinesSay straight away if a deadline is running.

Deadlines

2 months

Asserting claims under § 21 para. 5 AGG. Seek advice early.§ 21 para. 5 AGG

1 month

Deadline for answering access requests under Art. 12 para. 3 DSGVO.Art. 12 para. 3 DSGVO

Watch out – common mistakes

We do not list regional advice centres because we have not checked them individually.
Advice centres cannot guarantee success.
In acute danger, call 110 or 112.
This platform is not legal advice.

In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

How the bodies fit together

The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency is the contact point for the AGG. The BfDI supervises federal authorities on data protection and is the contact point for freedom of information at federal level. Questions about elections are handled by the Bundeswahlleiterin and the state returning officers, as well as the municipality. For legal advice on a low income, there are legal advice assistance and legal aid.

Gap

Regional advice centres, state data protection authorities, state returning officers, public order offices and naturalisation authorities differ by place and state and have not been listed individually.

Who is responsible

Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes)
BfDI
Local court (Amtsgericht) (legal advice assistance)
Local authority / municipality

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Advice and contact points“?

Where to find advice on civil rights, data protection, discrimination and legal matters. Only checked, nationwide bodies.

Which deadlines and figures matter?

2 months: Asserting claims under § 21 para. 5 AGG. Seek advice early. (§ 21 para. 5 AGG)
1 month: Deadline for answering access requests under Art. 12 para. 3 DSGVO. (Art. 12 para. 3 DSGVO)

What should I do first?

Determine the topic: Discrimination, data, elections, law in general?
Choose the right body: See the list above or the responsible offices on the topic page.
Organise your documents: Date, incident, correspondence.

What do I need to watch out for?

We do not list regional advice centres because we have not checked them individually.
Advice centres cannot guarantee success.
In acute danger, call 110 or 112.

Evidence

BfDI, bfdi.bund.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes, antidiskriminierungsstelle.gov.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
Justiz-Services, service.justiz.de/beratungshilfe (search result), retrieved 20 September 2026
HateAid, hateaid.org (search result), retrieved 20 September 2026

As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.