Purpose
The objection proceedings are often a prerequisite for access to an administrative court action and at the same time the most economical opportunity for correction before litigation. Errors in time limits and form preclude, without reinstatement, any further legal remedy.
Inputs
- Administrative act (addressee, authority, date, content, legal remedy instruction)
- Date of notification (service with PZU vs. ordinary letter, vs. electronic)
- Main concern (rescission / obligation / declaratory)
- History of the proceedings (hearing held?)
- Urgency (enforceability?)
Procedure
1. Admissibility (§ 68 VwGO)
An objection is admissible against:
- Administrative act eligible for an action for rescission (rescission objection)
- Inaction/rejection situations eligible for an action for obligation (obligation objection)
Exceptions to the preliminary proceedings (state law or § 68(1) sentence 2 VwGO):
- Federal higher authorities in many areas
- Exceptions under state law (e.g., North Rhine-Westphalia has largely abolished preliminary proceedings)
2. Form (§ 70 VwGO)
- In writing or for the record with the authority
- Electronically possible with a qualified signature
- Content: designation of the contested administrative act, intention to challenge recognizable
- Recommendation: statement of grounds (may be submitted later)
3. Time limit (§ 70 VwGO)
- 1 month from notification
- In case of an incorrect legal remedy instruction: 1 year (§ 58(2) VwGO)
- Calculation pursuant to §§ 187 et seq. BGB in conjunction with § 57 VwGO
Reinstatement § 60 VwGO in the event of excusable failure to comply (2 weeks from the removal of the obstacle).
4. Suspensive effect (§ 80 VwGO)
General rule: suspensive effect
An objection has suspensive effect (§ 80(1) VwGO).
Exceptions under § 80(2) VwGO
- Public charges and costs
- Non-deferrable police orders
- Administrative acts with ordered immediate enforcement
- Other orders under federal or state law
Legal protection where suspensive effect is lacking
- Application under § 80(4) VwGO (suspension by the authority)
- Application under § 80(5) VwGO (judicial suspension)
5. Restoring suspensive effect § 80(5) VwGO
Application to the administrative court. Requirements:
- Doubts as to legality or
- balancing of the interest in enforcement in favor of the applicant
6. Objection authority and objection decision
- Issuing authority reviews remedy
- Next higher authority decides if no remedy is granted
- Notice of objection decision with legal remedy instructions
7. Transition to court proceedings
Action before the Administrative Court within 1 month from service of the notice of objection decision (§§ 74, 42 VwGO). Exception: action for failure to act under § 75 VwGO after 3 months without a decision.
8. Costs
- Objection proceedings do not necessarily incur costs (depends on the federal state)
- Legal fees reimbursable only upon revocation / amendment of the administrative act and corresponding reimbursement
Sources
Statutes
- §§ 68–73 VwGO (preliminary proceedings)
- § 80 VwGO (suspensive effect)
- §§ 42, 74, 75, 113 VwGO
- §§ 35, 41 VwVfG (administrative act, notification)
Commentaries
- Kopp / Schenke, VwGO, 30th ed. 2024
- Stelkens / Bonk / Sachs, VwVfG, 10th ed. 2023
- Schoch / Schneider, VwGO (loose-leaf)
Case law
- BVerwG, judgment of 14.07.1999 – 6 C 7/98, NVwZ 2000, 70 (objection period)
[unverifiziert – prüfen] - BVerwG, order of 22.02.2018 – 7 B 14.17, NVwZ 2018, 813 (§ 80(5))
[unverifiziert – prüfen]
Output format
WIDERSPRUCHSVERFAHREN — <Mandat> — <Datum>
I. Verwaltungsakt
Behörde: <…>
Datum / Bekanntgabe: <…> / <…>
Inhalt: <Belastung / Ablehnung>
Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung: [korrekt / fehlerhaft]
II. Statthaftigkeit [✓ / ausgeschlossen wegen <…>]
III. Frist
1-Monats-Frist: läuft bis <Datum>
Verlängert auf 1 Jahr: [N/A / ja, wegen unrichtiger Belehrung]
Wiedereinsetzung erforderlich: [nein / ja]
IV. Form
Schriftlich / Niederschrift / elektronisch: <gewählt>
V. Aufschiebende Wirkung
Wirkung des Widerspruchs: [aufschiebend / sofort vollziehbar]
Anordnung sofortige Vollziehung: [N/A / vorhanden]
Antrag § 80 Abs. 5: [erforderlich / nicht]
VI. Begründung
Rechtsgrund: <…>
Tatsachenvortrag: <…>
VII. Folgemaßnahmen
Klage vor VG bei Misserfolg: Frist <Datum>
Empfehlung: <…>
Risks / typical mistakes
- Deadline missed — without restoration, the decision becomes final, no further recourse to court.
- Immediate enforcement overlooked — the objection then has no suspensive effect.
- Action brought instead of objection, although preliminary proceedings are available — action inadmissible.
- Action for failure to act brought too early — § 75 VwGO requires 3 months.
- Date of notification calculated incorrectly — § 41(2) VwVfG, 3-day fiction for simple notification.
- Error in legal remedy instructions not recognized — recognize and use the 1-year period.
- § 80(5) application confused with the main application — the urgent application is independent.