Leitweg-ID & B2G
No authority invoice without a Leitweg-ID: structure, check digit, transmission channels — and how to avoid the typical grounds for rejection.
What the Leitweg-ID is
The Leitweg-ID addresses an electronic invoice to the responsible office within the public administration — comparable to a postcode for invoices. It is assigned and communicated by the public contracting authority and belongs in the XRechnung as the buyer reference (BT-10). If it is missing or incorrect, the invoice is rejected automatically by the invoice-receipt platforms.
| Part | Content | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Coarse addressing | federal/state/municipal level per official key | 04011000 |
| Fine addressing (optional) | the specific office/department | 1234512345 |
| Check digit | two digits, per ISO 7064 (MOD 97-10) | 06 |
| Complete | joined with hyphens | 04011000-1234512345-06 |
Where do I get it?
Always from the contracting authority: in the purchase order, in the contract, in the supplier documents, or on request from the invoicing office. There is no public directory of all Leitweg-IDs — note it per customer. In CoolHanX you store the ID once on the partner record; its format and check digit are validated in the process, and every invoice to that customer carries it automatically.
Typical grounds for rejection — and how to avoid them
- Leitweg-ID missing/incorrect → maintain it on the partner record, have the check digit validated
- Format not EN 16931-compliant → send only validated XRechnung
- Mandatory fields empty (payment data, contact) → BR-DE validation before sending
- Wrong transmission channel → clarify with the contracting authority: portal (ZRE/OZG-RE) or email
| Contracting authority | Leitweg-ID (pattern) | usual channel |
|---|---|---|
| Federal authority | 991-XXXXX-YY | ZRE / OZG-RE |
| State authority (e.g. NRW) | 05XXX-XXXXX-YY | state portal / OZG-RE |
| Municipality | 04011000-XXXXX-YY | OZG-RE / email — ask in advance |
| University / municipal enterprise | depending on the entity | stated in the purchase order |
Federal, state, municipal — who accepts what?
The federal government uses the central platforms (ZRE/OZG-RE); the Länder operate their own portals or join in; municipalities are heterogeneous — from a portal to acceptance by email. The 1.000 € threshold applies at the federal level; the Länder sometimes have differing rules. When in doubt: ask the contracting authority's invoicing office and note the channel on the partner record.
Frequently asked questions
Do private customers need a Leitweg-ID?
No — it is a B2G concept.
Can an authority have several Leitweg-IDs?
Yes, often one per organisational unit — so always use the ID from the specific purchase order.
Does CoolHanX check the Leitweg-ID?
Format and check digit yes — automatically when the partner is created and in the free validator tool.
What exactly is the buyer reference?
The EN 16931 field BT-10. For public authorities the Leitweg-ID goes in it; in B2B it may hold a reference requested by the customer.
My invoice was rejected despite a Leitweg-ID — why?
The most common reasons: an outdated/foreign ID (a different department), a missing order number in the wrong field, or BR-DE violations. The portal's rejection message states the code; the validator helps with the diagnosis.
Is there a Leitweg-ID for companies too?
No — in B2B the electronic address (email address, BT-49) handles the addressing.
Structure, character by character
The Leitweg-ID consists of three parts separated by hyphens. The coarse addressing identifies the level (federal, state, municipal) and the responsible office; the optional fine addressing points to a sub-unit or department; the final check digit protects the entire ID against transposed digits. Example: 04011000-1234512345-06 — here 04011000 is the coarse part, 1234512345 the fine part and 06 the check digit.
| Part | Function | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|
| Coarse addressing | level + responsible office | yes |
| Fine addressing | sub-unit/department | optional (depending on the authority) |
| Check digit | error detection | yes |
Common mistakes — and how CoolHanX prevents them
The typical grounds for rejection in the B2G area are an outdated or incorrect Leitweg-ID (e.g. that of a different department), a faulty check digit due to a typo, or an order number in the wrong field. Because CoolHanX validates the structure and check digit already when saving on the partner record, a transposed digit is noticed immediately — not only when the authority portal rejects the invoice automatically days later.
Related topics
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