IHK signature card for appointed experts and company employees

Electronic transmission of expert reports saves considerable time and effort because printing and postage are no longer needed – especially for extensive reports and reports that must be submitted in colour or in several copies.

To create a legally valid electronic signature you need a personal signature card for experts, a class 3 card reader and signature software. Our recommendations and product details are listed in the product sheets.

The qualified electronic signature provides the security needed to send reports electronically: it guarantees the authenticity of the sender and of the report content. These elements can be verified after sending because the signature remains permanently linked to the report. Since 1 January 2018 experts can submit reports to court electronically, provided they bear the expert's personal qualified signature.

Both court and private reports can be issued and signed electronically. The main use is communication with the judiciary, but electronic transmission to authorities, insurers, companies etc. is also possible.

In most federal states all courts can be reached via EGVP or the eBO.

Create the report electronically and convert it to a PDF file. Start your signature software, open the report file and click “Sign”. Then enter your PIN on the card reader and the file receives your qualified electronic signature. Report and signature are now inseparably linked.

No, only free verification software is required, for example digiSeal Reader by secrypt.

As an IHK-appointed expert, arrange an appointment with your IHK to verify your identity and complete the application, which is sent to D-Trust GmbH, a subsidiary of Bundesdruckerei. You receive your card about three weeks later. If your IHK has no registration office or you cannot attend in person, you can complete the application yourself and verify your identity via PostIdent.

The expert signature card is valid for two years; you can then apply for a follow-up card. This does not happen automatically, but D-Trust informs you in good time before expiry.

If you lose your card or want to block it for other reasons, you can do so at any time by phone, using the revocation password you set when applying. Your appointing body is also entitled to revoke the card if the public appointment ends.

Yes, in principle. Note, however, that all entries on the card are permanently bound to the certificate: if one entry becomes invalid, for example one appointment ends, the whole card becomes invalid and must be reapplied for. It is also not possible to indicate which appointment applies when signing a particular report. As a guideline, follow the round stamp: if several areas are combined on one stamp, they can be combined on one card; with several stamps, several cards should be obtained.

No, a signature card can only be issued for one appointing body.

Yes, of course. Expert A signs the report file first; expert B then adds their signature to the already signed file.

The expert signature card costs €169.00 net plus statutory VAT.

The expert card contains the holder's name, the scope of appointment and the appointing body (e.g. “Publicly appointed and sworn expert for building damage, responsible IHK for Munich and Upper Bavaria”) and the standard restriction: “This signature may only be used for the activity as a publicly appointed and sworn expert.” The appointing body confirms the scope of appointment using a form and can revoke the card when the appointment ends.

The IHK organisation began introducing the expert signature card in autumn 2018. For signature cards for experts of other appointing bodies (chambers of architects, engineers or agriculture), please contact D-Trust directly.

Use of the expert signature card is limited to expert activities; private use is not permitted. In connection with expert work, the card can be used, for example, to certify declarations of completeness under the packaging regulations or to send electronic invoices securely.

Yes. What matters is that the card was valid when the signature was created. Signatures created with a valid card can be verified for up to 30 years – the retention period of the signature certificate in the D-TRUST directory service.