List of law enforcement agencies in Germany explained

Law enforcement in Germany is conducted by federal, state and municipal law enforcement agencies.

Federal law enforcement agencies

Polizei beim Deutschen Bundestag (Polizei DBT): Federal Parliament Police, responsible for the protection of the premises of the Bundestag in Berlin. In order to uphold the independence of the legislative power from the executive, this police force is responsible, not to the Minister of the Interior, but to the President of the Bundestag.

Federal Customs Service

- Zollkriminalamt (ZKA): Customs Investigation Bureau
  - ZUZ (Zentrale Unterstützungsgruppe Zoll): Customs police tactical unit

Bundeskriminalamt (BKA): Federal Criminal Office (comparable role to the Federal Bureau of Investigation)
- Missions Abroad and Special Operations unit (BKA ASE): Close protection detail in hazardous areas
Bundespolizei (BPOL): Federal Police
- Bereitschaftspolizei (BePo): Riot Police Branch of Federal Police
  - BFE (Beweissicherungs- und Festnahmeeinheit): Federal Evidence Securing and Arrests Unit
  - BFE+ (Beweissicherungs- und Festnahmeeinheit plus): Federal Evidence Securing and Arrests Unit with elevated powers
- Federal Police Directorate 11 (Bundespolizeidirektion 11): Joint command of BPOL units with special tasks
- Bundespolizei-Fliegerstaffel: Federal Police Air Group
- German Federal Coast Guard (Küstenwache des Bundes): Federal Coast Guard
- GSG 9 (GSG 9 der Bundespolizei): police tactical unit of Federal Police
- MFE (Mobile Fahndungseinheit): Special Unit for Covered (Individual and Technical) Surveillance
- Polizeiliche Schutzaufgaben Ausland (PSA BPOL): Protection force for the security of German diplomatic missions

State Police

Highway Patrol of State Police

- Bayerische Grenzpolizei (GrePo): border police, exclusively of the state of Bavaria
- Bereitschaftspolizei (BePo): Riot Police Branch of State Police
  - BFE (Beweissicherungs- und Festnahmeeinheit): State Police Special Detention Unit
- Kriminalpolizei (KriPo): Detective Branch of State Police
- MEK (Mobiles Einsatzkommando): Special Unit for Surveillance and Detention
- Schutzpolizei (SchuPo): Uniformed Branch of State Police
- SEK (Spezialeinsatzkommando): police tactical unit of State Police
- Wachpolizei (WaPol): Branch of State Police for the security of state government buildings or diplomatic facilities, only in the states of Berlin and Hesse
- Wasserschutzpolizei (WSP): River Branch of State Police
Landeskriminalamt (LKA): ("State Criminal Office") State Bureau of Investigation, in some states subordinate to the state's police force
- MEK (Mobiles Einsatzkommando): most LKAs employ an MEK of their own, operating independently of the regular police MEK
Justiz

Corrections Service

auxiliary police force in the state of Brandenburg

auxiliary police force in the states of Bavaria and Saxony

Kommunaler Ordnungsdienst (KOD): Municipal law enforcement, different regulations by state and local laws
Ordnungsamt (OA): "municipal order agency", most common denomination
Städtischer Ordnungsdienst: "Municipal Enforcement Service"

Polizeibehörde: local "Police Authority" in several states
Gemeindevollzugsdienst (GVD): "Municipal Code Enforcement Service" in the state of Baden-Württemberg
Kommunalpolizei or Stadtpolizei: "Community Police" or "City Police" in cities of the state of Hesse