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Yellow letter: open it, do not put it aside

Last updated: October 2026

A yellow envelope scares many people. That is understandable, but putting it aside does not help: the deadline runs anyway. Most of the time there is something inside that can be solved well if you look early.

Sample letter

Stadt Musterstadt · Ordnungsamt · Rathausplatz 1 · 12345 Musterstadt
Herr Jonas Muster
Birkenweg 7
12345 Musterstadt
Musterstadt, 9. November 2026Aktenzeichen: OA‑2026‑4711

Bescheid über Gebühren (förmliche Zustellung)

mit diesem Bescheid setzen wir für die Bearbeitung Ihres Antrags eine Gebühr von 45,00 Euro fest.

Bitte zahlen Sie den Betrag bis zum 14. Dezember 2026 auf das unten genannte Konto.

Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung: Gegen diesen Bescheid können Sie innerhalb eines Monats nach Bekanntgabe Widerspruch einlegen.

Dieser Bescheid wird Ihnen mit Post­zustel­lungs­urkunde zugestellt.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Stadt Musterstadt (Muster)

Made‑up sender, made‑up names. The letter often looks like this or similar.

What does the letter mean?

The yellow envelope shows: this is a formal service (Zustellung). The post office writes down when it handed over or dropped off the letter. The date on the envelope is important, so keep the envelope.

Yellow letters mostly come from courts, authorities, lawyers or the tax office. They can contain a decision (Bescheid), a lawsuit, a payment order (Mahnbescheid) or a fine.

If the post office did not find you at home, it can give the letter to someone in your household, to neighbours or put it in your mailbox. Or it leaves it at a branch and puts a notice in your mailbox. Then the letter usually counts as served already.

Deadlines

  • The deadline starts on the day of service, not only when you open the letter.
  • Typical deadlines: objection (Widerspruch) to a decision usually one month, objection to a payment order two weeks, objection (Einspruch) to a fine two weeks. Which deadline applies is in the letter under “Rechtsbehelfs­belehrung” (information on legal remedies).

What you can do

  1. If there is a notice from the post office in your mailbox, pick up the letter at the branch quickly, even if you are afraid of what is inside.
  2. Open the letter on the same day. Keep the service date from the envelope together with the letter.
  3. Look in the letter for the date by which you have to do something, and put the deadline in your calendar.
  4. Have the letter explained to you if you do not understand it, for example by an advice centre or with the app.
  5. If you cannot meet the deadline, call the authority or write a short note before it runs out. Ask for more time.

How Letter Explained helps you

The app explains the letter in your language and tells you whether a deadline is running and until when.

More about the app

This guide does not replace legal advice. Every letter is different: deadlines and amounts apply as they are written in your letter. If you have questions, an advice centre can help.

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