Definiteness and form of the administrative act

(1) An administrative act must be sufficiently definite in content.
(2) An administrative act may be issued in writing, electronically, orally or in another manner. An oral administrative act must be confirmed in writing or electronically where a legitimate interest exists in this and the person concerned demands it without delay. An electronic administrative act must be confirmed in writing under the same conditions; section 36a(2) and (2a) of the First Book does not apply in this respect.
(3) A written or electronic administrative act must disclose the issuing authority and contain the signature or the printed name of the head of the authority, his or her representative or his or her agent. Where, for an administrative act for which written form is ordered by legal provision, electronic form is used, the qualified certificate underlying the signature, or an associated qualified attribute certificate, must also disclose the issuing authority.
(4) For an administrative act, permanent verifiability may be prescribed by legal provision for the signature required under section 36a(2) of the First Book, or for the seal required under section 36a(2a), no. 3, letter a) of the First Book.
(5) In an administrative act issued with the aid of automatic facilities, the signature and the printed name may, in derogation from subsection (3), first sentence, be omitted; for an electronic administrative act, the certificate underlying the signature likewise need only disclose the issuing authority. Key symbols may be used to state the content, where the person for whom the administrative act is intended, or who is affected by it, can, on the basis of the explanations given for this purpose, unambiguously recognise the content of the administrative act.