Do I need formal certification?
In short and in plain language
No. The law does not require an official seal or approval by an authority.
You must show yourself how your offer is accessible. This is often done with a statement on your website. This statement should be honest and easy to check.
A good basis is an audit with a report. On request we also write texts for your statement from it.
No, the BFSG prescribes no state certification or official approval. There is no government seal you must present to authorities. What matters is that you can document conformance yourself and provide evidence on request.
Concretely, the law requires you to state in your general terms and conditions or in another clearly perceivable way how your service meets the accessibility requirements, often in the form of an accessibility statement on your website. This includes, among other things, a general description of the service, a description of how it meets the requirements, and the competent market surveillance authority (Section 14 BFSG with Annex 3). This statement should be honest and verifiable, since inaccurate claims tend to increase rather than reduce your litigation risk.
A robust basis for it is a documented WCAG audit with a traceable report. On request we also draft the wording for your accessibility statement from it.