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The bacterium <i>Dichelobacter nodosus</i> (<i>D. nodosus</i>) is the causative agent of ovine footrot. The aim of this field study was to determine the prevalence of <i>D. nodosus</i> in German sheep flocks. The sheep owners participated voluntarily in the study. More than 9000 sheep from 207 flocks were screened for footrot scores using a Footrot Scoring System from 0 to 5 and sampling each sheep using one interdigital swab for all four feet of the sheep. The detection and discrimination between benign and virulent strains was done employing a real-time PCR. Our results showed a mean prevalence of 42.93% of <i>D. nodosus</i> in German sheep on an animal level. Underrunning of hoof horn on at least one foot (Scores 3-5) was detected in 567 sheep (6.13%). Sheep with four clinically healthy feet were found through visual inspection in 47.85% of all animals included in this study. In total, 1117 swabs from sheep with four clinically healthy feet tested positive for <i>D. nodosus</i>. In 90.35% of the positive swabs, virulent <i>D. nodosus</i> were detected. Benign <i>D. nodosus</i> were detected in 4.74% of the <i>D. nodosus</i>-positive swabs while 4.91% tested positive for both, benign and virulent <i>D. nodosus</i>. In 59 flocks <i>D. nodosus</i> were not detected and in 115 flocks only virulent <i>D. nodosus</i> were found while seven flocks tested positive for benign strains.