The invention relates to an actuating apparatus (100) for selecting gears for a gear change transmission (1352), in particular for an automatic transmission having shift-by-wire actuation, wherein a selector lever (102) of the actuating apparatus (100) is movable in a primary channel (108) and in a touch control channel (110) and in a switching channel between the primary channel (108) and the touch control channel (110), wherein the actuating apparatus (100) comprises a latching apparatus (104) having effect on the selector lever (102), characterized by a blocking apparatus (106) comprising a blocking slide (112), an actuator (114), and a blocking pin (116) guided by the actuator (114), wherein the blocking slide (112) has at least one blocking recess (122), wherein, in a position of the selector lever (102) within the primary channel (108), the blocking pin (116) is movable by the actuator (114) and the blocking pin (116) is designed to engage in the blocking recess (122), wherein the blocking apparatus (106) has a spring (124; 824), wherein a holding force enacted by the spring (124; 824) is greater than a reset force of the latching apparatus (104) of the actuating apparatus (100) having effect from a position of the selector lever (102) in the touch control channel (110) to a position in the primary channel (108) and wherein the spring (124; 824) is designed to counteract a movement of the selector lever (102) from the touch control channel (110) into the primary channel (108) if the selector lever (102) is positioned in the touch control channel (110).