Shopping hours law exemption

Are you a shopkeeper and want to open your business outside normal opening hours? Then you can apply for an exemption. This may be necessary, for example, if you want to start an evening store or if you want to have an occasional night opening.

Occasional night opening

In some industries, it is customary or desirable to have the launch of a new product at midnight. This often involves games, but sometimes books or electronics. You must apply for an exemption for such an opening. Usually it is an exemption for a specific time, such as from midnight to 1 a.m.

Evening or night store

An evening or night store is open longer than the legal closing time of 10 p.m. Such an evening or night store requires an exemption. Whether an entrepreneur receives such an exemption depends on many different criteria. For example, the location of the store must be easily accessible to cars and there must be sufficient parking spaces.

The municipality may refuse an exemption. For example, if it adversely affects safety, public order or the residential or living situation in the vicinity of the store in an unacceptable way.

The municipality will decide on your application within 8 weeks. Is this not possible? Then the municipality may extend this period 1 time.

Do you disagree with the municipality's decision? Then you can file an objection. With this you let the municipality know why you disagree with the decision. Do this within 6 weeks. The municipality will review your application and make a new decision.

After that, do you still disagree with the municipality's decision? Then you can ask the court whether the municipality made a good decision. This is called "lodging an appeal.