Shopping hours law exemption
See our website for information on store opening hours If you want to be open longer, you need an exemption.
Do you want to open an evening store? Then apply for an exemption from the municipality.
Approach
Enter in the application form:
- what you want to sell
- what the opening hours are
- how you plan to mitigate any nuisance
- for an evening store also: why you think the location is suitable for an evening store. It is important that you include a good rationale for your plan
Cost
Rates 2024
- applying for an exemption costs €50.10
- modifying an exemption costs €99.95
- a structural exemption costs €598.25
Description
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. For such an opening, you need an exemption. 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 the residential or living situation, safety or public order in the vicinity of the store is going to be adversely affected in an unacceptable way.
Term
The municipality decides within 8 weeks of receiving your application. The municipality may extend this deadline once.
Objection and appeal
You can object to the decision on your application. Do this within 6 weeks. Do you then disagree with the decision on the objection? Then file an appeal with the court.