General Local Bylaw (APV)
General Local Bylaw (APV) Contents
This page explains the Dutch legislation and regulations.
The General Local Bylaw, or APV, sets out the regulations that apply in a municipality. The APV always addresses regulations concerning public order and safety.
Metal detector
These regulations include, for example, places where drinking alcohol is permitted and where groups of people are allowed to hang out on the street. The General Local Bylaw (APV) therefore varies by municipality. To find out which APV applies in a specific municipality, it’s best to check the website of that specific municipality.
For reasons of public order and safety, some municipalities prohibit the use of a metal detector on former battlefields, as stipulated in the General Local Bylaw (APV).
You are therefore not automatically authorized to search with a metal detector in any municipality. In Arnhem and Nijmegen, for example, metal detectors are prohibited at the time of writing.
Please note that APVs are subject to change. You may be permitted to search one year, but not the following year. Therefore, make sure you have the latest APV before starting your search.
Heritage Act
You must also comply with applicable laws, including the Heritage Act. You can find information about this Act below.