Dance permit was a permit required for dancing. The permit was abolished in 2023.
Since the 1930s a dance permit (danstillstånd) is required for public dance events in Sweden per the law of order (2 kap. 4 § ordningslagen 1993:1617).[1]
Filing for a dance permit is associated with a fee of 700 SEK (2014) for the establishment. Establishment lacking such permit must prevent guests from dancing, for example by stopping the music. The police may take photographs and films of patrons moving in sync with the music in a dance like way. These photos and films may later be used as evidence of a crime if the establishment is lacking the required permit.
Proponents of the law, among them the swedish police, highlighted the security aspect.[2]
In 2016, the Riksdag (the national legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden) voted unanimously to abolish the requirement for a dance permit[3] but the law existed and was enforced for several more years. The law is set to be changed on 1 July 2023. After this a permit is not needed, but establishments must still report dance events to the police in advance, however free of charge.[4]
There is still a requirement to apply for permits for music concerts to the police and pay an application fee.[5]