The Danish lost-property law, explained
Here are the main points of the Danish Lost Property Act (hittegodsloven) in plain language — we don't invent rules the law doesn't have. Every point carries a source so you can check it yourself.
The 30-day rule
If a venue such as a shop, station, airport, or hotel finds something you've lost, this rule applies:
The law guarantees you at least 30 days.
After that, the venue may legally sell, give away, discard, or keep the item.
Source: the Danish Lost Property Act, section 1(2), consolidated act no. 879/2014 as amended by act no. 124/2021.
The 2021 change
The law was amended with effect from 2021: it now explicitly names amusement parks, airports, and hotels as venues that can receive found property, alongside shops and transport operators. At the same time, the earlier option to extend storage by a further 3 months with police approval was abolished — a venue must not tell you that items are sent to the police after the deadline.
Source: the Danish Lost Property Act, section 1(2), consolidated act no. 879/2014 as amended by act no. 124/2021.
Valuables must always go to the police
No matter where you find or lose something valuable, one exception to the 30-day rule applies:
Money, valuable jewellery, electronics, and expensive clothing must always be handed to the police — regardless of which venue found them.
Source: the Danish Lost Property Act, section 1(2), consolidated act no. 879/2014 as amended by act no. 124/2021.
Items assessed under 500 kr
If the police assess an item as worth less than 500 kr, the law's ordinary rules on reclaim deadlines, auctions, and finder's rewards no longer apply to it — the police can decide its fate faster. That's one more reason to act quickly if you're looking for something of lower value.
Source: Hittegodsloven (the Danish Lost Property Act) § 7a (lovbekendtgørelse nr. 879 af 4. juli 2014).
Can be destroyed immediately
If the police assess an item as not worth storing at all, it can be destroyed the moment the police receive it.
Source: Executive Order no. 1308/2012 on the handling of found property, section 1 and section 2(2).
What happens if no one claims it?
faq.law.unclaimed.a
Source: Hittegodsloven (the Danish Lost Property Act) § 1, stk. 2, § 4 and § 7 (lovbekendtgørelse nr. 879 af 4. juli 2014, as amended by § 3 of lov nr. 124 af 30. januar 2021).
Finder's reward
Yes, potentially — but the law doesn't set a fixed percentage. If the owner gets the item back via the police, the police commissioner sets a finder's reward based on the item's nature and value, where it was found, and the circumstances of the find.
Source: Hittegodsloven (the Danish Lost Property Act) § 6 (lovbekendtgørelse nr. 879 af 4. juli 2014).
Think something is stolen?
Hand it to the police, not an ordinary lost-property venue — suspected stolen goods (e.g. a bike with no owner nearby) belong with the police, who can check it against reported thefts and frame-number records.