Please read the weapon & prop regulations carefully. Note that you are responsible for your equipment and you’ll have to make your own examination if your weapon / prop meets our weapon & prop regulations. We are not able to review every single weapon / prop.
General
Remember that all props you bring must be safe in a busy environment. Do not put anyone in danger and do not hurt anyone with your prop. If you have brought a forbidden weapon, it will be confiscated and we will contact the police. Resulting in the fact that you cannot enter Heroes Dutch Comic Con.
Everyone must therefore comply with the rules of the Dutch Law of Weapons and Ammunition (WWM). This law is different in every country in Europe and items that you can posses and carry in Germany or Belgium can be strictly forbidden within the Netherlands.
This law states that all weapons that look like real weapons are not allowed at our venue, since the difference between a real and a fake weapon is hard to spot, even for an expert. If you carry one of these weapons on the street or in the public domain, a police officer might feel the need to apprehend you and draw his weapon.
Dutch Law of Weapons and Ammunition
If you can link the item to one of the four categories that make up the WWM, the item is considered a weapon. Looking at cosplay, we will only cover the Category I & IV weapons.
Category I is also referred to as the category of socially unwanted weapons and even possession is forbidden. Here you should think of real knives used in a cosplay of an Assassin’s Creed character. In addition, objects that have similarity in shape and measurements with real weaponry are strictly forbidden (for example, the Lara Croft guns). In addition, air-soft guns are not permitted.
In Category IV, only carrying the weapon is forbidden. Possession of it is allowed if you are 18 years of age or older. Examples of Category IV weapons include swords, sabers, daggers and crossbows.
Carrying means that you have the weapon on your person in the public domain. The event hall of the Jaarbeurs counts as public domain. A sword cannot be carried there. When it is sealed to prevent immediate use than you are ‘transporting’.
For example, exhibitors that sell swords will pack your item for you. If you remove this packaging, you carry the sword and are at risk of a fine because you are no longer transporting the item.A baseball bat is not mentioned in the law by name and is considered not a weapon by law. It is allowed for recreational purposes only. However, if it is reasonable to assume that the object is intended to cause harm or threaten people with, it immediately is classified as a Category IV weapon and will be confiscated. Wheb barbed wire or nails are applied on the baseball bat, the status of the object changes from sports item to weapon.
