diff --git a/.github/templates/apache-2.tmpl b/.github/templates/apache-2.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f5299360
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/templates/apache-2.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+Copyright (c) ${years} ${owner}.
+
+This file is part of ${projectname}.
+See ${projecturl} for further info.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index f9148355..35347801 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -12,3 +12,14 @@ repos:
         entry: .github/scripts/clang-format-hook
         types: [c++]
         language: system
+  - repo: https://github.com/johann-petrak/licenseheaders.git
+    rev: 'v0.8.8'
+    hooks:
+      - id: licenseheaders
+        args: ["-t", ".github/templates/apache-2.tmpl", "-y2014-2023",
+        "-o", "Key4hep-Project",
+        "-n", "Key4hep",
+        "-u", "https://key4hep.github.io/key4hep-doc/",
+        "-x", ".github/*", ".pre-commit-config.yaml", "README.md",
+              "doc/ReleaseNotes.md", ".k4fwcore-ci.d/*", "init.sh",
+        "-f"]