diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 6fefa14ed25..490373ea632 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -34,6 +34,15 @@ repos:
         args: [--tab]
 
   # Run local script
+  #
+  # For instance to update the license in edited files, you could add to local.sh:
+  #
+  #   ```shell
+  #   #!/bin/bash
+  #   MYDIR=$(dirname "$0")
+  #   CHANGED_INTERNALS=$(git diff --name-only | grep -v includes)
+  #   "$MYDIR/dev/tools/updatelicense.php" $CHANGED_INTERNALS
+  #   ```
   - repo: local
     hooks:
       - id: local-precommit-script
diff --git a/dev/tools/updatelicense.php b/dev/tools/updatelicense.php
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..6c69785e7e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/tools/updatelicense.php
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env php
+<?php
+/* Copyright (C) 2024		MDW							<mdeweerd@users.noreply.github.com>
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished
+ * to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+ * copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Script to update year periods and user/email in headers.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Retrieve Git user information
+ *
+ * @return array{name:string,email:string}
+ */
+function getGitUserInfo()
+{
+	$name = trim(shell_exec('git config user.name'));
+	$email = trim(shell_exec('git config user.email'));
+	return ['name' => $name, 'email' => $email];
+}
+
+const PREFIXES = [
+	'sh' => ['# ', '# ', '', '#!'],
+	'php' => ['/* ', ' * ', ' */', '<?php'],
+];
+
+/**
+ * Update or add copyright notice in a file
+ *
+ * @param $filename string Path to the file to modify
+ * @param $fileType string Filetype identification for the file
+ * @param $name     string Name of developer to add in header
+ * @param $email    string Email for the developer
+ *
+ * @return          bool   True if license was updated
+ */
+function updateCopyrightNotice($filename, $fileType, $name, $email)
+{
+	// Determine the appropriate prefix based on file type
+	if (!array_key_exists($fileType, PREFIXES)) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	// Get configuration for the filetype
+	list($prefix0, $prefix1, $prefix2, $prefix3) = PREFIXES[$fileType];
+	$r_prefix0 = preg_quote($prefix0);
+	$r_prefix1 = preg_quote($prefix1);
+	$r_prefix3 = preg_quote($prefix3);
+	$r_name = preg_quote($name);
+	$r_email = preg_quote($email);
+
+	// Read the first n lines of the file
+	$n = 50;
+	$lines = implode('', array_slice(file($filename), 0, $n));
+
+	// Define the regex pattern for matching copyright notices
+	$pattern = "~(?:{$r_prefix0}|{$r_prefix1})Copyright \(C\)\s+(?:(?:\d{4}-)?(?<year>\d{4}))\s+{$r_name}\s*\<{$r_email}>~";
+
+	// Check if the lines match the pattern
+	if (preg_match($pattern, $lines, $matches)) {
+		$existingYear = $matches['year'];
+
+		// Check if the existing year is different from the current year
+		if ($existingYear !== date('Y')) {
+			// Update the year range to include or be up to the current year
+			$updatedNotice = preg_replace('/(\d{4})(-\d{4})?\s+/', $existingYear . '-' . date('Y') . "\t", $matches[0]);
+
+			// Replace the old notice with the updated one in the file
+			file_put_contents($filename, preg_replace($pattern, $updatedNotice, file_get_contents($filename)));
+			return true; // Change detected
+		}
+		// If the existing year is the same, no need to update
+	} else {
+		// Adjust tabs for proper alignment
+		$emailTabs = str_repeat("\t", (int) (max(0, (31 - mb_strlen($name)) / 4)));
+
+		// No match found, add a new line to the header
+		$newNotice = "Copyright (C) " . date('Y') . "\t\t" . $name . $emailTabs . "<" . $email . ">";
+
+		// Read the file content
+		$fileContent = file_get_contents($filename);
+
+		// Check if there are existing copyright notices
+		$pos = max(strrpos($fileContent, "{$prefix0}Copyright"), strrpos($fileContent, "{$prefix1}Copyright"));
+
+		if ($pos !== false) {
+			// Add the new notice behind the last preceding copyright notices
+			$pos = strpos($fileContent, "\n", $pos) + 1;
+			$fileContent = substr_replace($fileContent, $prefix1 . $newNotice . "\n", $pos, 0);
+		} elseif (strpos($fileContent, $prefix3) !== false) {
+			// Add the new notice after the shebang or '<?php' line
+			$fileContent = preg_replace("~{$r_prefix3}.*\n~", "$0$prefix0$newNotice\n$prefix2\n", $fileContent, 1);
+		} else {
+			return false; // No change detected
+		}
+
+		// Write the updated content back to the file
+		file_put_contents($filename, $fileContent);
+		return true; // Change detected
+	}
+
+	return false; // No change detected
+}
+
+// Main program
+
+// Check if filenames are provided as parameters
+if ($argc < 2) {
+	echo "Usage: php " . __FILE__ . " <filename1> [<filename2> ...]" . PHP_EOL;
+	exit(1);
+}
+
+// Process each filename provided
+$changesDetected = false;
+for ($i = 1; $i < $argc; $i++) {
+	$filename = $argv[$i];
+
+	// Determine file type based on extension
+	$fileType = pathinfo($filename, PATHINFO_EXTENSION);
+
+	// Retrieve Git user information
+	$gitUserInfo = getGitUserInfo();
+	$name = $gitUserInfo['name'];
+	$email = $gitUserInfo['email'];
+
+	// Update or add copyright notice based on file type
+	$changeDetected = updateCopyrightNotice($filename, $fileType, $name, $email);
+	$changesDetected |= $changeDetected;
+	if ($changeDetected) {
+		echo "Copyright notice updated in '$filename'" . PHP_EOL;
+	}
+}
+
+if (!$changesDetected) {
+	echo "No changes needed in any file" . PHP_EOL;
+}