Twice it was sentenced to extinction by royal decree, but many of the Flekkefjord inhabitants remained and continued to trade.

In 1660, Flekkefjord was designated as a ladested, giving it special trading rights under the law.

During the Napoleonic Wars, Flekkefjord found a new life as a smugglers port, exporting oak to the Napoleon-occupied Netherlands during the period prior to 1807.

The unusual tidal condition, the local timber abundance, and a long-term relationship with the Dutch were the reasons behind Flekkefjord's then serving as a smuggler's headquarters.

Prior to 1807, the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway had followed a policy of armed neutrality, using its naval forces only to protect trade flowing within, into, and out of Danish and Norwegian waters.

But this changed for the last phase of the Napoleonic Wars when, in the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807, the British preemptively captured large portions of the Danish naval fleet to prevent the French from doing the same.

As a result, the Danish government declared war and built small gunboats in large numbers to attack the British.

It was natural for Flekkefjord to move from a smuggler's haven to blockade runner's headquarters.

After the war, the Dutch maintained a strong presence in Flekkefjord, and continued exporting oak and pine.

After Flekkefjord acquired kjøpstad status in 1842, it also became a constituency for elections to the Parliament of Norway.

[7] Mayors in Flekkefjord typically served for one year from the start of local government in 1838.