The Middle Ages is usually seen as a period when the use of writing gained momentum in Europe. Often, the medieval town is mentioned as an arena for increasing literacy. In urban settlements one seems to have been more likely to be confronted with writing than elsewhere. The Swedish towns are no exception. The expansion in the use of writing in towns can, to a considerable extent, be coupled with the development of administrative and juridical structures. The municipal court in particular appears to have been an important writing milieu, with a vast increase in the production and use of writing. One of the most important documents in the municipal court is the town book, which often provides a unique insight into late medieval and early modern use of Latin, but primarily of the written vernacular. This form of writing is, however, not unique to Sweden, but can be seen as part of a larger European administrative writing culture. Based on Pettersson (2017), the purpose of this article is to initiate a discussion about how local administrative literacy in Stockholm can be understood in relation to the development of institutional urban literacy in Europe.