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Requesting the return of your driving licence

Want your driving licence returned in the Netherlands? Collect the seizure receipt, any letter about retention and your case number before choosing the procedure.

Duration: 1:17

Further reading and sources

This video summarizes the main points. The full article provides more detail, exceptions and official sources. The information concerns adult suspects and does not replace advice about your case.

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Spoken transcript

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Criminal Law in the Netherlands.

Want your driving licence returned in the Netherlands? Collect the seizure receipt, any letter about retention and your case number before choosing the procedure.

You can ask the prosecutor to return the licence provisionally. Explain why you urgently need it and support that need with relevant documents.

You can complain to the court from the moment of seizure. You do not always have to wait for a later decision first.

Describe essential journeys for work or caring duties. Include supporting evidence and explain which alternative transport options you have investigated and why they fail.

A return decision is provisional. The criminal case can continue afterwards, and a driving disqualification may still follow at a later stage.

Wait until you have actually received your licence. Check its validity and any separate CBR measures before deciding whether you may drive again.

Read the full explanation on the Criminal Law in the Netherlands website.

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1:07

What should you do after an arrest?

Arrested in the Netherlands? Ask what you are suspected of. Suspicion does not mean that guilt has been established.

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1:13

Your rights during police questioning

Invited for police questioning in the Netherlands? Check your role. This explanation concerns questioning as a suspect, rather than as a witness.

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1:13

Received a summons: what happens next?

A Dutch criminal summons calls you to court. The Public Prosecution Service presents an accusation; the judge decides the case.

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Understand the supporting sources

Sources and supporting information

Here you can find the sources for this page. Open the original publication for the full explanation, conditions and exceptions.

  1. Public Prosecution Service: regain driving licenseOpens in a new tabom.nlhttps://www.om.nl/onderwerpen/r/rijbewijs-mijn-rijbewijs-is-ingenomen/ik-wil-mijn-rijbewijs-terugkrijgen
  2. Public Prosecution Service: instruction for seizure of driving licensesOpens in a new tabom.nlhttps://www.om.nl/onderwerpen/b/beleidsregels/instructies/verkeer/instructie-inzake-de-invordering-van-rijbewijzen-2022i004
  3. Case law: complaint for restitution of driving licenseOpens in a new tabrechtspraak.nlhttps://www.rechtspraak.nl/onderwerpen/klaagschrift-teruggave-rijbewijs
  4. Judiciary: procedure for complaining about the return of a driver's licenseOpens in a new tabrechtspraak.nlhttps://www.rechtspraak.nl/onderwerpen/klaagschrift-teruggave-rijbewijs/procedure
  5. Judiciary: costs of requesting the return of a driver's licenseOpens in a new tabrechtspraak.nlhttps://www.rechtspraak.nl/onderwerpen/klaagschrift-teruggave-rijbewijs/kosten
  6. CBR: objection to a decisionOpens in a new tabcbr.nlhttps://www.cbr.nl/nl/onveilig-rijgedrag/nl/bezwaar-maken
  8. Court of Leeuwarden: new complaint and new circumstances, ECLI:NL:RBLEE:2007:BA0968Opens in a new tabuitspraken.rechtspraak.nlhttps://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI:NL:RBLEE:2007:BA0968

Sources consulted on .

A source reference does not constitute a legal review of this page.

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