Insurance While Your License Is Suspended

A driving suspension means that you are prohibited from driving any motor vehicle for a certain period of time. A driving suspension therefore applies not only to cars, but to all motorized vehicles. You may be subject to a driving suspension if you:

• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Driving more than 50 kilometers per hour over the speed limit
• Causing a hazard or obstruction on the road
• Driving an uninsured car
• Driving while your license is suspended or with an invalid driver's license
• Leaves the scene after causing an accident

The police, a prosecutor, or a judge can impose a driving suspension on you. This suspension can last a few days, a few weeks, several months, or sometimes even a number of years.

Suppose you commit a serious traffic violation in Germany and are subsequently issued a driving suspension. Penalties such as a driving suspension are only valid in the country where the violation was committed. So if you receive a driving suspension in Germany, you are still allowed to drive in the Netherlands. However, in Germany, you are no longer permitted to drive a motor vehicle, not even to drive back to the Netherlands. A driver’s license suspension or other traffic violation in Germany does not result in points being added to your Dutch learner’s permit or points-based driver’s license.

If you drive while under the influence of alcohol, you can cause serious damage—not only to your own vehicle or yourself, but also to others or their property. If you’re caught with a blood alcohol level that’s too high, you’ll have your license suspended. Did you cause damage while driving under the influence of alcohol? In that case, your insurer may refuse to cover the damage and may even cancel your policy. An insurer may have an alcohol clause. An alcohol clause means that the insurer will pay for the damage to the other party, but you must then reimburse your insurer for those costs.

A driver’s license suspension can have major consequences for your auto insurance. Insurers have the right to terminate your policy as soon as you receive a driver’s license suspension. You’ll also face difficulties when trying to purchase a new auto insurance policy. There’s a good chance that a standard insurance company won’t accept you. They view you as a higher risk, even if your driving suspension has already ended. It’s likely that you’ll only be able to get car insurance through De Vereende. De Vereende specializes in insuring special risks, such as a driving suspension.

Driving without a driver’s license on you is not normally a crime. Driving without a VALID driver’s license, on the other hand, is a criminal offense. If you get behind the wheel without a valid driver’s license and get caught, you could have your license suspended. Furthermore, in that case, you are also uninsured. If you cause damage while driving a vehicle without a valid driver’s license, you’ll have to cover all the costs yourself. Damage to a motor vehicle can add up quickly, even if you’ve only hit a pole.

TheMinistry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Managementhas approved the registration of driver’s license suspensions in theCIS Foundation’s database. It is important for motor vehicle insurers to know whether an insured person’s driver’s license has been (temporarily) revoked. Information regarding driving suspensions is provided by thePublic Prosecutor’s Officeafter the individual in question has been sentenced by a judge to a driving suspension. A driving suspension remains registered with the CIS Foundation for 5 years.

If you’ve had your license suspended in the past, very few standard insurance companies will insure you. However, there are a few companies that might make an exception, but this depends, among other things, on:

• The duration of the driver's license suspension
• The date of the driver's license suspension
• The reason for the driver's license suspension

At Geennee.nl, we first try to place you with a standard insurer at standard rates. If that doesn’t work out, we can always place you with De Vereende. Because De Vereende specializes in unusual claims and risks, even people with a suspended driver’s license, a criminal record, or a history ofnon-paymentcan get coverage there.

Do you have any questions? Please contact us. We're happy to help! You can reach us Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 088-6883700.