Lift the suspension of a vehicle

Lift the suspension on your car online

As soon as you lift the suspension, it ends immediately. You cannot lift the suspension effective as of a future date.

You can always lift the suspension online through the RDW website. Follow these steps:

1. Go to“Lift Vehicle Suspension”and log in with your DigiD account.
2. Specify which suspension is involved and lift it.
3. You will then receive two emails from the RDW. The suspension will not be permanently lifted until you have received the second email. This second email also includes a confirmation and the end date of the suspension.
4. As soon as the suspension is lifted, you may immediately drive on public roads again.

Your vehicle registration card (the green card) remains valid after the suspension ends. You will not receive a new registration certificate. Some paper registration certificates (if the vehicle was suspended before January 1, 2014) indicate the suspension.

You will then receive a new vehicle registration card and a registration code within 5 business days. If you have a paper vehicle registration certificate that does not mention the suspension, it remains valid.

Lifting the suspension of your car at the service counter

Of course, you can also have your car’s suspension lifted at the service counter. Be sure to bring a valid form of identification with you. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to a vehicle registration office, an RDW service counter, or an RDW inspection station.
2. Bring the certificate of registration and the transfer certificate. Or the vehicle registration card and the registration code.
3. An employee ends the suspension immediately.
4. You will receive a paper notice stating the end date of the suspension.

If you have a vehicle registration card, your suspension notice will show the first 4 digits of your new registration code. Within 5 business days, you will receive a letter from the RDW containing the last 5 digits of the registration code. Your vehicle registration card remains valid.

Do you have a paper vehicle registration certificate that indicates the suspension? If so, you will receive a new credit-card-sized vehicle registration certificate along with the last 5 digits of the registration code. A paper vehicle registration certificate that does not indicate the suspension remains valid.

How much does it cost to lift a suspension?

Lifting a vehicle suspension is free.

Costs Associated with Early Termination of the Suspension

If you lift the suspension early, you won't receive a refund for the remaining time. If you've suspended your car for 3 years but lift the suspension after 1 year, you'll still have to pay the full amount.

If you lift the vehicle suspension within 1 month of its start date, you’ll have to pay retroactive road tax for the period during which the license plate was suspended. In that case, the Tax Authority will send you a back-payment assessment.

Things to Know When You Lift a Suspension

Have you lifted the suspension? If so, there are a few things you need to take care of to avoid fines and additional tax assessments.

1. Get auto insurance

Once the suspension is lifted, you will need car insurance again because the legal requirement for insurance takes effect immediately. In the Netherlands, third-party liability insurance is required for every vehicle that is registered and not suspended.

Without insurance, you are not allowed to drive the car on public roads, and you risk a fine from the RDW and possibly the Tax and Customs Administration. You are also fully liable for any damage if you do not have insurance. The fine for driving without insurance is €490.

Looking to get car insurance? Calculate your premium!

2. Have your car inspected for the APK

During the suspension, the APK requirement is suspended, but as soon as you end the suspension, the car must meet the legal requirements for road safety and environmental standards. The APK requirement applies as soon as the car is allowed back on the road.

You may only drive the car to the inspection if you have valid insurance and an inspection appointment. Therefore, make an appointment as soon as possible. Without a valid APK, you may not use the car and you risk a fine of €180.

3. Pay Motor Vehicle Tax

During the suspension, you were exempt from road tax because the car was not allowed on public roads. If the suspension is lifted, the Tax and Customs Administration will assume that you are using the car again, and you will be required to pay road tax. Your car will then be re-registered as an active vehicle with the RDW. This applies even if you are not actually using the car yet.

You will automatically receive a tax bill from the Tax Authority and can pay it by direct debit or manually through My Tax Authority.