What is an Article 34 declaration?

What is a warning letter from the RDW?

The RDW will send you a warning letter 28 days after the vehicle is registered in your name if the vehicle is not yet insured. Failure to comply will result in a fine. You will then be asked to contact us. We’ll investigate where things went wrong. If an error was made, we’ll ask the insurer to correct it, as they are the only ones who can ensure a correct registration. A vehicle is registered based on the combination of its license plate number and registration code. If this combination is incorrect, the vehicle cannot be registered, and it will therefore appear as though you are uninsured.

Second letter from the RDW—what now?

After the warning letter is sent, you will have some time to insure the vehicle, or the insurance company may still register the license plate with the RDW. If you do not respond to the warning letter, you will receive a second letter from the RDW. In this letter, the RDW will state that it wishes to receive an Article 34 declaration from you. If you did not have valid insurance on the RDW’s reference date, the RDW may impose a fine on you. This fine is usually €550.00 (as of January 1, 2016). Did you actually insure your vehicle on time? If so, the insurance company must issue an Article 34 declaration. This statement confirms that you were insured on the relevant reference date. If you still have not insured your vehicle or insured it too late, the insurance company may not be able to assist you in all cases.

If the vehicle has been registered for some time and the coverage is terminated or the suspension of the license plate expires, the license plate holder will no longer receive a warning but will immediately receive a letter stating that a fine will be imposed if an Article 34 declaration cannot be provided.

Can my license plate be suspended?

If you will not be using your vehicle on public roads for an extended period of time, you can suspend the license plate online with the RDW. During this suspension period, the license plate holder is exempt from the requirement to carry liability insurance, the vehicle registration tax, and the APK inspection. The suspension can be arranged entirely online on the RDW website. Afterward, you can also cancel your insurance.

The suspension period is valid for up to one year. Six weeks before it expires, you may request an extension, if applicable. Otherwise, the RDW will automatically reactivate the license plate administratively. In that case, you must ensure that the insurance is reactivated as well. This does not happen automatically.

Article 34 WAM Declaration

An Article 34 WAM statement, which we will request on your behalf from your insurance company, must meet a number of legal requirements.

The written statement must be printed on official letterhead from the insurance company or its authorized agent.
It must be an original statement (not a copy or fax).

The digital statement must meet the following legal requirements:

• At the top of the statement it says: WAMPrintingArticle34.

Both types of statements (paper and digital) must include the following information:

• The text of the statement pursuant to Section 34 of the WAM?
• The insurer's or authorized agent's CRWAM code
• The Correct Audit Date
• The correct license plate number
• The policy number
• An original signature (not a pre-printed signature or stamp)
• The date the statement was issued (shown in the lower-right corner of the printout for digital statements).

Request an Article 34 Statement

If you wish to request an Article 34 statement, we will need a copy of the letter from the RDW. This letter contains the unique reference number that the insurance company must include on the Article 34 statement.

You may send this letter to us by mail, fax, or email.