What is the procedure for impounding a vehicle?

What happens to a vehicle that has been impounded?

If the police have seized any of your belongings, you will receive a receipt. The receipt will specify exactly what was seized and the date on which it occurred. The police do not determine what will happen to the items. Ultimately, the Public Prosecutor’s Office will decide on this matter. The Public Prosecutor’s Office can make four decisions:

1. Getting Your Belongings Back
   If the Public Prosecutor's Office determines that the police should not have seized your belongings.
2. Save as evidence
   In case the items are needed as evidence in a lawsuit.
3. 
   Sales Items purchased with criminal proceeds or that depreciate rapidly are often put up for sale immediately at the direction of the Public Prosecutor's Office.
4. Destroy
   If the items are prohibited and must not be returned to society, or if they are of very little value.

The storage of seized vehicles or other items is usually handled by the State Property Agency (DRZ). When your items are returned, you will receive a letter from the State Property Agency informing you that you can come pick them up. If the Public Prosecutor’s Office decides that the items may be sold, the State Property Agency will also arrange for that.

Your impounded vehicle has been sold

After the seizure, the Public Prosecutor’s Office may immediately sell items that are subject to depreciation. As a result, if a judge later rules that the items must be returned, they may already have been sold. In that case, you will be paid the proceeds from the sale as compensation. Was your vehicle destroyed? In that case, you will be paid the appraised value.

What about insurance for a repossessed vehicle?

Every vehicle owner is required to have insurance. Even if your vehicle has been impounded, you, as the owner, remain responsible for these obligations. This includes insurance, the APK inspection, and motor vehicle tax. These obligations can be suspended by suspending the insurance policy. This involves temporarily suspending the insurance coverage. You can arrange to suspend a vehicle’s insurance either online through the RDW or at a PostNL post office.

Questions?

Every year, more than 200,000 items are seized by the police or investigative authorities. If you have questions about your seized items, please contact “the Seizure Help Desk.” They can be reached Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. by phone at 088 150 09 80 or by email at info@beslagloket.nl.