Rejected by an insurer because of a criminal record
If you have been convicted of a criminal offence within the last eight years, or if you have been in contact with the courts or police as a suspect during that period, you are legally obliged to report this when you want to take out insurance. A criminal past can have a negative effect. We will explain to you what you can do.
What are the consequences for my insurance if I have a criminal record?
The insurer asks the following question with every insurance application: "Have you come into contact with the police or the justice system as a suspect during the past eight years?". It is compulsory to disclose a criminal record. The insurer asks this to determine how reliable you, as a policyholder, are. The insurer's goal is to determine what possible risk it runs. Based on the information obtained, the insurer will decide whether or not to conclude the insurance contract. An important point to consider is whether your criminal record has anything to do with the insurance you want. Have you, for example, been convicted before for alcohol abuse and been banned from driving? Many insurance companies will not want to provide you with car insurance because you are too big a risk. If the insurance company does accept your application, the premium will most likely be higher than normal.
In the event of a criminal past, can an insurer simply cancel the insurance?
If the insurer finds out that you have failed to mention your criminal record when submitting the insurance application, this is a valid reason to stop your insurance with immediate effect. You must fill in the questions on the insurance application truthfully. Failure to do so means that you are committing insurance fraud. This makes it even more difficult to take out other insurance policies in the future; by being registered as a fraudster, many insurance companies will not accept you. As a fraudster you will be registered in the database of Stichting CIS. All insurers and proxies affiliated to Stichting CIS can view these details.
When I apply for insurance, am I obliged to mention my criminal record?
When you apply for insurance, the insurer is not aware of your criminal past and has no access to your criminal record. However, when specifically asked about it when processing the insurance application, you are obliged to give an honest answer. Concealing information means that you are committing insurance fraud. If the insurance company discovers this, they will immediately stop your insurance. You also lose the right to payment in case of damage or an accident. It is up to you to weigh the consequences. Depending on the offence stated on your criminal record, you still have a chance that a regular insurance company will accept your application. If you are registered in the database of the CIS Foundation because of fraud, you will not be accepted by any regular insurance company. You can still go to De Vereende. An insurance policy does involve extra costs, such as a higher premium.
How long does your criminal record remain registered?
The period for which the criminal record remains registered depends on the type of offence. In general, a criminal record usually expires after five years. This means that five years after the offence you should be able to take out insurance again with a regular insurance company. However, if the offence took place less than eight years ago, you are still obliged to report it to the insurer. One option is to apply for a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG). In this way you can demonstrate that your past does not constitute an obstacle to taking out insurance. The insurer will then ultimately decide whether they want to insure you.
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