With this new measure, CBR tackles motorists with invalid driving licenses

August 29, 2022

Driving license invalidated

Anyone who gets behind the wheel with a big drink and gets caught runs the risk of having to surrender their driver’s license. The reason for taking the driving license can also have other causes, such as drug use, dementia or impaired vision. Yet thousands of Dutch people get behind the wheel while not holding a valid driving license. They are often people who have never turned in their driver’s license to the CBR. Those who are no longer allowed to drive on the road must send their driver’s license to the Central Office for Driver Licensing themselves. This is because the CBR does not have the authority to demand invalid driver’s licenses.

Officer

The CBR does send two letters requesting that you send in your pink pass. But whether you actually do that is not checked. Therefore, starting September 1, people who need to turn in their driver’s license will also be personally handed a letter by an official. The letter states that the driver’s license is invalid, that driving is no longer allowed, and that one must surrender the license. The driver must receive the letter himself and sign for it.

No excuse

With this new measure, the CBR is sure that drivers know that the driver’s license has been invalidated. Does anyone continue to drive with the invalidated license anyway? Then it will be easier to bring criminal charges against the driver. Because the letter was personally handed over, it can be proven in criminal court that the person knew about the invalidation. A large fine or jail time may then be imposed.

13 persons per day

In 2021, according to the Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer (RDW), more than 10,000 pink cards were declared invalid. However, 4,240 people have not yet surrendered their invalid driver’s license. This does not mean that everyone who still has their invalid driver’s license will actually get into the car. However, the police are catching more and more people with an invalid driver’s license. Last year, 4,817 motorists were pulled over for driving without a valid paper. That equates to 13 people per day. The actual number of drivers illegally driving is probably much higher.