Lawyers sound alarm on months-long delays returning confiscated licenses
Citizens appealing traffic fines or facing license confiscation are sometimes left without their driver’s licenses for months due to administrative chaos at the Central Processing Office of the Public Prosecution Service (Parket Centrale Verwerking Openbaar Ministerie, CVOM), according to AD.
Lawyers warn that this disrupts work and income. Dossiers go missing, statutory deadlines are ignored, and communication with public prosecutors is minimal, according to a letter sent by lawyers to the CVOM. “People sometimes sit weeks without a driver’s license, while this directly affects their work, income, or caregiving duties,” the lawyers wrote.
The letter cites a case where a driver’s license was not returned even after the legal ten-day period. The lawyer repeatedly contacted the CVOM—first by email, then by phone. The CVOM initially promised the license would be sent by registered mail, but after several days, no one could say where it was. Eventually, it emerged that the license had remained at the CVOM and was only returned nearly two weeks later.
Lawyer Geertjan van Oosten, one of the letter’s authors, criticized the CVOM’s handling of license cases. “We understand that licenses sometimes need to be confiscated. The problem is that, pending the court case, licenses are often withheld for months without explanation. Communication or consideration of reasonable arguments is absent,” he told AD.
Van Oosten added that judges often act reasonably once urgent proceedings are initiated. “Usually, after filing an expedited procedure, the license is returned, especially for first-time offenders. Conditional penalties are generally sufficient, allowing many people to keep their jobs or businesses. The Dutch judiciary is already overburdened, and unreasonableness at CVOM creates unnecessary obstacles.”
The letter also describes cases where police documents were not shared with the CVOM, leaving the legal basis for license confiscation unclear. Despite repeated requests, the defense reportedly did not receive the necessary documents, forcing lawyers to submit a complaint to the court. Even then, the case could not be fully processed without a complete dossier.
The CVOM responded to the letter, though not substantively. “I aim to respond to your letter within six weeks of receipt. If this deadline is not met, it may be extended by four weeks. You will be informed of any extension,” the agency wrote.
