A criminal record (strafblad) is the common name for the registration of judicial data. How long that data is kept depends, among other things, on the type of offence, the way the case was disposed of and any new registrations. Would you like to know how long your judicial data will be kept and what this means for a certificate of conduct (VOG)? Keep the complete documents and write down the next deadline. Below you can read which legal questions, documents and next steps require attention. The assessment of your own situation depends on the specific facts and the applicable legal framework.
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What does registration in the judicial documentation system mean in legal terms?
A criminal record is the common name for the registration of judicial data. The retention period depends, among other things, on the type of offence, the way the case was disposed of and any new registrations.
The legal framework depends on the procedure at issue. Start with the full decision, the request or the registration and determine which authority is responsible for it. Have the applicable rules, the stage of the proceedings and any available legal remedies assessed separately.
A registration is not the same as an automatic refusal of a VOG. Justis, the screening authority of the Dutch Ministry of Justice, also assesses the purpose of the screening, the risk and the circumstances in accordance with the current assessment framework.
Which registration and which assessment do you mean?
Judicial documentation, the assessment of a VOG and a new criminal case serve different purposes. So start by asking which document or decision you want to understand. A registered decision is not the same as a new criminal charge.
Check the type of offence, the way the case was disposed of, the relevant dates and any later registrations. Different data may be decisive for the retention period than for the question whether Justis sees a risk in relation to a specific position.
If you believe incorrect information has been registered, collect the underlying decision and explain precisely which entry is wrong. Having incorrect data investigated is something different from asking for correct data to be removed because it works out unfavourably for you.
If a police interview is also involved
If, in addition to the question discussed here, a criminal investigation is under way and you are questioned as a suspect, you have the right to remain silent and the right to consult a lawyer. Ask beforehand in what capacity the interview is taking place. The rights and obligations in an administrative investigation or when being heard as a witness should not simply be equated with those of a suspect.
Remaining silent is not an automatic strategy for every case. Sometimes an early, verifiable explanation can prevent an incorrect picture from persisting. In other files, an unprepared statement carries risks of its own. Make that choice after discussing the known facts, the possible lines of inquiry and the documents that may support your explanation.
Read the official record of the interview carefully. Ask for a correction if your words have been recorded incorrectly or too categorically. Do not sign in a hurry. If you have difficulty with the Dutch language, discuss the use of a sworn interpreter in good time.
Which evidence should you secure?
In any event, keep the extract from the judicial documentation, the punishment order or judgment, the dismissal letter, the date on which the decision became final and your correspondence with Justis. Keep the original files available and make a working copy for your lawyer. Screenshots can be useful, but they often do not show the full conversation, its origin or the metadata.
Draw up a timeline with dates, persons and events. Separate what you observed yourself from what others told you. Note possible witnesses with a short explanation of what they observed themselves. Do not approach them to bring statements into line.
Do not delete or alter any data. Even information that seems unfavourable at first sight may be needed to understand the context. Report possible camera footage or other temporarily available sources quickly, so that your lawyer can assess whether securing them or further investigation is necessary.
The retention period and the VOG period are different things
The retention period determines how long judicial data remains registered. The look-back period for a VOG determines which part of your past is taken into account in a particular screening. A period of four years that you come across in connection with a VOG therefore does not mean that the criminal record is erased after four years. Conversely, a registration that is still present does not automatically mean that a VOG will be refused.
So start with the question of what you need the information for. Do you want to know what has been registered, when an entry will be removed, or how a registration affects a specific VOG application? These are different inquiries. State the purpose when you ask for advice, so that a different procedure is not followed unnecessarily.
Do not rely on a general online calculation table for a decision without checking the underlying data. The legal classification of the offence, the type of disposal and any other registrations may be significant. A recollection of “a small fine from years ago” does not contain enough information for this. Look up the order, the judgment or the dismissal letter.
The main retention periods in outline
According to Justid, the Dutch Judicial Information Service, registered minor offences are usually subject to periods of five years, or ten years if a custodial sentence or community service order was imposed. For serious offences the rules are different: often twenty or thirty years, depending on the statutory maximum penalty. Special, much longer periods apply to sexual offences, among others. Accumulation with other serious offences can also change the removal date.
This overview is not a personal end date. The starting point differs, for example, between a final judgment and full compliance with a punishment order. In addition, special statutory rules exist. So have the applicable regime determined for each registration. The sentence actually imposed does not by itself always tell you which retention period applies.
Draw up a table with the offence, the relevant decision, the date and any later cases. Ask for an explanation if different documents use different terms. A case number or public prosecutor’s file number helps to link the data. Avoid the assumption that a new case only gets its own period and can never affect older registrations.
An acquittal or dismissal may also remain visible
Judicial documentation is not merely a list of convictions. For serious offences, other outcomes may also be recorded, including a dismissal or an acquittal. The precise outcome must, however, be registered correctly. The fact that a case is visible should therefore not simply be interpreted as proof of a conviction.
Keep the letter or judgment with which the case ended. Check the description and, where relevant, the ground for dismissal. A discrepancy between the actual decision and the registration is a different problem from the wish to have a correct registration removed earlier. Make that distinction clear in a request, so that it is clear what you want to have investigated.
When applying for a job or making another application, you do not have to send your complete criminal file on your own initiative. Read which question is being asked and which screening is required. Discuss any doubts about the information required with an expert. A VOG is a separate certificate for a specific purpose and is not the same as a copy of all judicial data.
What should you do if a registration is incorrect?
First request the current information through the designated channel. Compare it with the original decision and make an overview of the specific differences. For example, a missing outcome, a wrong date or data that has been mixed up. A targeted request is easier to assess than the general claim that “everything must be removed”.
Only enclose relevant supporting documents and keep the confirmation of dispatch. Note with which authority the request was filed and what response is expected. If a VOG procedure is also under way, report the possible error there too through the appropriate channel. Do not wait, without consultation, until another procedure has been completed while a response deadline expires.
A correct registration is not automatically erased because it causes inconvenience. Have it assessed whether a request for correction, a request for removal or a response within the VOG procedure is appropriate. This prevents time being spent on a route that does not solve the actual problem.
Preparing the substance of a VOG application
The purpose of the screening is important for a VOG. Which position or activity is involved and which risks are associated with it? Justis assesses relevant data and circumstances. The standard look-back period is four years, but there are exceptions relating to, among other things, age, offence, position and deprivation of liberty. So use the current framework for the specific application.
If you receive notice of an intention to refuse, you can prepare a targeted response. Discuss which facts are being taken into account, whether the data is correct and which developments since then are relevant. Think of education, work, support and the actual content of the position. Substantiate such circumstances with appropriate documents, without any guarantee of a positive decision.
Preparing a VOG application for a specific position
Do not start only with the registered offence, but also with the position or activity for which a VOG is requested. What work will you be doing, with what responsibilities, and which details have been included in the application? The assessment is linked to the purpose of the application. An earlier outcome for a different position does not automatically answer a new application.
Keep the application, correspondence from Justis and any information from the employer. If you receive notice of an intention to refuse or a refusal, immediately note the response deadline and the reasons given. An oral conversation with the employer does not replace a timely response to the authority. Have it assessed which facts and circumstances are relevant to put forward with proper substantiation.
Distinguish between an error in the underlying judicial registration and your position on the risk associated with the position. These are different questions that may require a different route. In the case of an alleged error, collect the original decision. For a substantive assessment, collect appropriate information about circumstances, personal development and the specific work, without unnecessarily sending along an entire private archive.
The explanation of dismissal codes, criminal records and the VOG helps you understand how a case was disposed of. If you have received a new punishment order, read about accepting it or lodging an objection before looking only at the amount. A possible future VOG application must not make you lose sight of the deadline for a current legal remedy.
Which steps can you take now?
Work in a fixed order, so that deadlines and evidence are not lost.
1. Keep the letter, summons or punishment order and note every date. 2. Request the file or the available information on the suspicion through your lawyer. 3. Collect original data and draw up a factual timeline. 4. Discuss your procedural stance before the interview. 5. After every decision, check the correct legal remedy and the deadline. 6. Coordinate parallel proceedings involving your employer, bank, municipality or the CBR (Dutch driving licence authority).
A request for contact with a lawyer does not in itself safeguard any deadline. A short statutory deadline may apply to a punishment order, judgment or measure. So send the complete decision and state when you received it.
Get in touch for an assessment of the next step.
Which next step fits your question?
A question about the retention period can be investigated using the registered decision and the relevant dates. An alleged error calls for a check of the underlying data. The mere existence of adverse consequences does not mean that a correct registration can be removed immediately.
In a VOG procedure, the application and any correspondence from Justis are central. A notice of intention to refuse or a refusal may contain its own response deadline. Keep the complete letter and discuss which documents can support the assessment of your specific position or activity.
If a new criminal case is also pending, have it dealt with separately. The consequences for the registration or the VOG may be relevant to your choices, but they do not replace a substantive assessment of the evidence and the legal remedies. Do not delay a current legal remedy until a later application or a reply to a general request for information.
Which misunderstandings should you avoid?
A common problem is responding only to the letter that seems most urgent, while another deadline keeps running. So make an overview of all decisions and proceedings and agree who will take care of which response. A request for information is not automatically a formal legal remedy.
Another risk is sharing only a summary or a few screenshots. Your lawyer needs the full decision and the relevant attachments to assess your legal position. State what is missing and which documents are still being requested, so that an incomplete file remains recognisable as such.
Finally, do not confuse general information with a decision about your own situation. An example from an acquaintance or an earlier case may involve different facts and rules. Discuss your specific documents and have the next step confirmed, including the question of who is monitoring the deadline.
How does Arslan Advocaten approach this type of case?
Arslan Advocaten handles criminal cases from the interview stage through to the hearing and any legal remedy. The lawyer starts with the procedural documents, the deadlines and the next decision point. After that, the evidence, the legal classification and the personal consequences are assessed separately.
In practice, bottlenecks often arise because a client is involved in several proceedings at the same time. Think of a blocked bank account, a dismissal issue, a closure order or a VOG problem alongside the criminal case. We first map out these lines, so that a response in one file does not unintentionally harm the position in another.
Frequently asked questions about registration in the judicial documentation system
Is my criminal record gone after four years?
Usually not. Four years is the standard look-back period for many VOG applications, with exceptions. Retention periods for judicial data are different periods and may be considerably longer. To establish a personal end date, the offence, the way the case was disposed of and any other registrations must be examined.
Does every traffic fine appear on my criminal record?
No. Minor traffic violations dealt with administratively under the Wet Mulder (Administrative Enforcement of Traffic Regulations Act) are treated differently from criminal law disposals. More serious traffic offences may, however, be registered. So check which type of order or judgment you have received.
Can an acquittal still appear in the documentation?
Yes, for serious offences an acquittal may also be registered. The registration must reflect the correct outcome. A visible case is therefore not automatically a conviction. Keep the judgment and have any inaccuracies investigated in a targeted way.
Will I never get a VOG if I have a criminal record?
That is incorrect. Justis assesses the purpose of the application, the relevant data and the circumstances. Some offences are relevant for one position but not for another. Prepare a specific application instead of assuming an automatic refusal.
Can I have an error corrected?
There are options for having incorrect data investigated and corrected. Identify the specific error and enclose the relevant decision. That is a different question from the early removal of correct information. Also make sure that any running VOG deadlines are monitored.
What do I need to have the retention period assessed?
Collect the current registration, the judgment or the order, the date of disposal and details of any other cases. Also state the purpose of your question. The amount of an old fine or the date of the incident alone is usually insufficient.
Having your case assessed
Do you have a decision, a summons or a question about your file? You can request an assessment through the contact form. State the next relevant date and only share sensitive documents through the secure channel agreed with us.
When is a prompt legal assessment advisable?
In the case of registration in the judicial documentation system, the next step must be tailored to the specific procedure. So have the available documents, the deadline and the purpose of a response assessed together. A lawyer can check which information is missing, whether further investigation is needed and which authority decides on your question. This makes clear what you can collect yourself and which formal step must be taken in time.
Prompt assistance is particularly advisable when an interview, punishment order, summons, seizure or measure has already been announced. Note the date of receipt, keep envelopes and digital messages and send the complete decision. Also discuss the consequences for work, licences, residence, insurance, your banking relationship or a VOG. These side effects sometimes call for a separate response with a deadline of its own. A specific assessment always depends on the file; general information is no substitute for personal legal advice.
Sources
- Dutch Criminal Code (Wetboek van Strafrecht)
- Dutch Code of Criminal Procedure (Wetboek van Strafvordering)
- The Dutch judiciary on criminal law
- Justid, retention periods
- Justid, dismissal and acquittal
- Justis, look-back periods
- Justis, VOG assessment
Editorial team and responsible lawyer
Editorial team: Arslan Advocaten. Responsible lawyer for criminal law: Melanie Schulpen.
Last editorially updated: 22 September 2026. This general information is no substitute for an assessment of your own file.
