Is it compulsory to get insurance with a scooter or moped?

Suppose you buy a moped to go to work, or your son or daughter buys a scooter to get more quickly to school. Do not forget to take out insurance immediately after the purchase. It is a legal requirement to be insured when you ride a scooter or moped. If you do not do this, you risk a steep fine.

Third party liability insurance for scooters, mopeds, and bicycles with an auxiliary engine is compulsory in the Netherlands. This insures you against the costs of damage or injury that you might cause to others with your two-wheel vehicle.

The RDW will check at least once per year whether you have insurance for your scooter or moped. As of 1 January 2021, if you do not have insurance for your scooter or moped, you will pay a fine of €439. It is much less expensive to get scooter insurance.

Even if your scooter or moped is temporarily out of use, you must still have insurance for it. After all, the RDW does not know whether you are riding it or not.

If you do not intend to ride your scooter for an extended period of time, you can suspend its insurance. From the moment you suspend the insurance of your moped or scooter, you are no longer permitted to use it on public roads. Suspension costs €11 and lasts for one year as standard. If you want to extend the suspension, you pay another €11.

You do not need to have insurance, so long as the suspension is in effect. Do you want to start riding your scooter again? Then you can lift the suspension free of charge. However, do not forget to immediately get insurance for your moped or scooter.

If you want to sell your scooter or have it scrapped, you must ensure that its licence plate number is no longer in your name. When selling the scooter, the buyer must transfer the scooter’s registration number into his or her name. If you decide to scrap your scooter, you must terminate its licence plate registration. You can find out more information about this on the RDW website (Dutch only).