The APK has expired
You missed the date, or the car has been standing still. This often happens when someone has been abroad for a while or stopped using the car over winter.
Selling a car with an expired APK
The APK is the Dutch annual roadworthiness test. Without a valid one, the car may not be driven on public roads, except straight to a garage for a test. It can still be sold. Paying for a test, and then for whatever it fails on, is rarely worth it when the car is going anyway.
What this covers
It failed the test
The garage gave you a list of what needs fixing before it can pass. You may sell the car in that state.
It would clearly fail
Rust in the wrong places, worn suspension, an exhaust near the end of its life. There is no need to pay for a test to confirm it.
The registration is suspended
If the registration is suspended (geschorst), the car does not need a valid APK, but it may not be driven or parked on a public road. Tell us, because it changes how we collect the car.
When selling is the sensible move
- The repairs from the APK cost more than the car is worth.
- You would be paying for a test on a car you are selling anyway.
- The car has been standing for months and you want it gone.
- You are leaving the Netherlands and the APK runs out before you do.
What to tell us
The more of this you include, the more accurate the offer, and the less likely it is to change at the handover.
- When the APK expired, if you know the date
- What it failed on, if you still have the report
- Whether the registration is suspended (geschorst)
- Whether the car drives, and where it is parked
Questions about this kind of car
Can my car stay parked on the street after the APK expires?
Only for a short time. The RDW allows a car without a valid APK to stand on a public road for up to two months after the expiry date. After that it must pass the APK or be suspended, or you risk a fine.
What does suspending (schorsen) a car mean?
Suspending takes the car off the road in the RDW register. You pay no road tax and need no insurance or APK while it is suspended, but the car may not be driven or parked on a public road. You can sell a suspended car.
Do I need to get a new APK before I sell to you?
No. Tell us when it expired or what it failed on, and we take that into account in the offer.
I am leaving the Netherlands. When should I sell?
Before you deregister from your municipality (gemeente), if you can. Selling while you still live here is simpler, and it stops the road tax and insurance on a car you no longer use.
Get an offer for your car
Enter your number plate and mileage. Asking is free and you are not committing to anything.