Dutch privacy laws restrict access to recent records. As a rule of thumb, access to records that may contain information about living people is restricted. For example, you can only access birth records of people born more than 100 years ago, and you can only access notarial records after 75 years.
In many cases, access restrictions are set for the entire series, even when your ancestor is no longer living. Take the Central Archives of Special Jurisdiction for example, the court that prosecuted collaborators after World War II. Access to these records is restricted until 2025.
In many cases, you can get access if you can prove that the person of interest is deceased, or was born more than 100 years ago. You will get special dispensation to view the records. Usually, you won’t be allowed to make image copies, but you will be able to take notes.
If the person of interest is still alive, you will need their permission to access their records.
Finding records in the repository. Credits: US National Archives (no known copyrights)
About Yvette Hoitink
Hi,
My name is Lori. I tried everything I could to find my original birth certificate before I was adopted. When I send off to get my original birth certificate. They were tell me, they couldn’t find anything.
It has been my experience that the access to which you refer only applies to certain registers including birth, marriage and death registrations. Limited access does not apply to the 1913-1939 Bevolkingsregister for Den Haag – I copied my fathers family record from it on 1 May 2021 even though my father’s youngest brother was still alive at the time (he died on 11 28 March 2024 aged 96).