Vehicle registration plates of the Netherlands
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Dutch vehicle registrations are issued by the Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer (RDW). The accompanying license plates are assigned to the car's identity papers. If a car changes owner then the registration number stays with the car, not the owner. However, the number changes when the car undergoes technical changes that require its renewed validation.
License numbers are ordered only in time. The numbering scheme bears no relation to the geography of its registration.
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[edit] Numbering schemes
The current Dutch license plate system uses black letters on a light-reflecting yellow background. The previous series used white reflecting letters on a dark-blue background. Their numbering schemes however are the same.
Dutch car license plates can be formatted as follows (L=letter, D=digit)
- 1951 and on: LL-DD-DD
- 1965 and on: DD-DD-LL
- 1973 and on: DD-LL-DD
- 1978 and on: LL-DD-LL
- 1991 and on: LL-LL-DD
- 1999 and on: DD-LL-LL
- 2008 and on: DD-LLL-D
Letters do not include A,E,I,O,U to avoid profane or obscene language. The letters C and Q are not used, to avoid confusion with the zero. Letters and numbers are given out in strict alphabetical/numeric order. Hence, a Dutch license plate says all about the date of registration of a car, but nothing about where the car comes from or whom it belongs to.
[edit] Special-use license plates
| Letters | Description |
|---|---|
| AA | Used for vehicles registered to the Dutch royal family. (AA-??) |
| B, V | The B in the first letter position used to refer to a "Bedrijfswagen" (commercial vehicle): a special status for cars that are exclusively used for commercial purposes. Commercial license registrations have a separate taxation class, though some 10% of the carpark is registered as commercial. A commercial license is often called "grijs kenteken" (gray registration), referring to the colour of the car's registration papers. |
| BE | Classic commercial vehicles (BE-??-??) |
| DE, AE | Imported classic cars. |
| KL to KZ & LM, LO, LU | Military Vehicles: (KL, KN to KZ: Royal Army, KM: Koninklijke Marine's(Royal Navy), LM: Luchtmacht (Air Force), KP: Regular car from the Koninklijke landmacht (Royal Army), KV: Koninklijke Marechaussee (Royal Constabulary). |
| CD | "Corps Diplomatique" and is used for diplomats (CD-??-??) or (??-CD-??) |
| CDJ | Lawyers or Diplomats working for the International Court of Justice |
| M | Motorcycles (ML-??-??) |
| BN or GN | For vehicles whose owner is not liable to taxation such as staff from embassies without diplomatic status, consulates or international organisations such as ESA ('B'uitenlander in 'N'ederland or 'G'een 'N'ederlander meaning Foreigner in Netherlands or Not Dutch respectively) |
| GV | For agricultural vehicles that may cross national borders (grensverkeer) (GV-??-??) or (??-??-GV) |
| HA, HF, FH | For car merchants, e.g. for test-drives with unregistered cars. |
| HH | Dutch Scooters overseas |
| ZZ | For vehicles with a special exemption to enter public roads, such as cranes. (ZZ-??-??) |
| W | Light trailers and caravans. |
This list is not exhaustive. The Dutch Wikipedia article nl:Nederlands kenteken contains more exceptions.
[edit] Recent changes
The license plates have subtly changed shape in 2002, when not only the letter type (or font) changed, but also a few other changes were made.
- Combatting fraudulent reports of stolen license plates (giving one three weeks to break speed limits with an alibi), license plates are replaced immediately but using the same number. The new license plate is tagged with a small number 1 over the first dash, that is increased with each new plate.
- A blue background is used for taxis.
- White letters on a blue or black background are used for oldtimers older than January 1, 1978.
- Black letters on a white background are used for trailers that hide the car's actual license plate.
- Trailers, caravans etc. have now got their own black/white license plate.
- The letter Y is no longer used.
The RDW (the government service handles the registrations) will soon exhaust all the combinations of license numbers. Starting 2005, the RDW will start requiring regular license plates for mopeds, replacing the old insurance license plates. When the old series of the other vehicle's license plates have ended, they will start using the same license plates, that is formatted as DD-LLL-D.
[edit] Current series
- 01-DB-ZZ, registration 1999
- 99-FF-ZZ, registration 1999/2000
- 99-GG-ZZ, registration 2000/2001
- 99-HH-ZZ, registration 2001/2002
- 99-JJ-ZZ, registration 2002/2003
- 99-LL-ZZ, registration 2003
- 99-NN-ZZ, registration 2003/2004
- 99-PP-ZZ, registration 2004/2005
- 99-RR-ZZ, registration 2005
- 99-SB-ZZ, registration 2005/2006
- 99-TB-ZZ, registration 2007
- 99-XB-ZZ, registration 2007
- 99-ZB-ZZ, registration 2007/2008
- 01-GBB-1, registration 2008 (current series)
