Check a Dutch licence plate
Kentekencheck
Je auto, in één overzicht.
- Voertuig
- Keuring en status
- Techniek
- Prijs
Openbare voertuiggegevens van de RDW. Direct zichtbaar, zonder e-mailadres of account.
Bron: RDW Open Data. Je kenteken komt niet in een database of logbestand.
What do the Dutch labels mean?
The check itself is in Dutch. This is what the main labels mean:
| Dutch label | In English | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Datum eerste toelating | Date of first registration | When the car was first registered, anywhere in the world. |
| Eerste tenaamstelling in Nederland | First registration in the Netherlands | If this is later than the first registration, the car was first registered abroad and then imported. |
| Laatste tenaamstelling | Last change of owner | The date the current owner or keeper was registered. |
| APK (geldig tot) | Roadworthiness test (valid until) | The date by which the car must have passed its next APK. |
| Tellerstandoordeel | Odometer verdict | Logisch (logical), Onlogisch (illogical) or Geen oordeel (no verdict) on the registered mileage readings. |
| WAM-verzekerd | Third-party insured | Whether insurance is registered for the car. Insurers supply this, and the RDW does not vouch for it. |
| Openstaande terugroepactie | Open recall | The manufacturer has told the RDW that the car is recalled because of a possible defect. |
| Geëxporteerd | Exported | The car has left the Dutch register. Its data are no longer updated. |
| Overschrijven mogelijk | Transfer possible | Nee (no) means the car cannot be put in a new owner's name. |
| Catalogusprijs | Catalogue price | The original list price, including VAT and BPM. |
| Bruto bpm | Gross BPM | The one-off registration tax, paid by whoever first registers the car in the Netherlands. |
Ja means yes, Nee means no. Data the RDW has not registered for a car are left out.
What should you look at?
Buying or selling? These items tell you the most:
- APK expiry date. Before this date the car must pass its next APK. Driving without a valid APK is not allowed, and the RDW sends the owner a reminder 6 weeks before. More in our Dutch APK check.
- Odometer verdict. Logisch means every registered reading was higher than the one before. Onlogisch means a lower reading was registered at some point: a typing error or a rolled-back odometer. Imported cars usually get no verdict. For cars imported from Belgium or Germany, the RDW now also takes over the foreign readings.
- Open recall. Usually you make an appointment with a dealer, who fixes the problem for free. After the repair, it can take a few weeks before the check is updated.
- WAM-verzekerd: Nee. No insurance is registered. A car with a Dutch registration must be insured, even when it is not used, unless its registration is suspended.
- Overschrijven mogelijk: Nee. The car cannot be transferred, for example because it is registered as stolen or exported. Do not buy it until you know why.
Where does the data come from?
From RDW open data. The RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority, publishes parts of its vehicle register for free reuse. It only includes data that is not sensitive in terms of privacy, fraud or competition.
Our check requests the data at the moment you search. We do not add or change anything: if something looks wrong, that is how it is in the register. The RDW gives no guarantee on the availability or timeliness of open data.
Sleutelwissel is not part of the RDW, and the RDW is not involved in this check.
What a licence plate check does not show
Some data is not public, or not part of open data:
- The owner's name and address. Privacy law keeps them out of any public check. You can request them from the RDW for €9.20 per owner. A private owner is asked for permission first and has 14 days to respond.
- Whether the car is registered as stolen. That is not in open data, so not in our check either. The RDW's own licence plate check does show it.
- The number of previous owners. That is in the RDW's own check and in the RDW vehicle report.
- Whether the car is suspended. Only the owner can see that, in My RDW.
- The mileage readings themselves. You see the verdict, not the readings. All readings with their dates are in the RDW vehicle report, which the owner requests for free.
This check, the RDW check or the vehicle report?
There are three free ways to look up a Dutch car. They differ in who can use them and what you see:
| This check | RDW licence plate check | RDW vehicle report | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Anyone | Anyone | Only the owner or keeper |
| Log-in needed | |||
| APK expiry date | |||
| Odometer verdict | |||
| All mileage readings with dates | |||
| Number of owners | |||
| Then the expected offer from buyers |
Sources: RDW licence plate check, RDW vehicle report and RDW open data, checked on 7 October 2026. More about the RDW's own check is in our Dutch licence plate check guide.
Selling your car?
Check your own plate first. Buyers and car companies see the same public data. You then know in advance whether the APK is about to expire, whether the odometer verdict is illogical and whether a recall is open.
For most cars, you can continue with the same plate after the check. After 4 photos you see the expected offer from buyers, if we can calculate it automatically. If you sell, you pay us one fixed fee of €19.99, and never a penalty.
How the whole sale works is in selling a car in the Netherlands, and what drives the price in what is my car worth. Buying instead? Read how the RDW transfer of ownership works.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dutch licence plate check free?
Yes. This check and the RDW's own licence plate check are both free. As the owner, you can also request the RDW vehicle report for free.
Can I find out who owns a car from the licence plate?
Not with a licence plate check. You can request the name and address from the RDW for €9.20 per owner. A private owner is asked for permission first and has 14 days to respond.
Can I see if a car is stolen?
Not in our check, because the stolen status is not part of RDW open data. The RDW's own licence plate check shows it. If it says yes next to stolen, do not buy the car and report it to the police.
Can I check a Belgian or German licence plate?
No. The RDW licence plate check covers vehicles with a Dutch registration.
What is the APK?
The compulsory periodic roadworthiness test, called PTI on the RDW's English pages. Petrol and electric cars up to 30 years old have their first APK at 4 years, then every 2 years, and every year from 8 years old. Diesel and LPG cars: first at 3 years, then every year.
How up to date is the data?
We request it from RDW open data when you search. The RDW gives no guarantee on timeliness, and a repaired recall can take a few weeks to disappear from the check.
Sources (11)
- Kentekencheck, RDW, consulted on 7 October 2026
- Open data: algemene informatie, RDW, consulted on 7 October 2026
- Beschrijving dataset gekentekende voertuigen (versie 5.4), RDW, consulted on 7 October 2026
- About the Periodic Technical Inspection, RDW, consulted on 7 October 2026
- RDW-Voertuigrapport aanvragen, RDW, consulted on 7 October 2026
- RDW neemt ook Duitse tellerstanden op in kentekenregister (27 januari 2026), RDW, consulted on 7 October 2026
- Terugroepacties opzoeken, RDW, consulted on 7 October 2026
- Tips for buying a vehicle, RDW, consulted on 7 October 2026
- Open data: bijsluiter, RDW, consulted on 7 October 2026
- Eigenaar voertuig opvragen, RDW, consulted on 7 October 2026
- When and how often should a PTI inspection be performed, RDW, consulted on 7 October 2026