Vehicle registration plates

Do you want to manufacture vehicle registration plates (kentekenplaten, licence plates)? Or do you want to issue registration plates to vehicle owners? You must be a recognised manufacturer. And you must follow the rules for the manufacturing and issuing of registration plates.

How to apply for recognition

You apply for recognition as a registration plate manufacturer to the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW, in Dutch). You must meet the conditions, among others:

• Your company must be registered with the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK) as a manufacturer of registration plates.
• Your production facility is suitable. It must for instance be well-heated and easy to lock.
• You have a vault, locker, or other lockable facility at your business address in which you can store plates and semi-manufactured products.
• You are in possession of the right machinery, such as a pressing machine, die set, and quality labelling machine. These machines must be in good working order.

Recognition is valid for 1 production site. Do you have multiple production sites? You must apply for a separate recognition for each site.

Making registration plates

Manufacturers of registration plates must comply with:

• the Registration Certificate & Registration Plate Regulation (Regeling kentekens en kentekenplaten), and
• the Registration Plate Approval Requirements Regulation 2000 (Regeling eisen goedkeuring kentekenplaten 2000).

These regulations lay down the requirements for different types of registration plates (in Dutch). For example their dimension, lacquer, colour, and material.

Issuing registration plates

When you make and issue a registration plate, you need to:

• check if the type of registration plate is allowed for the vehicle
• make the registration plate according to the legal requirements
• verify your client's identification and their vehicle registration card
• register each issue of registration plates with RDW (in Dutch)

Different types of registration plates may have different issuing procedures (in Dutch).

Please note: The technical requirements that apply in the Netherlands to registration plates differ from those of other EU Member States. If a registration plate is already permitted in another EU Member State, the Dutch government may only prohibit its sale in the Netherlands in exceptional cases.