What do I need to register a car?

Where can I have a car transferred?

You can register your car at several places. If you want to register the car 'offline' you can go to a license plate counter, RDW-desk, RDW-inspection station or PostNL-location. There is always one near you. You can also choose to transfer the license plate online. This can be done through the RDW website.

What papers are needed for the transfer?

To transfer a car, you need a full registration certificate. These are the registration card and the registration code OR the original registration certificate (part 1B) and the transfer certificate. In addition, you must have a valid form of identification on hand. This does not necessarily have to be a driver's license. Are you going to transfer a car online? Then you need to do a one-time identity check of your identification with the DigiD app. You can do this simply with your cell phone. Keep in mind that your phone must be an Android smartphone with version 6.0 or higher or an IPhone model 7 or higher with iOS version 13. These particular models have an NFC chip reader, which can be used to perform the identity check.

What about the insurance when transferring a car?

The moment the license plate is in your name, you are obliged to take out car insurance. In the Netherlands it is compulsory by law to insure a motor vehicle at least WA. This means that you are insured for damage you cause to another person. Damage to your own car is not insured. For that you have to choose a more extensive coverage, such as WA + limited casco or Allrisk.

To purchase car insurance, you need the car's report code. A car's report code is a unique four-digit code and consists of the last 4 digits of your car's chassis number. The report code is on the registration report you received after you transferred the car. It is also on the registration card you receive from the RDW.

Transfer car online

Transferring a car online is done through the RDW website. You must then do a one-time identity check of your ID. You can do this with the DigiD app on your cell phone. After registering, you will receive two e-mails from RDW. The first e-mail is a confirmation of receipt and the second is a final confirmation of the transfer. Only when you receive the second e-mail the car has been transferred. You will receive a third e-mail from RDW containing the link to the release certificate and the registration report. The registration report also contains the ^first part of the registration code. By mail you will receive the registration certificate and the^2nd part of the registration code.

RDW car transfer

Transferring a car is done through the RDW. You choose whether to register the car online or at a license plate counter, RDW inspection station, RDW desk or PostNL location. Often you do this together with the seller of the car. After transferring, you must fulfill all vehicle obligations. The RDW checks in the insurance register whether the vehicle has car insurance. They also check in the inspection register whether the car is APK-approved. The Tax Office checks whether motor vehicle tax has been paid for the car.

Registering a car on Sunday

Nowadays, transferring a car on Sunday is no problem either. Whereas everything used to be closed on Sundays, nowadays more and more cities have Sunday shopping once a month or even every week. This means that stores with a PostNL location are often open as well. Moreover, there are also many PostNL locations in supermarkets, which are also open on Sundays in more and more places. However, you are bound by the opening hours of the location in question. So always check in advance whether the location is open that Sunday. Don't want to be bound to certain times? Then you can also register the car online.

Registering a car on Saturday

Registering a car on Saturday is no problem in most cases. In fact, nowadays there is a Post-NL location in more and more places, such as supermarkets. These are also open on Saturdays and often have wider opening hours than regular stores. Some locations are even open until 9 or 10 in the evening. Moreover, there is always one nearby. On the PostNL website you can find out at which license plate counter in your area you can register a car on Saturday and what time they are open.

Registering a car at the weekend

On weekends, opening hours are of course limited. Because of this, it is not always possible to transfer a car at your convenience. You can therefore also choose to transfer the license plate online. This is possible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In that case, you are not bound to opening hours, but choose the moment that suits you best. Insuring a car during the weekend is no problem either. For this you can go to Alpina.nl.

Car transfer costs

The cost of transferring a car will be €10.75 in 2021. It does not matter whether you transfer the car online, or at a registration desk, RDW location or PostNL location: the costs remain the same. The only difference is that when you arrange the transfer online, you must pay the cost via iDeal.

Registering a car after death

If the owner of the car has died, the license plate must be transferred to a new owner's name within 5 weeks. Transferring a car after death actually works the same as usual. You can transfer the car online or through a registration desk, RDW counter, RDW inspection station or PostNL location. Bring all necessary documents with you, such as the registration card and registration code and a valid ID.

Registering a car in your area

You have several options for transferring a license plate. You can go to a license plate counter, RDW inspection station, RDW desk or PostNL location. So there is always a location near you. For example, there are more than 750 vehicle registration stations throughout the Netherlands. There is also an RDW inspection station in every province. In addition, there are more and more PostNL locations where you can register a license plate, for example in bookstores and supermarkets. Online you can easily see where there is a location near you.