Transferring a car into your name

Buying a car is a happy moment. Completely satisfied and content, you take the car home. But before that happens, a number of things need to be arranged. For example, the car has to be put in your name. This is done by transferring the registration (licence plate) into your name. You can read how that works on this page. This page describes the situation in the Netherlands.

Why does the registration have to be transferred?

The registration determines who the registered keeper of the car is. As long as the registration is still in the name of the previous owner, that previous owner is the registered keeper and the obligations that come with it remain with them. With a transfer, the new owner becomes the registered keeper and has to bear certain responsibilities.

Taking out car insurance is the most important condition. After the transfer, the old owner no longer needs car insurance for the car that has been sold.

What you need for the transfer

To be able to transfer a car, a number of documents are required. Not all documents may be available yet, because some of them are still in the possession of the old owner. That is why it is important that the seller hands over these documents in good time. Most Dutch people now have a plastic registration certificate the size of a credit card. In certain cases, old-fashioned paper registration certificates still exist.

With a paper registration certificate

With a paper registration certificate, you need the following:

The proof of registration in your name (tenaamstellingsbewijs);
A transfer certificate (overschrijvingsbewijs);
A valid proof of identity.

With a registration card

With a registration card (kentekencard), you need the following:

The registration card;
The registration code (tenaamstellingscode);
A valid proof of identity.

Where to transfer the car?

Having the car transferred is not a complicated procedure. You can do this at a post office, a registration counter (kentekenloket), or online on the website of the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW).

At a post office or registration counter

Most people still go to the post office to transfer the registration. On the PostNL website, you can find out where the nearest post office is located.

The registration counter is another option. These are often car garages authorised by the RDW. Registration counters are located throughout the Netherlands.

Transferring a car online

Nowadays, cars can be transferred online. A few things are needed for this. Think, for example, of a DigiD (the Dutch digital login for public services). You also need a modern driving licence issued after 14 November 2014. A valid passport or identity card is also sufficient. The identity document is checked with the identity check in the DigiD app, which the RDW requires for transferring online.

What does the new owner receive?

The new owner of the car is given or sent various documents. For example, the new owner is given a proof of registration in their name with the first 4 digits of the corresponding registration code. It is important to keep this in a safe place.

An indemnity certificate (vrijwaringsbewijs) is also provided. This document is intended for the seller. The keys are usually only handed over after this certificate has been handed over. The actual registration certificate is sent by post by the RDW: after a transfer on a working day before 16:00, on the same working day, otherwise on the next working day (source: RDW). The last 5 digits of the registration code are also provided with it. So keep this document in a safe place too.

Transferring at the weekend

A car can also be put in your name at the weekend. Post offices and registration counters are also open on Saturdays. Online is possible at any time, so also at the weekend (including Sundays).

Transferring at a post office or registration counter on a Sunday is often not possible. Most offices are closed. Still, a few are open. You can find the exact opening hours at PostNL or on Kentekenloket.nl.

Arranging car insurance

Now that the car is officially in your name, it is important to take out car insurance as soon as possible. Third-party liability insurance (WA) is compulsory in the Netherlands for all motor vehicles. WA.nl has more information about the different types of car insurance and the cover that goes with them.