Registering a vehicle after the death of the owner

If you want to transfer a vehicle to your name, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must have the registration number transferred to your or your company's name yourself.
• You are at least 18 years old.
• You are registered with the municipality in the Basisregistratie Personen  (BRP/Personal records database). 
• You have the complete registration certificate.
  Have you lost the vehicle registration certificate (or part of it)? Then you must first apply for a new registration certificate. Have you lost (part of) the registration code? Then you must apply for a new registration code. 

Selling the vehicle

If you don't want the vehicle, you can of course also sell it. For more information, go to Selling a vehicle (only available in Dutch).

1. You go to a vehicle registration counter, an RDW inspection station or an RDW desk (Zoetermeer or Veendam).
2. You bring the following documents with you:
   • the vehicle registration certificate in credit card format (vehicle registration card) with the registration code   or
   • the original Ascription certificate (Part 1B) and the Transfer certificate
   • a valid ID.
3. Pay the fees. See fees.
4. The desk clerk will register the vehicle in your name and give you 2 documents:
   • a vehicle log book containing the first 4 digits of the registration code
   • a certificate of indemnification. This is proof that the vehicle is no longer registered in the name of the deceased. With the certificate of indemnification you can prove that ownership of the vehicle has been transferred.
5. You are now the owner of the vehicle. That means you must have insurance, pay motor vehicle tax and are responsible for a valid APK.
6. We will send you your new vehicle registration certificate and the second part of the ascription code the next working day. If the registration number was transferred before 4 p.m., we will send the certificate the same day.   

Selling a vehicle to an RDW-approved company

You can also sell the vehicle you inherited to a vehicle company. That company must be approved by us. The company will have the RDW sign on the wall that reads, for example: "Afgifte vrijwaringsbewijzen" ("we issue certificates of indemnification").

Under certain conditions, it is possible to transfer ownership of a vehicle online. That means you do not have to go to a service desk or counter.

Requirements

• You have the registration card and the ascription code of the vehicle you want to transfer. Online transfer is not possible with a 'paper' registration certificate. 
• You have a valid Dutch passport, Dutch driving licence or Dutch identity card with a chip. All passports and identity cards come with a chip. Driving licences issued after 14 November 2014 come with a chip.
• The mobile phone you use (your own or someone else's phone) must be an Android smartphone, version 6.0 or higher, or an iPhone model 7 or higher and iOS version 13. These phones have a NFC chip reader. This chip reader is required to check your identity.  

How to transfer ownership online

1. Check whether you can transfer ownership online. Under the heading 'requirements' you can read what you need to transfer ownership of your vehicle online. If you do not meet all the requirements, you cannot transfer ownership online. Go to a service desk.
2. To transfer a vehicle online, you as an heir must do a one-time identity check via the DigiD app, using your passport, driving licence or identity card. You must have a mobile phone. You do not have the DigiD-app on your phone? Download this app first. Then do the identity check. Read on for more information about the identity check via DigiD. Are you using the mobile phone of someone else? Make sure that you use the app with your own DigiD details.
3. After you have done the one-time identity check on your mobile phone, you can transfer the vehicle. You do this via the 'Transfer ownership' button (only available in Dutch). You pay by iDEAL .
4. You will receive several emails from us after you completed the online transfer of ownership. Only after you received the second e-mail, ownership of the vehicle has really been transferred. From that moment on, you are responsible for the obligations that come with owning a vehicle. See "Vehicle obligations".
5. In the third e-mail, you will find a link to the certificate of indemnification and the vehicle log book with the first part of the registration code. The vehicle log book is for you. The certification of indemnification is proof that the vehicle is no longer registered in the name of the deceased. With the certificate of indemnification you can prove that ownership of the vehicle has been transferred. 
6. You will receive the vehicle registration certificate and the second part of the registration code by post. Is your vehicle owned by a lease or financing company? Then you will receive the vehicle registration card either from us or from the lease company. We always send the registration code of a lease vehicle to the lease company.

The fees for transferring ownership of a vehicle are always the same. It does not matter whether you transfer ownership with us or with a vehicle registration counter.

Immediately check the transfer

After the transfer of ownership, you can immediately check whether the vehicle is registered in your name. You can check via ‘Mijn RDW ’. Log in as a private person (only available in Dutch). You'll need the DigiD app or DigiD with sms check.

Vehicle obligations

If the vehicle is registered in your name, you are responsible for the vehicle obligations. What these obligations are, is explained under 'Vehicle obligations'.

On the road without registration card

You have registered the vehicle in your name, but you haven't received the vehicle registration card yet? You can already drive on the Dutch road. The Dutch police can directly check the vehicle register for your details. You must be able to show your registration card within 14 days after the vehicle was transferred.
Please note: You are not allowed to drive your vehicle abroad without a registration certificate.

If you have a car, commercial car or camper registered to your (company) name, you must meet a number of obligations.

1. Insurance
2. APK (Periodic Technical Inspection)
3. Motor vehicle tax
4. Correct registration number plates

Insurance

A car, commercial car or camper must be insured from the moment it is registered in your name (in accordance with the Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Act (WAM)).

You can take out liability insurance with an insurance company. This must be an insurance company authorised to make entries in the RDW's insurance register. This usually means that it has to be a Dutch company.

When you take out the insurance, the insurance company asks you for the reporting code. This reporting code consists of the last 4 digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN) . You can find the reporting code on the vehicle log book that you received when you bought the vehicle and on the registration card.

APK (Periodic Technical Inspection)

A car, commercial car or camper must be APK inspected (APK meaning Periodic Technical Inspection).

Motor vehicle tax (MRB)

You have to pay motor vehicle tax (MRB). When you register a vehicle registration certificate in your name, you automatically file a motor vehicle tax return at the same time. The Tax and Customs Administration will send you automatically an invoice for motor vehicle tax.
For more information on motor vehicle tax, go to the site of the Tax and Customs Administration.

Do you have a classic vehicle? You may be eligible for the tax arrangement for classic vehicles. Under this arrangement of the Tax and Customs Administration, you do not pay vehicle tax for your classic vehicle. However, you do have to comply with the insurance obligation and the APK obligation.
For more information about the classic vehicle arrangement, ("oldtimerregeling") go to the site of the Tax and Customs Administration.

Registration number plates

You must have the correct registration number plates on your (camping/commercial) car.

Suspend vehicle obligations

You can suspend the obligations that come with owning a (camping/commercial) car by taking the vehicle "off the road". This is called suspension.

Fines after routine checks of registered particulars

We check the insurance register and the inspection register daily. This way we can immediately see whether a vehicle is insured and APK-approved. Each vehicle is checked in both registers at least once a year (100 percent check). We perform these checks on behalf of the Ministry of Justice and Security.
 
If your car is not insured, you will be fined by the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB) in Leeuwarden. If your car is not APK approved, you will also be fined by the CJIB. The Tax and Customs Administration checks via the vehicle register whether you have to pay motor vehicle tax (MRB) for your vehicle. If you do not pay (on time), you will be fined by the Tax and Customs Administration.

Amount of the fine

You can find the amount of the fine here (only available in Dutch).