Tractor registration required by farm vehicle registration law

The Senate passed the bill for registration and license plate requirements for (agricultural) construction vehicles. This will make it mandatory for tractors, among others, to drive with a license plate. It is not yet known when the law will take effect; the date is still to be determined by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

Registration of a (land) construction vehicle.

Once the law is introduced, all existing (agricultural) construction vehicles operating on public roads must be registered with the RDW. These include tractors, limited-speed motor vehicles, and agricultural trailers and towed implements driving faster than 25 km/h.

Registering an existing (land) construction vehicle can only be done during the so-called conversion period. During this period, the vehicles are registered administratively, but not inspected. This is, because all existing vehicles are already driving legally on the road and are therefore allowed to continue to do so. After this conversion period, (agricultural) construction vehicles can still be registered, but then the vehicle must be inspected by the RDW. This does involve additional costs.

From the moment the law takes effect, owners can register their vehicle with the RDW themselves. According to the new law, the following details of the vehicle must be registered:

• • VIN or construction number
  • The brand
  • The trade name
  • The year of construction
  • The maximum construction speed
  • European vehicle category
  • Fuel type
  • Vehicle description (for example, in the case of an MMBS, this is excavator or combine harvester)

From Jan. 1, 2025, registration requirement for all existing vehicles

The registration requirement applies to all existing (agricultural) construction vehicles as of January 1, 2015. Before January 1, 2025, there will still be an immediate duty to register for vehicles driving faster than 25 km/h, if the agricultural tractor is subject to MOT, if the vehicle is driving abroad (here, a duty to register already applies by default) or if the vehicle is subject to exemption.

After registering the vehicle, the owner receives a registration card. This is a credit card-sized registration certificate. The cost of registration and the license plate card is €18 per (land) construction vehicle. After this, the owner can purchase a license plate himself. Trailers do not require registration, but must have a white tracking plate.

MOT requirement for high-speed tractors

The law also creates an MOT requirement for fast tractors, with a speed of more than 40 mph. This MOT requirement applies to both new and existing tractors. The MOT inspection takes place only after the conversion period. Existing tractors have to undergo the MOT inspection every 2 years. New tractors sold only have to go to the MOT for the first time after 4 years. After these first 4 years, they must also be inspected every 2 years.

What about new (land) construction vehicles?

All new (land) construction vehicles sold AFTER the law takes effect are already registered and have license plates. They are therefore directly in the name of the owner. In order to do this, importers, dealers and mechanization companies must have what is known as company recognition from the RDW.