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Lost Vehicle Registration Certificate

If you have lost part of your vehicle registration certificate, request a replacement from the RDW. This applies to both your registration card and your registration code. You can submit a request on your own behalf or on behalf of someone else. Make sure you can always present your documents and do not keep them in the car.

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Car documents stolen

To drive safely, in addition to car insurance , you also need your car registration documents. These documents prove that the car is registered in your name and is insured.

Have your car documents been stolen, and do you not have a registration card and/or registration code anymore? If so, apply for a new one through the website of the National Road Traffic Authority (RDW).

Fees if you've lost your vehicle registration certificate

A new vehicle registration card and registration code cost €39.80

Reissuing the registration code costs €1.25

The transfer receipt is now the account holder code

In the past, there was a Part 3 of the vehicle registration certificate: the transfer certificate. As of January 1, 2014, this has been replaced by the registration code. This is the part you need to transfer the license plate, and you must keep it at home.

Without Part 3 of the vehicle registration certificate, you couldn't sell the vehicle. That's because you needed Part 3 to transfer the registration to the new owner at the post office.

Lost registration code

You need a registration code if you sell, scrap, or de-register the car. Do you still have the registration card but have lost the registration code? In that case, you don’t need to apply for a new registration card. You can download a new registration code online right away from the RDW.

Request a new registration code for yourself

Request a new registration code through the RDW website. Is the vehicle registered in your name, and do you have a DigiD? Or is the vehicle registered under your company name, and do you have eHerkenning? If so, you can download the complete 9-digit code right away.

Step 1

Go to " Lost Registration Code" on the RDW website.

Step 2

Go to " Download Registration Code Now, " log in with DigiD or eHerkenning, and request your new registration code.

Step 3

Pay the €1.25 fee using iDEAL | Wero.

Step 4

You will receive two emails from the RDW within a few minutes. The second email will contain a link to your new registration code. You may need to log in again to download the code.

Step 5

The registration code will remain valid for 40 days. Save the file containing the registration code and keep it in a safe place.

Step 6

Once you receive your new registration code, the old code will no longer be valid. Your license plate number will remain the same, however.

Request a registration code for someone else

Applying for a registration code for someone else is different from applying for one for yourself.

Step 1

Go to the section titled “Applications on Behalf of Someone Else or Without DigiD or eHerkenning ” on the RDW page titled “Lost Registration Code.”

Step 2

Make sure you have the reporting code handy. The reporting code consists of the last 4 digits of the vehicle identification number.

Step 3

Request a new registration code by clicking the " Request Registration Code" button . Select " Request Registration Code Only. " Pay the fee via iDEAL.

Step 4

The vehicle owner will receive the complete 9-digit code by mail. The RDW will send the code to the address registered with the municipality.

Step 5

The schedule on the RDW website shows when you'll receive the registration code.

Step 6

Once you receive the new registration code, the old code will no longer be valid. The license plate number will remain the same, however.

Lost vehicle registration card

Have you lost your vehicle registration card, or has it been stolen or damaged? If so, apply for a new one with the RDW. You can do this yourself, or you can authorize someone else to do it for you. When you apply for a new vehicle registration card, you will automatically receive a new registration code.

Do you still have the old, paper version of the vehicle registration certificate? You’ll also need a new vehicle registration certificate if you’ve lost part of it—for example, the transfer certificate. You can only apply for a replacement vehicle registration certificate if the vehicle is registered in your name.

Step 1

Go to " Apply for a Vehicle Registration Certificate" via RDW.

Step 2

Look up the four-digit registration code. Please note: this is not the same as the registration holder code (9 digits). Check the RDW website to find out where to locate the registration code.

Step 3

Click on " Request Vehicle Registration Certificate. " Select " Request Vehicle Registration Card with Registration Code. " You can pay the fee of €39.80 via iDEAL | Wero.

Step 4

You will receive a new vehicle registration certificate (registration card) and, automatically, a registration code as well.

Step 5

The RDW sends the vehicle registration certificate to the registered owner's address, as recorded by the municipality.

Step 6

Did you have a paper registration certificate? If so, cut up the old paper registration documents after you receive your new registration certificate. Did you have a registration card? If so, discard the “old” registration code. It is no longer valid.

Step 7

Good to know: You'll keep the same license plate number.

No more new license plates needed

If you lose your vehicle registration documents, you do not need to purchase new license plates. The same applies in reverse: if your license plate is lost or stolen, you do not need to apply for new registration documents. This used to be required, which cost vehicle owners an unnecessary amount of money and created extra work for the RDW.

That is why the RDW has established a system whereby the vehicle registration certificate and license plates each have their own duplicate code. If one of the two is lost, you only need to replace the missing item.

Duplicate Code

The duplicate code is a number that appears on the license plate and the vehicle registration certificate. When the vehicle registration certificate is replaced, both documents are assigned the same duplicate code. This link helps prevent the misuse of stolen or lost license plates and vehicle registration certificates.

Car documents stolen from a leased car

Do you have a leased car and have your vehicle documents been stolen? If so, contact the leasing company. Only the owner can request a new registration certificate and a new registration code for the vehicle. In this case, that’s the leasing company. They will mail the new registration card to you.

Never keep your vehicle registration certificate in the car

Keep your vehicle registration certificate in the car. If your car is stolen and you’ve also lost your vehicle registration certificate, some insurers may not pay out. During a traffic stop, the police will ask for your driver’s license and vehicle registration certificate. So always keep these with you while driving—for example, in your wallet. Keep the vehicle registration code safe at home.

Do you still have a paper vehicle registration certificate? If so, you must be able to show Part 1A (vehicle registration) and Part 1B (owner registration) if the police ask for them. Part 1A contains information about the car, and Part 1B contains information about the current registered owner.

Keep Part II, the transfer certificate, at home, because you'll need it for the transfer. If you lose Parts I and II, the car can easily be registered under someone else's name.

Frequently Asked Questions About Losing Your Vehicle Registration Certificate

How long will it take to receive a new vehicle registration certificate?

If you apply for a new vehicle registration certificate through the RDW, you will usually receive it by mail within a few business days. It will be sent to the address registered with the municipality. If you are only applying for a new registration code, you can download it immediately online (when applying with DigiD or eHerkenning).

What is the difference between a license plate card and a registration code?

The vehicle registration card is the physical proof of your vehicle's registration and includes, among other things, your license plate number and vehicle information. The registration code is a separate 9-digit code that you need to sell, suspend, or scrap the vehicle. Keep this code in a safe place at home, separate from the vehicle registration card.

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