What is the last license plate number issued?

The car license plate dates back to 1898. There were few cars back then, so license plates consisted of numbers from 1 to 2,065. In 1906 came the county license plates. The license plate began with a letter followed by a number. For example, the letter "L" stood for Utrecht and "P" for Limburg. In 1951, the license plate as we know it today was introduced. The license plate now consists of a combination of numbers and letters arranged in three groups. This system is also called sidecode. The first sidecode was: 2 letters - 2 numbers - 2 numbers. Once they ran out of combinations to issue, the RDW switched to sidecode 2 (2 numbers - 2 numbers - 2 letters. By now we are in sidecode 9 for cars. This started with GB-001-B.

Among other things, the side code 7 consisted of 3 letters. This could create combinations that were not desirable. Not all possible letters are used, for example the "Q" and the "C" never appear in license plates. This is because these look too much like a zero. For trailers, however, these letters are possible. Certain combinations are also excluded. For example, you will not find any license plates with the combinations "GVD", "KKK", "NSB".

In some countries, license plates (within certain combinations) can be self-selected. This is not possible in the Netherlands. The combinations are issued consecutively. By checking which license plate was last issued, you can have limited influence. When changing to the next side code, some people put off buying a new car until the new license plates are available. There are theories that the newest license plate combination has a positive effect on the resale value in the future, but that remains to be seen in practice. For the same reason, buying a new car is often postponed to the new year. This theory makes more sense. A 2018 car sells better than a 2017 car.

You sometimes see vehicles with license plates that have a number above the horizontal bars. This is called a duplicate code. This is added on the license plate when a license plate is newly issued because the old one was stolen, or lost. This added code creates a distinction between the originally issued license plate and the new replacement plate. Have your license plates or one of them been stolen? Report this to the police. This way you can prevent misuse of your license plate.

Only the owner of a motor vehicle can apply for new license plates. This can be done at a license plate manufacturer recognized by the RDW. On the RDW website you will find an overview of these manufacturers. There will be a check to see if you are actually the owner of the vehicle. You must show valid identification for this. Also bring the original vehicle certificate (Part 1A) or the registration card. The cost of the new plates varies by manufacturer. The new plates have the duplicate code added to them.