Current license plate series almost finished, this will be the new one!
Introduction of new license plate series near
The current license plate series – introduced in 2019 – is nearing completion. That is, the RDW can prepare for the introduction of the new registration series. The RDW does not disclose when the switch is to a new license plate combination so as not to affect sales of the affected vehicles. But there is no question that the current series – consisting of the combination X-999-XX – is nearing completion.
Only S, T, X and Z remain
At the time of writing, the RDW issues license plates with the letter “S. This letter literally flies through. After the S, license plate combinations with initial T, X and Z will follow, so just a few more letters and then it will be done.
New license plate series 2023
But what does the new license plate set look like? To that, we know the answer. Newly registered passenger cars will have license plates with the combination XXX-99-X in the near future. So three letters, two digits, and ending with another letter. The RDW calls this the 11th passenger car license plate series.
These consonants are allowed
The following consonants are permitted for passenger cars: G, H, J, K, L, N, P, R, S, T, X and Z. Starting with license plate series 11, the consonants L and T are no longer used for passenger cars.
Future license plate series
When series 11 is completed – which will take several years – the RDW will have the next series of license plates ready as well. Successively, these are X-99-XXX, 9-XX-999 and 999-XX-9. The license plate combination after that are not yet known.
Important
Important note from the RDW. “When there is a new license plate combination, it does not mean that immediately all types of vehicles will also get this combination. The series that contains the engines, for example, will first be ‘filled up’ before we switch to the new license plate combination.”
C and Q may not
Since license plate combination 4, no vowels have been used in the license plate, with the exception of the trailer license plate. The letters C and Q look too much like a zero and are not used for that reason. The following letter combinations are prohibited: GVD, KKK, KVT, LPF, NSB, PKK, PSV, TBS, SS and SD (also not in letter combinations with 3 letters), PVV, SGP and VVD.
Nice combinations
That leaves plenty of nice combinations that are allowed, by the way, think BKR, D66, DDR, GFT, GGD, GGZ, GHB, KGB, NVT, PGB, VNL, XXL, XXS and XXX. The digit combinations 13 and 666 are also allowed. Also BHV, BNN, DHL, GPS, JPG, JSF, KPN, KVK, NLD, NTX, PDF, PPT, RTL, RTV, SBS, SNS, TNT, TVR, TXT, VHS and VVV are other examples of legal license plate combinations.
History of license plates in the Netherlands
The Netherlands introduced license plates after France and Germany in 1898. The first license plate had the number 1. A few years later, a system was introduced with license plates by county. In the early 1950s, the series of national letter-digit combinations began, as we know them today.
Serial number – year of introduction for passenger cars – license plate series
Series 1 – 1951 – XX-99-99
2 – 1965 – 99-99-XX
3 – 1973 – 99-XX-99
4 – 1978 – XX-99-XX
5 – 1991 – XX-XX-99
6 – 2000 – 99-XX-XX
7 – 2008 – 99-XXX-9
8 – 2013 – 9-XXX-99
9 – 2015 – XX-999-X
10 – 2019 – X-999-XX
11 – during 2023 – XXX-99-X
12 – ?? – X-99-XXX
13 – ?? – 9-XX-999
14 – ?? – 999-XX-9
