How to check RDW data by registration number

Which number is needed?

On the main page, open the search method selector and choose the Dutch RDW registration mode. Enter the exact Dutch registration number. If only a new registration number from another country is given after import, ask for the previous Dutch number and a document linking it to the vehicle.

Do not choose a number because a vehicle looks similar. A matching make and colour do not link a registration record to the vehicle in front of you. Compare the data with documents and VIN markings at the viewing. Searching by registration number does not authenticate those documents.

What the pilot shows

The source is RDW's open registration data. Depending on the record found, individual technical fields and dates may be available. Read each field name: first registration and registration in the Netherlands can describe different events. Do not replace a missing date with an assumption.

The result identifies the source and retrieval time. An unfound number or an unavailable service does not mean the vehicle does not exist. Recheck the identifier and the request status explanation. The official RDW check is available separately and may provide more information than the pilot displays.

An odometer assessment is not a mileage value

The assessment concerns the sequence of readings or whether enough information is available. RDW explains a logical sequence as increasing registered values; no assessment means there is insufficient basis to give one. It is not the number of kilometres the vehicle has travelled today.

Do not interpret 'logical' as 'all mileage fully verified', or no assessment as an accusation of rollback. Comparison requires the readings themselves, their units and dates. Ask the owner for an available official report or service documents. An owner's separate RDW report should not be confused with the open-data response in VIN Service.

Compare the record with the proposed purchase

Use the information found as a checklist for your conversation with the seller.

• Check that the registration number belongs to the vehicle you are considering.
• Compare the make, model and available specifications with the advert.
• Examine registration dates and import documents separately.
• Ask for odometer readings with clear dates and units.
• Clarify missing information before the inspection and final decision.

What remains unknown

The pilot's mode does not provide a full accident history or guarantee an absence of damage. An odometer assessment does not replace service documents and a condition inspection. Finding a record means the number was successfully searched, not that all the seller's statements are confirmed.

The saved part of a report is available for 30 days in the browser session. Write down questions for the seller and retain available documents separately. Registration data, an inspection and service history complement one another; no incomplete source covers every other check.