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Netherlands

ANPR for Netherlands

Dutch License Plate Format

The Netherlands introduced vehicle registration plates on April 26, 1898, becoming the third country in the world to do so, after France (1893) and Germany (1896). Dutch license plates are issued by the RDW (Dutch Vehicle Authority) and use a system where registration numbers stay with the vehicle, not the owner. Numbers are issued in strict chronological order and bear no relation to the vehicle’s location or ownership. The current system has been in place since 1951, with the latest format introduced in 2021.

Plate Format

Multiple formats in use – A-001-AA, AA-001-A, 00-AAA-1, 0-AAA-01, AAA-01-A, A-01-AAA & 0-AA-001

Script

Latin alphabet, Arabic numerals

City Codes

Not applicable – nationwide system without geographic coding

Special Plate Types in Netherlands

Taxi

Light blue background with black text, format XX-XX-99 (2 letters + 2 letters + 2 digits), mandatory since December 2000 for passenger transport vehicles outside public transit system (e.g., AB-CD-12)

Dealer/Trade

Green background with black text, format XX-99-99 (2 letters + 2 digits + 2 digits), used by automotive companies for test drives, forbidden to park on public roads (e.g., HA-12-34, HF-56-78, HH-90-12, FH-34-56)

Imported Oldtimers (40+ years)

Black text on yellow background, sidecode 1 format XX-00-00 (2 letters + 2 digits + 2 digits), series DE, DH, DL, DM, DR, AE, AH, AL, AM, AR, DZ, PM, RM; current series RM as of July 16, 2025 (e.g., RM-00-05)

Temporary/Export/Provisional

Black text on white background, format XX-XX-99 (2 letters + 2 letters + 2 digits), single coded H for 1 month or Z for 1 week (e.g., H-12-34, Z-56-78)

Royal Family

Black text on yellow background, format AA-XX or AA-XXX (AA + 2-3 digits), reserved for Dutch royal family vehicles (e.g., AA-12, AA-123)

Diplomatic Corps

Black text on yellow background, format CD-XX-XX or XX-CD-XX (CD + 2 digits + 2 digits), CD = Corps Diplomatique (e.g., CD-12-34)

Commercial Vehicles

Black text on yellow background, B or V as first letter indicates “Bedrijfswagen” (commercial vehicle), separate taxation class, called “grijs kenteken” (grey registration); format varies by sidecode (e.g., 1-VBB-00, V-01-BBB)

Caribbean Netherlands

North American standard size, no EU flag, format starts with B (Bonaire), E (St. Eustatius), or S (Saba) + 3-4 digits, different colors per island; special prefixes: V (commercial), TX (taxi), D (government), AB (buses) (e.g., B-1234, E-567, S-890)

Military Vehicles

Black text on yellow background, various formats with military codes – KL, KN-KZ (Royal Army), KM (Royal Navy), LM (Air Force), KP (Army car), KV (Royal Constabulary), DM (in sidecodes 7, 9, 10); format KL-XX-XX or XX-KL-XX (e.g., KL-12-34)

BBB, FVD, GVD, KGB, KKK, KVT, LPF, NSB, PKK, PSV, PVV, SGP, SS, SD, TBS, VVD – combinations banned to prevent obscenity, political/historical references; SDB-SDZ and SSB-SSZ not issued due to fascist connotations

Key features of the ANPR for Netherlands

Accuracy

97% – 99%

Supported plates

European, South American, Asian and South African, Middle East

Lpr + Container

It can run with Container Recognition support

SDK support

C++ / C# / Java / Python

Image & Stream Based Recognition

Windows x64, Ubuntu, Arm

Analytics

Our LPR application performs vehicle Make, Color, and Type classification.

Android

Supports Android phones and tablets.

Adr Plate

Performs additional ADR plate recognition alongside standard license plate recognition.

License Plate Country Classification.

Germany / Poland / Türkiye… etc.

CPU & GPU

Supports both CPU and GPU processing.

Multiple Plate Recognition

Supports detection and recognition of multiple license plates in a single image or frame

Interested in Dutch License Plate Recognition?

Let us know and discover how our ANPR solution can transform your operations!

Global Coverage

Our ANPR system supports license plate recognition across multiple countries and regions. Each implementation is optimized for local plate formats, scripts, and regulatory requirements to ensure accurate detection in diverse environments.