As of November 1, the RDW will implement an important change in the process for requesting an individual vehicle inspection.
From that date, it will be possible to use the date of manufacture of a vehicle as the official date of first registration (DET). This change offers a welcome solution for carriers, especially now that stricter rules are coming in 2025. Transport and Logistics Netherlands (TLN) is enthusiastic about this new scheme, which gives companies the opportunity to register new commercial vehicles with a DET from before 1 January 2025, even if the inspection does not take place until 2025.
On 1 January 2025, important laws and regulations for commercial vehicles will change. For example, both the regulations for Zero Emission (ZE) zones and the tightened BPM legislation for vans will come into effect. The DET date plays a crucial role in both regulations. Heavy diesel trucks with a DET from before 1 January 2025 will be allowed to enter the ZE zones for another five years, while vans will be exempt from these environmental zones for another three years. In addition, vans that were registered before that date and are in the name of an entrepreneur are still exempt from the BPM. This means that many transporters now have to hurry up with the inspection of their vehicles, to avoid getting stuck in the stricter rules of the new year.
admission test
The new regulation comes at a time of great pressure at the RDW inspection stations. Many new commercial vehicles must pass an admission inspection before 1 January 2025. TLN and other industry organisations have therefore been urging for some time for measures to increase the inspection capacity at the RDW to increase. The RDW has responded to this and has promised additional inspection capacity, including the possibility of inspecting vehicles at home on Saturdays. Should demand increase further, there is also room to extend the opening hours of the inspection stations.
However, companies that want to use the new scheme must ensure that their application is submitted on time. Inspections that were requested before 1 November must be completed by 1 January 2025 at the latest. This puts extra pressure on companies to act quickly, because after this date new commercial vehicles will fall under the stricter rules of the ZE zones and the BPM legislation.
On 1 January 2025, important laws and regulations for commercial vehicles will change. For example, both the regulations for Zero-Emission (ZE) zones and the tightened BPM legislation for vans will come into effect.
In addition to these measures, the RDW now offers the option to record the vehicle's manufacturing date as the DET date. This offers a solution for vehicles that were completed in 2024 but can no longer be inspected in time. This means that a vehicle that is not inspected until 2025 can still receive a DET from before 2025. For this, the last phase of vehicle manufacturing must be demonstrated with a declaration from the manufacturer who carried out the modifications or completion.
conditions
For companies that want to use this option, it is important to check the box on the new application form for the individual vehicle inspection that requests the date of manufacture to be recorded as a DET. This refers to Article 7, Appendix II of the Vehicle Regulation. This means that a vehicle that is inspected in 2025 can still be retroactively issued a DET from before 1 January 2025, provided that the conditions are met. This new arrangement has been discussed previously between the RDW and TLN, and TLN is pleased that it is now being put into practice.
The introduction of this scheme offers transport companies more flexibility in the run-up to the introduction of the ZE zones and the tightened BPM rules. With the possibility to use the date of manufacture as DET, companies can continue to use their vehicles under the current regulations, even if the inspection no longer takes place in 2024. This gives entrepreneurs that little bit of extra time and space to optimally manage their fleet.
