Every vehicle that comes on the road in the Netherlands has a stamped chassis number. Named the official vehicle identification number (VIN) and registered by the government in the basic vehicle register at the RDW. It is important for the identification of the vehicle. And yet many cars drive around in the Netherlands without a VIN. Modern cars often have an accident. With traditional transport, however, such a VIN sometimes disappear during a repair or restoration by a well-intended restorer. Even with professional restoration companies it sometimes seems that such a number disappears.
The VIN is very important to identify a vehicle. Usually it is only discovered during a MOT inspection that the number is missing. Then the car cannot be approved and the owner is referred to the RDW for the number to be stored again.
Two important conditions apply to re-entering the number. First, it must be apparent that the car is the vehicle that belongs to the vehicle registration certificate submitted. The RDW must carry out a so-called identity investigation for this. Furthermore, the plate part with the original number must be returned to prevent it from ever being used again.
This last condition causes the most problems, because often there is a long period between a restoration and the next MOT. The original plate part is then often no longer traceable.
Does it appear that the relevant plate part must be replaced with a VIN? Then you can use the RDW for a preliminary investigation. That is an identity investigation that takes place when everything is still connected. The preliminary investigation can be carried out at home. The RDW then notices important parts and creates a file including photos of the car. As a result, there is no doubt about the identity later and the correct number can be re-entered without any problems.