Licence plates in Netherlands
Bright yellow plates
A bright yellow plate with black letters and a blue EU band with NL is Dutch.
- Yellow plates front and back.
- Black letters in groups split by dashes, like XX-123-X.
- Blue EU band with NL. Luxembourg plates are yellow too, but say L.
9 photos, grouped by the clue they show.
Key clue Yellow plate 9
Netherlands: what its plates look like
The Netherlands has the most famous plates in Europe: bright yellow with black letters, front and back. The characters come in three groups split by dashes, like XX-123-X.
On the left is a blue EU band with NL. Vintage cars may have the older dark blue plates with white letters.
Yellow plates are used everywhere in the Netherlands. Luxembourg also uses yellow plates, so check the country letters in the band.
Look-alikes: how to tell them apart
Netherlands vs 
Belgium
United Kingdom
Belgium uses white plates with red letters. The United Kingdom has yellow plates only at the back, with a white plate at the front and no dashes.
Questions about plates in Netherlands
Why are Dutch licence plates yellow?
Yellow plates with black letters have been the Dutch standard since the 1970s. They are easy to read and have become a well-known Dutch clue.
Which other country has yellow plates?
Luxembourg, and the rear plates of the United Kingdom. Check the band: NL means the Netherlands.