rdw-license-plate-lookup
Look up ALL available Dutch vehicle information from RDW databases including vehicle specs, fuel/emissions, APK history, recalls, ownership history, technical defects, and more
LABSCO SUMMARY
One call, not seven datasets.
RDW publishes vehicle facts across separate open datasets, and stitching them together per plate is the actual work. This does it in a single lookup — including the two answers people are usually after: when the next inspection is due, and whether there is an open recall.
What it is
A single-tool server over the official RDW open data API. One Dutch licence plate (kenteken) goes in; vehicle specifications, fuel and emissions data, APK inspection history, registration history, axle and body details, defect codes and open-recall status come back.
What you get
- rdw-license-plate-lookup returns everything available for one kenteken in a single call
- Basic and technical specifications, weights, dimensions and registration details
- Fuel type, emissions, environmental specifications and sound levels
- APK inspection report history and the resulting expiry dates
- Ownership and registration change history
- Axle loads, body types and the defect codes recorded at inspection
- Whether the vehicle currently has an open manufacturer recall
Requirements
The npm package rdw-mcp-server — npx rdw-mcp-server, or install it globally and run rdw-mcp. Stdio by default; --http serves POST /mcp with a /health endpoint, CORS enabled and no session state, and --port changes the port. It can also be deployed to Cloudflare Workers and connected to claude.ai as a custom connector. No API key: this is RDW's own public open dataset.
Setup effort
One command — npm install -g rdw-mcp-server
USE CASES
01
Checking a used car before going to see it
Specs, weights, emissions and the defect codes from past inspections, from the plate alone.
02
Finding when the next APK is due
Inspection history and the resulting expiry date, without opening the RDW site.
03
Checking for an open manufacturer recall
Recall status comes back with the rest of the record rather than needing a separate source.
1 tool
Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
1 tool when we connected. One call queries several RDW datasets, including registration, emissions, APK reports, ownership history and defects. Descriptions older than v2.3.0 overstated it; open-recall status is a current flag, not a history.
Requires
- npx on PATH
- Node.js 18.0.0 or later
CONTEXT COST
Light Standing cost
Rated by the size of the one tool definition that rides along on every turn
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
npm install -g rdw-mcp-serverMCP Clients
Claude Desktop — global install
CLAUDE DESKTOP — GLOBAL INSTALL · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"rdw": {
"command": "rdw-mcp"
}
}
}Claude Desktop — npx
CLAUDE DESKTOP — NPX · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"rdw": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"rdw-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}VS Code — global install
VS CODE — GLOBAL INSTALL · JSON
{
"servers": {
"rdw": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "rdw-mcp"
}
}
}VS Code — npx
VS CODE — NPX · JSON
{
"servers": {
"rdw": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"rdw-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}Claude.ai — Cloudflare Worker
Fork or push the repository (https://github.com/jodur/RDW-MCP) to your own GitHub account.
In the Cloudflare dashboard: Workers & Pages → Create → Import a Git repository.
Authorize Cloudflare's GitHub App and select your repo.
Cloudflare detects wrangler.jsonc and pre-fills the build and deploy command — click Save and Deploy. It gives you a live URL such as https://rdw-mcp-worker.<YOUR_SUBDOMAIN>.workers.dev.
In claude.ai: Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
Paste your Worker URL with the /mcp path, e.g. https://rdw-mcp-worker.<YOUR_SUBDOMAIN>.workers.dev/mcp.
Leave the OAuth Client ID/Secret fields blank — this server is authless.
Click Add, then enable it via + → Connectors in a conversation.
