Driving in the Netherlands on a licence from United States (buitenlands rijbewijs)
The Dutch CBR exams. Unless you hold a 30% ruling (expat scheme) decision, which allows an exchange from any country.
From the RDW rules, verified 2 September 2026. The details, sources and costs are below.
The facts for a licence from United States
- How long you may drive on it: 185 days from the date you register at a Dutch address (BRP registration). After that, you need a Dutch licence to drive here.
- Exchange: Not directly. United States is not on the RDW agreement list, so the standard route is the Dutch exams: CBR theory (available in English) and a practical exam. Exception: holders of a 30%-ruling (expat scheme) decision can exchange a licence from any country.
- The 30% ruling (expat scheme): a valid decision lets you exchange a licence from any country, with all its categories, if the licence is still valid and you hold a residence permit.
- Translation: Latin script: no translation needed.
- International Driving Permit: recommended by the RDW when the categories on your licence are not labelled A, B, C, D, E; never required for the 185 days.
- Health declaration: needed before an exchange or the practical exam (Gezondheidsverklaring, €47 via Mijn CBR).
Sources: RDW exchange checklist, RDW, driving with a foreign licence, RDW, exchanging a foreign licence; verified 2 September 2026.
Which International Driving Permit can United States issue, and do I need one?
- The RDW never requires an International Driving Permit for your 185 days; it advises one when the categories on your licence are not labelled A, B, C, D, E, so that they can be read.
- The permit is a translation of your licence, obtained in the issuing country, and it never extends the 185 days.
- United States is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (since 30 August 1950).
- It is not a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
- Its permit follows the 1949 model and is valid for one year from the date of issue.
- The Netherlands is a party to both conventions, so the 1949 permit is recognised here.
Sources: RDW, driving with a foreign driving licence (read 7 September 2026), UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic: status (read 7 September 2026), 1949 Convention on Road Traffic, Annex 10 (validity of the permit) (read 7 September 2026).
What the categories on a United States licence mean here
There is no national US licence: each state issues its own and the class letters differ. The ordinary car licence is Class C in California and Class D in New York, while a Class C in New York is a commercial licence.
| On your licence | What it covers at home | Closest Dutch category |
|---|---|---|
| Class C (California), Class D (New York) | The ordinary car licence. California: a standard car or truck for personal use, towing up to 10,000 lb. New York: cars and trucks up to 26,000 lb (11,793 kg) GVWR, towing up to 10,000 lb. | BDutch B stops at 3,500 kg and 9 people; a US car licence covers far heavier vehicles at home. |
| Class M (New York), M1 (California) | Any motorcycle. | A |
| M2 (California) | Motorized bicycle, moped or motorized scooter. | AM |
| Noncommercial Class A (California) | Towing a trailer over 10,000 lb GVWR or a fifth-wheel, not for pay. | BE |
| CDL Class A | Commercial: combinations over 26,000 lb (11,793 kg) GCWR towing a unit over 10,000 lb, such as a tractor-trailer. | CE |
| CDL Class B | Commercial: a single vehicle over 26,000 lb (11,793 kg) GVWR, such as a straight truck or a bus. | C or DC for goods, D with a passenger endorsement. |
| CDL Class C | Commercial: a vehicle of 26,000 lb or less carrying 15 or more passengers or hazardous materials. | D1 |
- Automatic only: New York's list of licence restriction codes includes E1, "Automatic Transmission". The form names the code and does not spell out its effect; we read it as automatic-only, like Dutch code 78. Codes differ per state; check the "R" line on your own licence.
- Dutch code 78: If you take the Dutch practical exam in an automatic, the Dutch licence gets code 78: automatic only. Removing it means a new practical exam in a manual car.
The Dutch column is the closest Dutch category, not an official equivalence: the RDW decides on exchange what a category becomes, and via the 30% ruling only the categories on the licence come across. During your 185 days, your own licence and its own categories are what count.
What is our judgement here, and what may be out of date
- The Dutch column is our judgement: Class C or D covers vehicles up to 26,000 lb at home, far beyond Dutch B; CDL Class B to C or D and CDL Class C to D1 are approximate.
- The reading of restriction E1 as automatic-only is ours; the New York form only names the code.
Sources: New York DMV, learner permit and driver license class descriptions (read 8 September 2026); California DMV, driver's licenses (Class C, M1, M2, noncommercial A and B) (read 8 September 2026); New York DMV, form MV-500C: license class descriptions and restriction codes (read 8 September 2026); RDW, rijbewijscategorieën (read 8 September 2026); CBR, wat betekent code 78 (read 8 September 2026).
Specific to licences from United States
- A US licence is issued by a state, and no state is on the RDW's agreement list, so every state is treated the same: no direct exchange. The routes are the CBR exams, or exchange via the 30% ruling (expat scheme). source
- US licences show state classes (Class C in California, Class D in New York) that do not mean what C and D mean on a European licence. The RDW advises an International Driving Permit when the categories on your licence are not the European A, B, C, D, E; carry one alongside a US licence. source
A worked example
Registered at a Dutch address on 1 September 2026: you may drive here until 4 March 2027 (185 days). After that you need a Dutch licence.
Computed by the same rules engine as the checker; your own dates give your own deadline. Get yours →
What it costs: the CBR exams route
about €1,408(€947–€1,917)
| Item | Typical | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Health declaration (Gezondheidsverklaring) | €47 | |
| Theory course (English, online or one-day class)estimate | €50 | €30–€129 |
| Theory exam B (English), budgeted for 1.6 attempts on average | €91 | €57–€114 |
| Driving lessons (10–20 × €67.00)estimate | €1,005 | €670–€1,340 |
| Practical exam B, budgeted for 1.5 attempts on average | €215 | €144–€287 |
CBR fees: CBR tariff table 2026; estimates are labelled. Adjust lessons, city and attempts in the checker. Compare the routes →
Timeline
About 8–16 weeks (estimate), in 6 steps:
- Mijn CBR account + health declaration(~4 weeks (CBR processing))
- Book and pass the theory exam
- Prepare with a theory course
- Choose a driving school
- Lessons, then the practical exam(lessons over several weeks; theory certificate stays valid 18 months, estimate)
- Experienced? Plan fewer lessons
Common mistakes with non-EU licences
- Thinking the 185 days start when you arrive. They run from the day you register at a Dutch address (BRP), and after them a Dutch licence is required. source
- Expecting an International Driving Permit to extend the 185 days. It does not; the RDW advises one only so that the categories on your licence can be read. source
- Waiting for the 30% ruling before doing anything. The ruling lets you exchange from any country, but only while the foreign licence is still valid and you hold a residence permit, and the 185 days keep running meanwhile. source
- Letting the licence expire at home. An expired non-EU licence cannot be exchanged on any route; you would take the exams from scratch. source
Why this is confusing
A United States licence is not "invalid" here. It is valid for exactly 185 days from your registration and then not at all, unless a 30%-ruling decision opens the exchange door. Many people only find out after day 185.
Exams in your language
The CBR car theory exam exists in English; every other language uses an interpreter, booked 14 days ahead. The practical exam allows a sworn interpreter or your own instructor to translate.
Which exams do I need? · Theory exam in English · Theory exam with an interpreter · Interpreter at the practical exam · Do you need Dutch?
Rules version 1.2.2, verified 2 September 2026. Source: RDW. This is guidance, not legal advice. Confirm with the official RDW checklist. Municipal licence fee: at most €54 in 2026. This page as data: JSON; all rules: rules index.