RDW MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for querying Dutch RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer) vehicle registration data. This server provides tools to look up vehicle information, fuel/emissions data, and search vehicles by brand and model using the official RDW open data API.

Quick Start

Choose your preferred method:

• Global Install (recommended): npm install -g rdw-mcp-server → rdw-mcp
• NPX (no install): npx rdw-mcp-server
• Local Dev: Clone repo → npm install → npm run build → node build/index.js

Test the installation:

rdw-mcp        # if globally installed
# OR
npx rdw-mcp-server  # if using npx

(Press Ctrl+C to stop)

Add to Claude Desktop (see Configuration section below)

Start asking questions like:

• "Look up license plate 12-ABC-3"
• "Show me BMW vehicles"

Features

• Complete License Plate Lookup: Get ALL available vehicle information from RDW databases by Dutch license plate (kenteken)
• Comprehensive Vehicle Data: Basic specs, technical details, weights, dimensions, and registration information
• Integrated Fuel & Emissions: Detailed fuel type, emissions, environmental specifications, and sound levels
• APK Inspection History: Complete APK (MOT) inspection records and expiry dates
• Safety & Recalls: Vehicle recall information and safety action notices
• Registration History: Complete ownership and registration change history
• Technical Specifications: Axle loads, body types, and detailed technical data
• Defect Records: Known technical defects and inspection findings
• Real-time Data: Access up-to-date information from all official RDW databases
• Enhanced Coverage: Data from 8+ different RDW datasets in a single lookup

Installation

Global Installation (Recommended for CLI usage)

npm install -g rdw-mcp-server

After global installation, you can run the server directly:

rdw-mcp

Using NPX (Run without installing)

npx rdw-mcp-server

This runs the package directly without installing it globally.

From Source (Local Development)

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/rdw-mcp-server.git
cd rdw-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build
node build/index.js

Usage

As a Global Command

After global installation, start the MCP server:

Stdio Mode (Default):

rdw-mcp

HTTP Mode:

rdw-mcp --http          # Runs on port 3000
rdw-mcp --http --port=8080  # Custom port

The server supports both stdio and HTTP transports:

• Stdio: For direct command-line and Claude Desktop integration
• HTTP: For remote access, web integrations, and scalable deployments

HTTP Transport Features

When running in HTTP mode (--http), the server provides:

• MCP Endpoint: POST /mcp - Main MCP protocol endpoint
• Health Check: GET /health - Server status and version info
• CORS Support: Cross-origin requests enabled for web integrations
• Stateless Design: No session management, perfect for scaling
• Error Handling: Proper HTTP status codes and JSON-RPC error responses

Example HTTP Usage:

# Start HTTP server
rdw-mcp --http --port=3000

# Health check
curl http://localhost:3000/health

# MCP requests (requires proper JSON-RPC format)
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/list","params":{}}'

In MCP Client Configuration

Add to your MCP client configuration (e.g., Claude Desktop):

Using global installation (recommended):

{
  "servers": {
    "rdw": {
      "command": "rdw-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Using npx (alternative):

{
  "servers": {
    "rdw": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["rdw-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Local Development Mode

For local development from source:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/rdw-mcp-server.git
cd rdw-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build
node build/index.js

Development Mode

For development with auto-rebuild:

npm run dev

Available Tool

rdw-license-plate-lookup

Look up ALL available vehicle information from RDW databases by Dutch license plate.

Parameters:

• kenteken (string): Dutch license plate to look up

Returns:

• Complete vehicle information from all RDW databases including:
  • Basic Details: Brand, model, color, type, variant, version
  • Technical Specifications: Engine, power, dimensions, cylinders, displacement
  • Weight & Capacity: Empty weight, curb weight, towing capacity, axle loads
  • Registration Data: First registration, ownership history, type approval
  • Inspection Records: APK expiry dates, inspection history, technical defects
  • Fuel & Emissions: Fuel type, emissions levels, CO2 class, sound levels
  • Safety Information: Recall notices, safety actions, open recalls
  • Body Specifications: Carrosserie type, European classifications
  • Financial Data: Catalog price, BPM tax information
  • Status Indicators: Export status, taxi indicator, insurance status

Example: Look up license plate "12-ABC-3" for complete RDW database information

Requirements

• Node.js: Version 18.0.0 or higher
• npm: Version 8.0.0 or higher (comes with Node.js)
• Internet connection: Required for accessing RDW API

Configuration for Claude Desktop

To use this MCP server with Claude Desktop, add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

Using Global Installation (Recommended)

If you installed globally with npm install -g rdw-mcp-server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rdw": {
      "command": "rdw-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Using NPX (Alternative)

If you prefer not to install globally:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rdw": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["rdw-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Development Mode Only

For development with local source code:

Windows

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rdw": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:\\ABSOLUTE\\PATH\\TO\\rdw-mcp\\build\\index.js"]
    }
  }
}

macOS/Linux

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rdw": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/rdw-mcp/build/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Data Sources

This server uses ALL major official RDW (Dutch vehicle authority) open data APIs:

• Base API: https://opendata.rdw.nl/resource/
• Vehicle Registration: Dataset m9d7-ebf2 - Basic vehicle information and specifications
• Fuel & Emissions: Dataset 8ys7-d773 - Fuel types, emissions, and environmental data
• APK Inspections: Dataset 2wi1-7t2k - APK (MOT) inspection history and expiry dates
• Recalls & Safety: Dataset j3wq-qf4v - Vehicle recalls and safety action notices
• Axle Specifications: Dataset 3huj-srit - Technical axle load specifications
• Body Types: Dataset vezc-m2t6 - Carrosserie and body type classifications
• Vehicle Colors: Dataset t8be-g8yr - Additional color information
• Technical Defects: Dataset hx2c-gt41 - Known defects and inspection findings

All data is retrieved in real-time from official government sources and is publicly available.

Privacy & Data Usage

• No Data Storage: This server does not store any vehicle data locally
• Real-time Queries: All requests are forwarded directly to RDW APIs
• Public Data Only: Only publicly available registration data is accessed
• No Authentication: No personal or sensitive data is required or processed

Rate Limiting

The RDW API may impose rate limits. If you encounter rate limiting:

• Wait a few seconds between requests
• Avoid making bulk requests in quick succession
• Consider implementing delays in your application logic

Example Queries

Once connected to an MCP client like Claude Desktop, you can ask questions like:

Complete Vehicle Information:

• "Look up license plate 12-ABC-3"
• "What information is available for kenteken XYZ-123?"
• "Tell me about the vehicle with plate 1-ABC-23"
• "Show me all data for license plate ABC-12-D"
• "Get complete RDW information for kenteken DEF-456"

Specific Information Requests:

• "What are the emissions data for kenteken ABC-12-D?"
• "Show me the APK history for license plate XYZ-456"
• "Are there any recalls for vehicle 12-ABC-3?"
• "What's the registration history of kenteken DEF-456?"
• "Show me technical defects for license plate GHI-789"

Technical & Safety Details:

• "What's the towing capacity of vehicle 12-ABC-3?"
• "Show me axle specifications for kenteken XYZ-456"
• "Are there any open recalls for license plate ABC-12-D?"
• "What defects were found during inspections for kenteken DEF-456?"
• "Show me the complete inspection history for license plate GHI-789"

Technical Details

• Language: TypeScript
• Runtime: Node.js
• Protocol: Model Context Protocol (MCP)
• Transport: Standard I/O (stdio)
• Validation: Zod schemas for input validation
• API: RESTful calls to RDW open data endpoints

Error Handling

The server includes comprehensive error handling for:

• Invalid license plates (wrong format or non-existent)
• Network connectivity issues
• API rate limiting and timeouts
• Missing or malformed data from RDW API
• Invalid search parameters

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Server not starting:

• Ensure Node.js version is 18.0.0 or higher: node --version
• Try reinstalling: npm uninstall -g rdw-mcp-server && npm install -g rdw-mcp-server

No data returned:

• Check your internet connection
• Verify the license plate format (Dutch plates: XX-XXX-X, XXX-XX-X, etc.)
• Some older vehicles may not have complete data in the RDW database

Claude Desktop connection issues:

• Verify your configuration matches the installation method (global vs npx)
• If using global installation, ensure rdw-mcp command works in terminal
• If using npx, ensure npx rdw-mcp-server works in terminal
• Restart Claude Desktop after configuration changes
• For development setups, ensure the absolute path and build directory are correct

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the console output for error messages
2. Verify your license plate format matches Dutch standards
3. Test with known valid license plates
4. Ensure you have an active internet connection

License

MIT

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! This MCP server can be extended with additional RDW datasets or functionality.

Development Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/jodur/rdw-mcp-server.git
   cd rdw-mcp-server
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Build and test:

   npm run build
   npm start
   

Available RDW Datasets

The RDW provides many more datasets that could be integrated:

• APK (MOT) inspection results
• Vehicle recalls
• Taxi and bus registrations
• Vehicle ownership changes
• Technical defects data

Code Style

• Use TypeScript with strict typing
• Follow existing code patterns
• Add JSDoc comments for all functions
• Use Zod for input validation
• Include proper error handling

Changelog

Version 2.1.0

• NEW TRANSPORT: Added Streamable HTTP transport support (stateless)
• SDK Compliance: Updated to modern MCP TypeScript SDK patterns
• HTTP Features: Express.js server with /mcp endpoint and /health check
• Command Line: Added --http and --port=N arguments for HTTP mode
• CORS Support: Cross-origin requests enabled for web integrations
• Stateless Design: New server instance per request, perfect for scaling
• Modern API: Updated from deprecated server.tool() to server.registerTool()
• Enhanced Structure: Better code organization with separated functions
• Dual Transport: Supports both stdio (default) and HTTP transports

Version 2.0.0

• MAJOR ENHANCEMENT: Now queries ALL available RDW databases in a single lookup
• Added APK inspection history and records
• Added vehicle recall and safety action information
• Added complete registration/ownership history
• Added axle load specifications and technical data
• Added body type and carrosserie classifications
• Added technical defect records and inspection findings
• Added additional color information
• Enhanced parallel data fetching for improved performance
• Comprehensive vehicle data from 8+ RDW datasets
• Updated tool description and documentation

Version 1.1.0

• BREAKING CHANGE: Simplified to single comprehensive lookup tool
• Integrated all fuel and emissions data into main license plate lookup
• Removed separate fuel/emissions and vehicle search tools
• Enhanced fuel/emissions data display with emission codes and soot emissions
• Improved data completeness in single query

Version 1.0.2

• Comprehensive README improvements for npm users
• Enhanced installation and usage instructions
• Added troubleshooting and privacy sections
• Improved example queries and development setup
• Fixed package.json references to removed test files

Version 1.0.1

• Enhanced vehicle data output
• Improved license plate normalization
• Added comprehensive error handling
• Enhanced documentation

Version 1.0.0

• Initial release
• Basic license plate lookup
• Fuel and emissions data
• Vehicle search by brand/model

Disclaimer

This server uses public RDW data and is not affiliated with the official RDW organization. Always verify critical vehicle information through official channels.