Lights and the APK (MOT): dipped beam, headlight aim and bulbs

Lights are a standard part of the APK, the compulsory periodic vehicle inspection in the Netherlands. The inspector checks that all compulsory lights work, have the right colour and are securely fitted. He also measures whether your dipped beam is aimed correctly. This article explains which requirements the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority, sets and what you can check yourself beforehand.

By the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, RDW-approved APK (MOT) test station since 1979 · Updated 4 November 2026

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The short answer

At the APK, all compulsory lights on a car must work, have the right colour and be firmly attached. According to the RDW, the dipped beam must point downwards by between 0.5% and 2.5% if the lower edge of the headlight glass is no more than 80 cm above the road. That is a drop of 5 to 25 cm over a distance of 10 metres. A light made up of several LEDs must not lose more than 25% of its light-emitting surface through faulty LEDs.

Which lights does the inspector check?

The inspector (in Dutch: keurmeester) checks all lights that are compulsory for your car. Which lights those are depends on the date on which the car was first put into use. A car from 2005, for example, must have a third brake light. A car from 1995 does not need one. The RDW sets out the requirements in its APK manual (APK-handboek). Below are the lights that apply to a standard passenger car.

Light	Colour	Compulsory for
Main beam (2x)	white or yellow	all passenger cars
Dipped beam (2x)	white or yellow	all passenger cars
Side lights (2x)	white or yellow	all passenger cars
Indicators front and rear	front amber or white, rear amber or red	all passenger cars (before 1 July 1967: one per side)
Hazard warning lights	same as the indicators	first used after 31 December 1997
Side repeater indicator (1 per side)	amber	first used after 31 December 1997
Rear lights (2x)	red	all passenger cars
Brake lights (2x)	red or amber	all passenger cars (first used before 1 July 1967: one or two)
Third brake light	red	first used after 30 September 2001
Rear number plate light	white	all passenger cars
Red rear reflectors (2x)	red	all passenger cars
Rear fog light (1x)	red	first used after 31 December 1997
Reversing light (1x)	white or yellow	first used after 31 December 1997

Source: RDW APK manual for passenger cars, article 5.2.51 (compulsory lights) and article 5.2.53 (colour). Wide or long cars also need marker lights.

Front fog lights are not compulsory. If your car has them, the RDW says they must be aimed correctly. The brightest part of the beam must then not lie above the horizontal line through the centre of the fog light. Dynamic indicators, which for example run from the inside to the outside, are allowed. The condition is that they are not damaged and have the right colour. A side repeater in the mirror glass is also allowed, as long as it can be seen from 6 metres behind the front of the car and 1 metre to the side.

Lights are one part of a longer list. For a full overview of everything the inspector checks, see our APK checklist.

How must the dipped beam be aimed?

The dipped beam must shine slightly downwards, with a clear border between light and dark. That border is called the cut-off line. If the headlight is aimed too high, you dazzle oncoming traffic. If it is aimed too low, you see too little of the road yourself. The RDW gives a minimum and a maximum for each headlight height.

Height of the lower edge of the headlight glass	Minimum drop	Maximum drop	At a distance of 10 metres
up to and including 80 cm	0.5% (0.5 cm per metre)	2.5% (2.5 cm per metre)	5 to 25 cm lower
higher than 80 cm	1% (1 cm per metre)	3.5% (3.5 cm per metre)	10 to 35 cm lower

Source: RDW APK manual, aim of the dipped beam (article 5.2.56 and Additional permanent requirements, articles 113 and 114).

The inspector measures the aim with a headlight beam tester or a light screen. The car stands on a flat, level floor, with the front wheels pointing straight ahead and the handbrake off. If your car has manual headlight levelling, the inspector sets it to the position that matches the load. The control must also work properly from the driver’s seat. He checks automatic headlight levelling with the engine running at idle.

In our workshop we also look for the cause if the aim is wrong. A headlight can point the wrong way because of a broken mounting tab on the headlight housing, a faulty levelling motor or damage to the front of the car. After a headlight has been replaced, it needs to be aimed again. We replace and adjust bulbs and headlights ourselves. You get a quote in advance.

Will your car fail the APK because of a broken bulb?

Yes. A compulsory light that does not work does not meet the APK requirements. According to the RDW, the compulsory lights must work properly. The RDW means not only the bulb itself, but also switching it on. The switch must stay in the on position.

LED lights: if a light consists of several light sources, such as an LED rear light, faulty LEDs must not reduce its light-emitting surface by more than 25%.
Matching lights: lights with the same function must be nearly the same size, the same strength and the same colour. The RDW fails headlights with a different colour. According to the RDW this mainly happens with xenon lights.
Mounting: light units and their parts must be firmly attached to the car. A loose headlight or a dangling rear light is a defect.
Odd number: according to the RDW, an odd number of lights with the same function is not allowed. An exception is a band or strip-shaped light in the middle of the rear.

A point like this can be recorded on the inspection report in different ways. Our article on rejection points, repair points and advisory points explains how to read it. If your car has failed, read what to do after a failed APK.

Preferably replace dipped beam bulbs in pairs. A new bulb often gives more light than an old one. That way both headlights stay equally bright.

What if the headlight lens is cloudy, damaged or covered?

The lens must not be so damaged, repaired or modified that the light output, the beam pattern or the function changes for the worse. That is what the RDW APK manual says. Minor damage is therefore not automatically a rejection point. A headlight that is so dull that the beam pattern changes does not meet the requirement.

Not allowed: lenses that have been sprayed, painted or covered with film, for example tinted film on the rear lights.
Allowed: a headlight eyebrow or eyelash sticker (in Dutch: booskijker), a strip of film along the top of the headlight lens, as long as the function of the headlight does not change for the worse.
Rear of the car: lenses of lights at the rear must not have cracks or holes that let white light shine backwards. The reversing lights are an exception to this.
Restored plastic headlight: on a dull plastic headlight, the old coating may be removed and a new clear coat applied. According to the RDW, this does not change the light output, beam pattern or function, and the car can pass.

Replacing a white bulb with a coloured one changes the light output, according to the RDW. Removing the lens to meet the requirements is not allowed either.

Can you fit LED bulbs in a halogen headlight?

Not automatically. According to the ANWB, the Dutch motoring organisation, the LED bulb must be suitable for your car and the headlight housing must give the correct beam pattern. The ANWB reports, citing the RDW, that in the Netherlands only replacement bulbs with a European type approval may be sold. For driving the car, the permanent requirements of the Dutch vehicle regulations (Regeling voertuigen) also apply.

According to the ANWB, certified LED replacements are not available for every car and differ per model. An LED bulb that fits the bulb holder is therefore not automatically suitable. A conversion that has not been carried out properly can dazzle oncoming traffic, the ANWB says.

Have you fitted LED bulbs in your halogen headlights? Then keep the proof that the bulb is approved for your car model. According to the ANWB, a check can lead to discussion, especially if you have to show that the conversion was carried out properly.

Which dashboard warning lights belong to the lighting?

For some lights, the driver must be able to see or hear that they are on. The inspector switches the lights on and checks that the tell-tale light on the dashboard comes on.

Light	Signal for the driver	Applies to cars first used
Main beam	tell-tale light (usually blue)	after 31 December 1997
Front fog lights	tell-tale light	after 31 December 2012
Rear fog light	tell-tale light	all cars with a rear fog light
Indicators and hazard warning lights	tell-tale light or ticking sound	after 31 December 1997

Source: RDW APK manual, tell-tale lights for lighting (article 5.2.62).

If a fault light for the lighting comes on, for example a message about a faulty bulb, this often points to a broken bulb or a poor connection. We can check the bulb and the connection for you.

How do you check your lights yourself before the APK?

You can check most lights yourself in a few minutes. It is quickest with a second person. You can also do it alone: park the car in front of a garage door or a wall in the evening and look at the reflection.

Switch on the ignition and turn on the side lights, dipped beam and main beam. Walk around the car.
Check the indicators on the left and right, at the front, rear and side. Then switch on the hazard warning lights.
Ask someone to press the brake pedal and look at both brake lights and the third brake light.
Switch on the ignition, press the clutch or the brake and put the car in reverse. Check that the reversing light comes on.
Switch on the rear fog light and check that the tell-tale light on the dashboard comes on.
Check that the number plate light works.
Look at the dipped beam pattern on a wall. Both beams should be at the same height, with a sharp upper edge.
Set the headlight levelling control to the position for an unladen car. The owner’s manual tells you which position that is.

More things you can check yourself, such as tyres, wipers and fluids, are in our article on how to prepare your car for the APK. Not sure about the aim? You cannot measure that properly at home. We check it with a headlight beam tester during the APK of your car. For a quick check you can walk in without an appointment. If you have questions, call +31 10 479 00 00.

Frequently asked questions

Is a broken number plate light a problem at the APK?

Yes. The light for the rear number plate is compulsory on every passenger car and must work properly. The light must be white and must not shine backwards. So replace the bulb before the inspection.

Are front fog lights compulsory for the APK?

No. Front fog lights are not on the list of compulsory lights. If your car has them, they must be aimed correctly. On a car first used after 31 December 2012, there must then also be a tell-tale light on the dashboard.

May I put a headlight eyebrow sticker on my headlight?

Yes. According to the RDW APK manual, a headlight lens may have a headlight eyebrow (booskijker) stuck on it, as long as the function of the headlight does not change for the worse. Other film, spray paint or paint on light lenses is not allowed.

Are sequential indicators allowed?

Yes. The RDW passes dynamic indicators, which for example run in the direction of the turn. The condition is that they are not damaged and meet the other requirements, such as the colour amber or white at the front and amber or red at the rear.

Does an older car need a third brake light?

No. That does not apply if the car was first used on or before 30 September 2001. For cars first used after that date, the third brake light is compulsory. If an older car does have a third brake light, it must work properly and shine red.

How much does it cost to adjust the headlights?

That depends on the cause. Sometimes only readjusting is needed, sometimes a levelling motor or a mounting tab of the headlight housing is broken. You get a quote in advance and we only carry out repairs after your approval.

Do the lights of a car from the UK need to be adapted?

Yes. When a car is imported, the RDW asks for mirrors and lights suitable for traffic driving on the right. So this already applies to the inspection at the RDW. You can read more in our article about importing a car and the APK.

Sources

Have your lights checked or adjusted

Not sure about your headlights, or does a bulb need replacing? Book an appointment or call +31 10 479 00 00, and we will look at it before or during your APK.

You will find us at Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde, close to Stadion Feijenoord (De Kuip). We work by appointment. For a quick question or check you can walk in without an appointment.

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