Frequently asked questions

A Car-Pass is a document that shows the odometer and maintenance history of a vehicle. In addition to the paper document, there is also a digital version that can be accessed using the QR code. The Car-Pas shows the registered odometer readings and the dates they were recorded. It shows the registered odometer readings and the dates when they were recorded. You get a picture of the mileage history of the vehicle and can better judge whether the odometer reading at the time of sale is realistic. Since 1 January 2024, companies in the automotive sector are also, obliged to report what work they have carried out on the vehicle. This allows the reader to see whether the vehicle has been properly maintained and whether important parts have been replaced. 

In addition, the Car-Pass contains the following information:

• the Vehicle Identification number (VIN) of the vehicle;
• the make and model of the vehicle; 
• the Euro emission standard;
• the CO2 emissions;
• whether the vehicle still needs to undergo a Post-Accident Vehicle Inspection;
• whether any recalls need to be carried out on the vehicle;
• the date on which the vehicle was first registered (in Belgium); 
• a unique QR code and Car-Pass identification number (which allows the authenticity of the document to be checked and the maintenance history to be retrieved).

Whenever a used car or light van is sold, the seller is legally required to give a Car-Pass to the buyer. It doesn't matter whether the seller is a private person, professional dealer or garage.

The only exception to this rule: if the buyer is a professional, no Car-Pass needs to be provided. 

So if you sell a used vehicle to a foreign private person, you are also required to provide a Car-Pass.

The Car-Pass is printed on special paper that contains a hologram to make counterfeiting and fraud much more difficult. Do you suspect your document is a forgery or the odometer readings are incorrect? You can scan the QR code or fill in the identification number here. What you will see on the screen should match with the data on the document. If this isn't the case or if you get an error message, then most probably the document is a fraud or has expired since quite some time.

The law states that any Car-Pass handed over with a used vehicle must be dated recently. In practice, this means the Car-Pass must be less than two months old.

For imported vehicles, the date of first registration in Belgium will not be filled out on the Car-Pass, or it will be more recent than the date of the first use. The following is also stated at the bottom of the Car-Pass: “This used vehicle was imported from abroad.”  Car-Pass does receive foreign odometer readings in two ways:

1. Cars imported from the Netherlands. Car-Pass asks the RDW (the Dutch agency that manages the central odometer readings database in the Netherlands) for the odometer history and displays it on the Car-Pass document.
2. Most vehicle manufacturers have a central database in which odometer readings are registered by their dealers at home and abroad. Manufacturers and importers are obliged to forward the odometer readings from their database to Car-Pass when a vehicle of their make(s) is imported into Belgium.

However, it is still possible no odometer information is available from abroad. In such a case, the first odometer reading recorded in our database is the one recorded during the import inspection. Unfortunately, there are fraudsters who clock odometers before the technical inspection. So be careful before buying a used vehicle imported from abroad.

A Car-Pass is a document that shows the odometer and maintenance history of a vehicle. In addition to the paper document, there is also a digital version that can be accessed using the QR code. The Car-Pas shows the registered odometer readings and the dates they were recorded. It shows the registered odometer readings and the dates when they were recorded. You get a picture of the mileage history of the vehicle and can better judge whether the odometer reading at the time of sale is realistic. Since 1 January 2024, companies in the automotive sector are also, obliged to report what work they have carried out on the vehicle. This allows the reader to see whether the vehicle has been properly maintained and whether important parts have been replaced. 

In addition, the Car-Pass contains the following information:

• the Vehicle Identification number (VIN) of the vehicle;
• the make and model of the vehicle; 
• the Euro emission standard;
• the CO2 emissions;
• whether the vehicle still needs to undergo a Post-Accident Vehicle Inspection;
• whether any recalls need to be carried out on the vehicle;
• the date on which the vehicle was first registered (in Belgium); 
• a unique QR code and Car-Pass identification number (which allows the authenticity of the document to be checked and the maintenance history to be retrieved).

If you want to sell a used vehicle, you must take it for a used vehicle inspection at an inspection centre. The Car-Pass will be prepared and issued automatically by them if the vehicle passes the inspection. Inspection centres can be found at https://www.gocavlaanderen.be/detail-page/keuringscentra or or www.controle-technique.be .

You can also obtain the document at the counter of any inspection centre. An appointment in this case will be unnecessary. The vehicle will have to be physically brought in, however. The Vehicle Identification number (VIN) and the odometer reading must be recorded before a Car-Pass document can be issued.

Whenever a used car or light van is sold, the seller is legally required to give a Car-Pass to the buyer. It doesn't matter whether the seller is a private person, professional dealer or garage.

The only exception to this rule: if the buyer is a professional, no Car-Pass needs to be provided. 

So if you sell a used vehicle to a foreign private person, you are also required to provide a Car-Pass.

The price of the Car-Pass is set at €10.50, including VAT. 

If fewer than four odometer readings are shown on the certificate, the Car-Pass is free.

The law states that any Car-Pass handed over with a used vehicle must be dated recently. In practice, this means the Car-Pass must be less than two months old.

A Car-Pass is a document that shows the odometer and maintenance history of a vehicle. In addition to the paper document, there is also a digital version that can be accessed using the QR code. The Car-Pas shows the registered odometer readings and the dates they were recorded. It shows the registered odometer readings and the dates when they were recorded. You get a picture of the mileage history of the vehicle and can better judge whether the odometer reading at the time of sale is realistic. Since 1 January 2024, companies in the automotive sector are also, obliged to report what work they have carried out on the vehicle. This allows the reader to see whether the vehicle has been properly maintained and whether important parts have been replaced. 

In addition, the Car-Pass contains the following information:

• the Vehicle Identification number (VIN) of the vehicle;
• the make and model of the vehicle; 
• the Euro emission standard;
• the CO2 emissions;
• whether the vehicle still needs to undergo a Post-Accident Vehicle Inspection;
• whether any recalls need to be carried out on the vehicle;
• the date on which the vehicle was first registered (in Belgium); 
• a unique QR code and Car-Pass identification number (which allows the authenticity of the document to be checked and the maintenance history to be retrieved).

Whenever a used car or light van is sold, the seller is legally required to give a Car-Pass to the buyer. It doesn't matter whether the seller is a private person, professional dealer or garage.

The only exception to this rule: if the buyer is a professional, no Car-Pass needs to be provided. 

So if you sell a used vehicle to a foreign private person, you are also required to provide a Car-Pass.

A Car-Pass is legally required. If a private buyer does not receive a Car-Pass, the law gives him the right to have the contract of sale cancelled. If the buyer asks a court to do so, the court will have to rule that the purchase is invalid. The purchase will therefore be considered as void and the purchase price will have to be repaid to the buyer.

The Car-Pass is printed on special paper that contains a hologram to make counterfeiting and fraud much more difficult. Do you suspect your document is a forgery or the odometer readings are incorrect? You can scan the QR code or fill in the identification number here. What you will see on the screen should match with the data on the document. If this isn't the case or if you get an error message, then most probably the document is a fraud or has expired since quite some time.

The law states that any Car-Pass handed over with a used vehicle must be dated recently. In practice, this means the Car-Pass must be less than two months old.

A Car-Pass is a document that shows the odometer and maintenance history of a vehicle. In addition to the paper document, there is also a digital version that can be accessed using the QR code. The Car-Pas shows the registered odometer readings and the dates they were recorded. It shows the registered odometer readings and the dates when they were recorded. You get a picture of the mileage history of the vehicle and can better judge whether the odometer reading at the time of sale is realistic. Since 1 January 2024, companies in the automotive sector are also, obliged to report what work they have carried out on the vehicle. This allows the reader to see whether the vehicle has been properly maintained and whether important parts have been replaced. 

In addition, the Car-Pass contains the following information:

• the Vehicle Identification number (VIN) of the vehicle;
• the make and model of the vehicle; 
• the Euro emission standard;
• the CO2 emissions;
• whether the vehicle still needs to undergo a Post-Accident Vehicle Inspection;
• whether any recalls need to be carried out on the vehicle;
• the date on which the vehicle was first registered (in Belgium); 
• a unique QR code and Car-Pass identification number (which allows the authenticity of the document to be checked and the maintenance history to be retrieved).

At each maintenance and service, at each mechanical, electrical, electronic repair, or body repair and at each replacement and assembly of parts, components or accessories. 

This means the odometer reading and the description of the work also have to be filled in whenever work is carried out on tyres, exhausts, batteries, radios, alarm systems, etc.

Do not fall under the law: vehicle wash and vehicle recovery without repairs.

This can be done in different ways:

• By using your own business software (DMS) if it supports the link to Car-Pass. This way, you don't have to enter the data more than once. You'll find a list of DMS systems on this page.
• You can also enter the data via the Car-Pass website. This is completely free of course.

Automotive sector companies must forward the odometer reading immediately i.e. when the vehicle is still on the company premises. 

If you work with a DMS, you can forward the description of the works after you have drawn up the invoice. This means you know which work has been carried out on the vehicle. If you use the Car-Pass website, you must enter the description of the work at the same time as the odometer reading.

From 1 January 2024, you are legally obliged to forward the odometer reading and a description of the work carried out to Car-Pass when you work on a passenger vehicle or light commercial vehicle. It is therefore imperative that you forward the works correctly and completely to Car-Pass. In practice, this means you must forward the main sections/jobs recorded on the invoice to Car-Pass. 

To avoid the use of varied terms, Car-Pass has drawn up a list of standard descriptions to be used. In addition to the standard descriptions, the DMS systems will also send the jobs as stated on the invoice. There is an optional text field on the website you can use to provide additional information. This video clip shows you how it works.

The law states: any natural or legal person who buys and sells vehicles or who works on vehicles acting in the exercise of his professional activities and aiming to achieve his statutory purposes.

Car-Pass will provide a user name and a password to each business that is mentioned in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) with one of the following NACE codes:

• 45.113 or 47.811
• 45.201 or 95.311
• 45.203 or 95.313
• 45.204 or 95.314
• 45.205 or 95.315
• 45.209 or 95.319
• 45.320 or 47.820

The Act of 11 June 2004 is very clear. Following work on a vehicle, automotive professionals must forward the correct odometer readings and an accurate and full description of the work carried out to Car-Pass, in the manner prescribed by Car-Pass. Not forwarding the data or forwarding incomplete or incorrect data is a punishable offence. 

This also applies to dealers who offer a used vehicle for sale but do not include the Car-Pass details or do not hand over a valid Car-Pass to the buyer.

Officials from the Ministry for Economic Affairs are responsible for tracking down and establishing violations. Regular checks are carried out throughout the year. The Economic Inspectorate may ask Car-Pass to hand over a list of companies that are not meeting their obligations at any time so they can carry out checks on those companies.

The law allows fines of up to €10,000 or up to 4% of the total annual turnover, and prison sentences of one month to one year, for violations. For manufacturers and importers, the fines can amount to up to €50,000 or 6% of the total annual turnover.

Car-Pass has access to the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBO) and therefore knows all the companies in the automobile sector. We can easily check who sends no data, very few data or incorrect data. Car-Pass will first inform the professionals who are involved. Upon simple request we transmit the names of the companies that are in violation to the Economic Inspection. If you stubbornly refuse to follow the rules, you will be sanctioned by the officials of the Ministry for Economic Affairs and may be penalized by a Criminal Court.

All passenger cars and light commercial vehicles (up to 3.5 tonnes). In short, all vehicles that can be driven with a category B driver's license, including minibuses and motorhomes. Exceptions are vehicles that have never been (pre-) registered in Belgium, such as vehicles with a foreign licence plate.

On the other hand you don't have to forward the odometer readings of motorcycles, trucks, buses and agricultural vehicles.

This is a repair that needs to be recorded separately in the system. Ticking the appropriate box in the web application is enough for this.

These will be dealt with separately by Car-Pass. It shall be clearly recorded on the certificate. You do not have to add 1 or 2 to the odometer reading. Always forward the value displayed on the odometer.

You will receive a receipt message every time you send data to Car-Pass. Error messages will also appear here. Rounded odometer readings will generate an error message. The intention after all is for a precise odometer reading to be provided. 

If you receive an error message, check and correct the entry. Errors will otherwise end up on the future Car-Pass certificates of your customers' vehicles. This may raise doubts about the accuracy of the odometer, which may deter future buyers.

Warning: You can only correct a mistake electronically once. If you make another mistake when correcting your entry, your correction request must be validated by a Car-Pass employee.

A professional that performs works under subcontract is required to forward the odometer reading and a description of the works whenever work is carried out on a vehicle. When certain works are outsourced by a company to one or more subcontractors, both the client and the subcontractor(s) must forward the odometer reading and a description of the works to Car-Pass. For example: Garage X sends the vehicle to Bodyshop Y for bodywork repair. Garage X and Bodyshop Y must both forward the odometer reading and a description of the works to Car-Pass.

If an independent worker is working in the workshop of another vehicle professional, only the professional owner of the workshop needs to forward the odometer reading and a description of the works to Car-Pass. For example: self-employed person A is going to fit winter tyres in the workshop of tyre centre B during the month of November. Only tyre centre B is required to report the odometer reading and a description of the works to Car-Pass.

In all other cases, self-employed persons (in a secondary occupation) must report the odometer reading and a description of the works to Car-Pass. For example: self-employed person C is going to fit tyres in the workshop of courier company D. Self-employed person C must report the odometer reading and a description of the works to Car-Pass.

You always have to forward the odometer reading and a description of the works to Car-Pass unless the customer is a private person (not subject to VAT) and the total cost of the works does not exceed €125 including VAT.

If the customer is subject to VAT, the cost of the works plays no role. In this case, you must always forward the odometer reading and a description of the works to Car-Pass.

According to the Federal Ministry for the Economy, the odometer reading and the description of the work must always be forwarded to Car-Pass, except in the case of lettering.

Lettering refers to sticking stickers on the vehicle that mainly contain letters or numbers but do not completely change the appearance or original colour of the vehicle. For example: company contact details or company name, website, small logo, etc. without the use of a foil or background sticker on the bodywork or any part of it. This type of lettering can be done without advanced technical knowledge and consists of applying the company information to the vehicle. The aim in this case is not to change the appearance or colour of the vehicle in general. Rather, the intention is for the company in question to identify itself for advertising purposes and make itself known. This type of sticker can even be ordered on the internet and attached by anyone.

Any activity involving the application of stickers that consists of more than these basic elements is therefore vehicle wrapping and is subject to the legal obligation to report the odometer and a description of the works to Car-Pass.

The activity of vehicle wrapping corresponds to the application of self-adhesive foil or vinyl to the vehicle, which significantly changes the basic colour of the bodywork or windows. These can be used over the entire vehicle or a significant portion of it. This type of work requires a certain know-how and more advanced technique. Car wrapping (or covering) is a technique used in the bodywork sector for the partial covering or total covering of a vehicle. Matte, metallic, glossy or pearly, it gives you a unique vehicle. These foils are typically applied to multiple areas of the bodywork and often require the vehicle to be opened for a proper finish. These works change the general appearance of the vehicle and/or its original colour, completely or partially.

Use the standard description “Bodywork_Other” when entering the description of the works and then record “vehicle wrapping”.

A Car-Pass is a document that shows the odometer and maintenance history of a vehicle. In addition to the paper document, there is also a digital version that can be accessed using the QR code. The Car-Pas shows the registered odometer readings and the dates they were recorded. It shows the registered odometer readings and the dates when they were recorded. You get a picture of the mileage history of the vehicle and can better judge whether the odometer reading at the time of sale is realistic. Since 1 January 2024, companies in the automotive sector are also, obliged to report what work they have carried out on the vehicle. This allows the reader to see whether the vehicle has been properly maintained and whether important parts have been replaced. 

In addition, the Car-Pass contains the following information:

• the Vehicle Identification number (VIN) of the vehicle;
• the make and model of the vehicle; 
• the Euro emission standard;
• the CO2 emissions;
• whether the vehicle still needs to undergo a Post-Accident Vehicle Inspection;
• whether any recalls need to be carried out on the vehicle;
• the date on which the vehicle was first registered (in Belgium); 
• a unique QR code and Car-Pass identification number (which allows the authenticity of the document to be checked and the maintenance history to be retrieved).

If you want to sell a used vehicle, you must take it for a used vehicle inspection at an inspection centre. The Car-Pass will be prepared and issued automatically by them if the vehicle passes the inspection. Inspection centres can be found at https://www.gocavlaanderen.be/detail-page/keuringscentra or or www.controle-technique.be .

You can also obtain the document at the counter of any inspection centre. An appointment in this case will be unnecessary. The vehicle will have to be physically brought in, however. The Vehicle Identification number (VIN) and the odometer reading must be recorded before a Car-Pass document can be issued.

Whenever a used car or light van is sold, the seller is legally required to give a Car-Pass to the buyer. It doesn't matter whether the seller is a private person, professional dealer or garage.

The only exception to this rule: if the buyer is a professional, no Car-Pass needs to be provided. 

So if you sell a used vehicle to a foreign private person, you are also required to provide a Car-Pass.

The price of the Car-Pass is set at €10.50, including VAT. 

If fewer than four odometer readings are shown on the certificate, the Car-Pass is free.

The law states that any Car-Pass handed over with a used vehicle must be dated recently. In practice, this means the Car-Pass must be less than two months old.

Professional dealers offering used vehicles for sale are obliged to display the Car-Pass information in the advertisement and in the showroom. As a professional, you can retrieve this information from the Car-Pass website together with a unique link to a web page containing the relevant information. This link must be inserted into any online advert. The vehicle history must also be printed off for customers wanting to view the vehicle in your company. You can see how to do this in this video clip.

The Royal Decree of 5 April 2019 states the additional information that must be included in the sales contract.

The seller is responsible for drawing up this document unless it concerns the sale of a used vehicle by a private individual to a professional trader (for example when purchasing a new vehicle). In the latter case, the professional must draw up the document.

The document must be prepared in duplicate and each party must receive a signed copy. For the sale of a used vehicle between private individuals, there is no legal obligation to draw up such a document. However, it is highly advisable to do so in order to prevent possible disputes in the future.

The Act of 11 June 2004 is very clear. Following work on a vehicle, automotive professionals must forward the correct odometer readings and an accurate and full description of the work carried out to Car-Pass, in the manner prescribed by Car-Pass. Not forwarding the data or forwarding incomplete or incorrect data is a punishable offence. 

This also applies to dealers who offer a used vehicle for sale but do not include the Car-Pass details or do not hand over a valid Car-Pass to the buyer.

Officials from the Ministry for Economic Affairs are responsible for tracking down and establishing violations. Regular checks are carried out throughout the year. The Economic Inspectorate may ask Car-Pass to hand over a list of companies that are not meeting their obligations at any time so they can carry out checks on those companies.

The law allows fines of up to €10,000 or up to 4% of the total annual turnover, and prison sentences of one month to one year, for violations. For manufacturers and importers, the fines can amount to up to €50,000 or 6% of the total annual turnover.

Car-Pass has access to the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBO) and therefore knows all the companies in the automobile sector. We can easily check who sends no data, very few data or incorrect data. Car-Pass will first inform the professionals who are involved. Upon simple request we transmit the names of the companies that are in violation to the Economic Inspection. If you stubbornly refuse to follow the rules, you will be sanctioned by the officials of the Ministry for Economic Affairs and may be penalized by a Criminal Court.

For imported vehicles, the date of first registration in Belgium will not be filled out on the Car-Pass, or it will be more recent than the date of the first use. The following is also stated at the bottom of the Car-Pass: “This used vehicle was imported from abroad.”  Car-Pass does receive foreign odometer readings in two ways:

1. Cars imported from the Netherlands. Car-Pass asks the RDW (the Dutch agency that manages the central odometer readings database in the Netherlands) for the odometer history and displays it on the Car-Pass document.
2. Most vehicle manufacturers have a central database in which odometer readings are registered by their dealers at home and abroad. Manufacturers and importers are obliged to forward the odometer readings from their database to Car-Pass when a vehicle of their make(s) is imported into Belgium.

However, it is still possible no odometer information is available from abroad. In such a case, the first odometer reading recorded in our database is the one recorded during the import inspection. Unfortunately, there are fraudsters who clock odometers before the technical inspection. So be careful before buying a used vehicle imported from abroad.