Driver’s licenses show wrong map, Vijfheerenlanden still missing

Driver’s licenses issued since June last year feature an old map of the Netherlands, a mistake confirmed by the RDW after RTL Nieuws reported it.

The outdated map shows the province of Utrecht without Vijfheerenlanden, a municipality made up of several towns that has belonged to Utrecht since 2019. This changes the appearance of the provincial map.

The RDW spokesperson said it is unclear how the outdated map made its way onto the licenses and how many have been issued. Licenses will continue to be handed out until the current batch is gone, after which new ones will display the correct map. It is not known when this replacement will take place.

Since the driver’s license is still fully valid legally as an ID and driving document, the RDW will not replace them for free despite the map mistake.

Sjors Fröhlich, mayor of Vijfheerenlanden, wrote on X that the municipality expects the mistake to be fixed promptly. “Vijfheerenlanden has belonged on the map since 2019, and that includes driver’s licenses. For the non-material damage so far, a cake is sufficient,” he joked.

Several organizations have apologized to the mayor and even sent cake for the map mistakes, including television presenter Arjen Lubach, who made a similar error on his show.

Fröhlich remains committed to having his municipality correctly represented. Earlier this month, he criticized the use of outdated Utrecht maps in new school materials.