Part 6 of 6 in Parking & Stopping

Setting a parking disc and disc zones

Setting a parking disc: round your arrival time up to the next half hour. How a parking disc zone works and which bays you may use.

Written by Reviewed by Dirk van Zuijlen

Updated Reviewed on 3 min read

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On this page Setting a parking disc and disc zones
Practice in the app

You use a parking disc in a blue zone. Set it to your arrival time, rounded up to the next full or half hour. Then put it behind the windscreen. The sign tells you how long you may stay and at what times.

How does a parking disc work in the Netherlands?

In a parking disc zone, also called a blue zone, parking is limited. A parking disc shows what time you arrived. That way an enforcement officer can see whether you have stayed too long.

Sign E10: start of parking disc zone
Sign E10: start of a parking disc zone.
Sign E11: end of parking disc zone
Sign E11: end of the parking disc zone.

Inside the zone you only park in places marked for it, or along a blue line. At a blue line or blue bays, put the disc clearly visible behind the windscreen.

Blue lines around the bays or along the kerb: parking is only allowed with a parking disc.
Blue lines around the bays or along the kerb: parking is only allowed with a parking disc.

This is what a parking disc looks like: a blue card with a turning dial. The pointer shows your arrival time.

Blue parking disc with the words time of arrival, a white pointer, a dial with hours and a white P
A blue parking disc. The pointer shows the time of arrival.

Stopping without a disc is allowed. Letting someone get in or out, or loading and unloading, is not parking. On a two-wheeled motorbike or scooter the disc is not required.

How to set a parking disc: rounding up

Set the disc to your arrival time. You may round it up to the next full or half hour. Arrive at 13:12? Then set the disc to 13:30.

You arrive atSet the disc to
13:1213:30
13:5014:00
14:1014:30
14:2714:30, not 16:27
15:4016:00

Note: you set the disc to your arrival time, not to the time you need to leave.

Blue parking disc showing 'time of arrival', set to half past one
Arrival 13:12: set the disc to 13:30.

Where do you put the parking disc?

Put the disc behind the windscreen, so the time can easily be read from outside.

A blue parking disc stands on the dashboard on the passenger side, behind the windscreen
Visible behind the windscreen, set to the rounded arrival time.

Which parking disc is valid?

A valid parking disc shows only one time: your arrival time. The numbers must be easy to read, on a background that stands out from them.

Old and new parking discs

An old disc that also shows a departure time is not valid. Only one time may be shown. A disc with only the time of arrival is fine.

Left an old parking disc with two clocks and a red cross, right the new blue parking disc with one time and a green tick
Left wrong: an old disc with arrival and departure time. Right correct: the new disc with only the time of arrival.

Digital or automatic parking disc

A digital parking disc is allowed, as long as it keeps showing your arrival time. A disc that moves on by itself while you are parked is not allowed. Changing the disc yourself to stay longer is not allowed either.

A digital parking disc on the dashboard behind the windscreen, with a P and the time 13:30 on its screen
A digital parking disc: it shows your arrival time and does not move on by itself.

RVV article 25: the parking disc.

Parking disc rules in a blue zone: times and maximum stay

The sign or sub-plate tells you how long you may stay and when you need the disc. For example: 2 hours maximum, Monday to Thursday from 7:30 to 16:00. Outside those times you do not need a disc.

No days or times on the sign? Then you always need the disc, also on Sundays.

Here 2 hours maximum, Monday to Thursday from 7:30 to 16:00. On Saturday and Sunday you do not need a disc.
Here 2 hours maximum, Monday to Thursday from 7:30 to 16:00. On Saturday and Sunday you do not need a disc.

Has your time run out? Then drive away. Do you have a parking permit or exemption? Check the sign to see whether it applies here.

Practise like the exam

Example questions like in the CBR exam

Real questions from the Theorio app. You can expect similar questions in your CBR exam.

Question 1 of 5

A parking disc is a blue card that indicates your arrival time in a blue zone. You recognize this by the signs or by the blue edge at the curb. You turn the disc to the next whole or half hour of your arrival.

It is 13:50. What time can you set the parking disc?

Tap the answer you think is right.

Answer options

Answers and explanations for the example questions

  1. Question 1: It is 13:50. What time can you set the parking disc?

    Correct answer: 14:00

    You round the time to the next half hour 🕒 in your advantage. At 13:50 this becomes 14:00.

  2. Question 2: It is 14:10. What time can you set the parking disc?

    Correct answer: 14:30

    You may round up to the next half hour 🕒. At 14:10 that becomes 14:30.

  3. Question 3: It is 15:40. What time can you set the parking disc?

    Correct answer: 16:00

    You round up to the next half hour 🕒 in your favor. At 15:40 that is 16:00.

  4. Question 4: Can you park here on Saturday without a parking disc?

    Correct answer: Yes

    From Monday to Thursday, you must use a parking disc between 07:30 and 16:00, but on Saturday and Sunday you do not need a parking disc 📅.

  5. Question 5: Is it allowed to park here with a parking disc?

    Correct answer: No

    This is a parking space only for permit holders 🚫. Without a permit, you may not park here, even with a parking disc.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to questions that often come up on this subject.

How do you set a parking disc?

To your arrival time, rounded up to the next full or half hour. If you arrive at 13:12, you set it to 13:30. So you do not set it to the time you have to leave.

Do you need a parking disc at the weekend?

The disc requirement also applies at weekends when the sign gives no restricted days or hours. If days and hours are shown, follow them: for example Monday to Thursday 7:30–16:00 does not require a disc outside those hours under that sign. Read the full sign and any exemptions.

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