Retinol dehydrogenase 13 (RDH13) is a recently identified short-chain dehydrogenase⁄reductase related to microsomal retinoid oxidoreductase RDH11. In this study, we examined the distribution of RDH13 in human tissues, determined its subcellular localization and characterized the sub-strate and cofactor specificity of purified RDH13 in order to better understand its properties.