Vehicle cloning hits record high in UK motorist fines

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 15:02 · Archive

More than 11,400 motorists contested fines last year for offences committed using cloned number plates.

Vehicle cloning, where a registration plate is copied and placed on a similar vehicle to evade speed and enforcement cameras, has reached record levels. More than 11,400 motorists contacted the DVLA last year after receiving penalty notices for offences they did not recognise, according to Freedom of Information figures. Disputes rose nine per cent from 10,460 in 2024 and have nearly doubled since 2018 when 5,912 cases were logged.

Many victims only discover their registration has been stolen when an unexpected fine arrives in the post. Fraudsters typically select vehicles with the same make, model and colour as the original to avoid drawing attention.

Number plate suppliers are required by law to inspect a V5C logbook to prove ownership, but illegal operators continue to print plates without running checks. RAC head of policy Simon Williams said the rise in cloned vehicles is 'alarming' and confirms that 'cloning has become the menace of modern-day motoring'. He added that stricter compliance with legal checks would make it harder for fraudsters to obtain cloned plates, and that once a plate has been cloned, 'it is extremely unlikely they will be caught by the police'.

How it is being reported

• This number plate issue could see you fined for crashes you weren't inVehicle cloning hits record high as more than 11,400 motorists contest fines for offences committed by fraudsters on cloned number plates.East Anglian Daily Times · 20 Oct, 14:22
• This number plate issue could see you fined for crashes you weren't inVehicle cloning hits record high as more than 11,400 motorists contest fines for offences committed by fraudsters on cloned number plates.Ipswich Star · 20 Oct, 14:22

In this story: RAC · DVLA · Simon Williams · UK

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