Brits warned of up to £1000 fines as result of stolen or cloned plates
Drivers receiving speeding tickets, parking fines or clean air zone charges for a car they have never driven are being urged to follow new government guidance on cloned and stolen number plates, as number plate specialist Regtransfers explains the evidence that helps get wrongly issued fines cancelled.
The government has published two new guidance pages on GOV.UK, “What to do if your number plate is cloned” and “What to do if your number plate is stolen”, which went live on 7 October 2026. The guidance sets out a three-step process for victims: report to the police, notify the DVLA, and appeal any fines or charges.
Regtransfers CEO Mark Trimbee says many drivers confuse the two situations, which can slow down the process of clearing their name.
“A cloned plate is when another vehicle is using your registration number, while your own plates are still on your car. Victims usually find out when a fine or penalty notice arrives for somewhere they have never been. On the other hand, a stolen plate is when the physical plates have been taken from your vehicle – which is fairly easy to spot!”
If you discover that your plate has been cloned, this should be reported to the police. In England and Wales, this can be done through the cloned plates form on police.uk, which passes the report to the DVLA automatically. Keep any confirmation received from the DVLA, along with your crime or report reference number. Appeal any fines or charges with the organisation that issued them, using that evidence. The issuing body decides whether to cancel the charge.
If you discover that your physical plates have been stolen, drivers should again report the theft to the police and get a crime reference number. It’s then advised that you should write to the DVLA with the details and make arrangements to receive replacement plates before driving the car again.
Trimbee advises drivers to keep track of certain documents as evidence:
“Most importantly, you should keep a note of the police report or crime reference number, as well as the DVLA confirmation letter. You’ll also want to make sure you have the vehicle’s V5C logbook. If your plates have been cloned, it’s important that you carry your driving licence with you at all times while driving, in case you are stopped.
If your physical plates have been stolen, you must not drive the vehicle at all. Driving without number plates is a strict liability offense, which could result in a fine of up to £1,000 or vehicle seizure by the police”
Trimbee notes that letters and penalty notices may continue to arrive until the other vehicle is found. Drivers should appeal each one using the same evidence, keeping copies of all correspondence.
The guidance follows a Department for Transport announcement on 5 September 2026 of a new government funded roads policing team to tackle illegal number plates, including a trial of NRPCC goggles – specialist digital night-vision goggles designed to catch ghost plates on the road.
