Overview
- An All-Party Parliamentary Group report says up to one in 15 vehicles may carry modified or cloned plates that evade automatic number plate recognition.
- The report urges a wholesale overhaul, including standardised plates with security features, a potential ban on 3D and 4D designs, and tougher penalties with licence points and higher fines, with vehicle seizure floated for repeat offenders.
- Researchers highlight supply-chain weaknesses, noting more than 34,000 DVLA-registered sellers, some operating from homes without background checks, and call for fewer outlets, annual fees, audits and the removal of non-compliant providers.
- The British Number Plate Manufacturers Association backs the recommendations and says it will support implementation to secure the supply system.
- The Department for Transport and DVLA say they are working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council on identification and enforcement, with measures to be set out in the forthcoming Road Safety Strategy.