Overview
- Minister Lilian Greenwood said the DVLA is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and other departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number‑plate offences.
- An APPG for Transport Safety report says up to one in 15 vehicles may use plates designed to evade ANPR, citing tactics from reflective coatings to simple obscurants like tape or marker pens.
- The report urges a sharp reduction of the 34,455 licensed plate sellers, annual fees, higher technical standards, and standardised designs that would include banning 3D and 4D plates.
- Investigators found many sellers operate from private homes without background checks, with some handlers of identity documents having prior convictions for violence or fraud.
- Industry and motoring groups, including the BNMA and the RAC, back tougher oversight, while current penalties cited for using illegal plates include a £100 fine without penalty points.