There’s one part of your car that organised crime gangs love so much, thefts have shot up by almost 70% in the last three years.
It’s easy to rip off in seconds, sometimes with nothing more than a screwdriver, costs just a few quid to replace, and yet it’s become a goldmine for criminals who want to dodge the law.
The part? Your number plate.
Why thieves want your plates
On the surface, losing your plates doesn’t sound like a big deal. Most drivers just pay £15 for a replacement and move on. But here’s the problem: crooks use stolen or cloned plates to stay invisible to the cameras that police our roads.
With fewer traffic cops on the streets, enforcement is increasingly handled by ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and CCTV cameras. These catch everything from speeding and bus lane offences to ULEZ charges. Stick a fake plate on a car, and suddenly a criminal can rack up fines, steal fuel, or drive around freely without being traced.
The rise in thefts and cloning
According to DVLA data:
- 5,683 drivers reported stolen plates in 2024 (up from 3,376 in 2021)
- 10,461 drivers reported their plates being cloned in 2024 (up 41% in three years)
And that’s just what gets reported. The AA reckons up to 30,000 plates a year are stolen in the UK. A Direct Line study found police had 53,000 reports of stolen plates in 2021 alone.
Criminals can also buy fake plates online frighteningly easily, with some sellers not even checking proof of ownership. That makes it simple for gangs to find a car just like yours – same make, model, colour – and copy the plates to stay under the radar.
Real-life chaos for victims
Getting cloned isn’t just an annoyance, it can cause a serious headache. Innocent drivers have been hit with penalty notices, congestion charges, speeding fines, and even police visits for crimes they didn’t commit.
One victim spent 18 months fighting off fines after her plates were copied, forced to gather her own evidence to prove she wasn’t behind the wheel.
Why this is happening
Number plate theft is booming because:
- Roads are increasingly policed by cameras, not officers
- ULEZ and other clean-air zones have given drivers even more reasons to dodge charges
- Fuel theft (“bilking”) is on the rise, with cloned plates used in an estimated 13% of drive-offs
In London, fines linked to cloned plates jumped 64% in just three years. Since the ULEZ expansion in 2023, reports of plate cloning have surged.
What you can do
If your plates are stolen or cloned:
- Report it to the police – you’ll get a crime reference number you’ll need if fines arrive in your name
- Tell the DVLA – you may need a new registration number
- Contact your insurer – they need to know in case charges start stacking up
- Upgrade your plates – tamper-proof screws cost as little as £2.50 and can make your car a much harder target
Number plate theft might sound like a minor crime, but for the thousands of drivers caught up in it every year, it’s anything but. Taking a few simple precautions now could save you months of stress later.
