UK: Alarming increase in number plate crime
Figures obtained by a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA and released by Churchill Motor Insurance show substantial growth in cases of number plate theft and cloning.
Reported thefts of vehicle number plates increased by 68% between 2021 and 2024. Number plate cloning cases over the same period reportedly increased by 41%.
5,683 number plate thefts were reported to the DVLA in 2024, compared to 3,376 in 2021, while 10,461 cases of number plate cloning were reported in 2024 compared to 7,430 in 2021.
Further analysis suggests that growth in the number of cases is accelerating. Cases of number plate theft increased by 1,400 between 2023 and 2024, compared to a rise of just 200 between 2022 and 2023 and a rise of 700 between 2021 and 2022. Reports of plate cloning rose by 500 between 2023 and 2024, and by more than 2,000 between 2022 and 2023.
In many cases of theft or cloning, number plates are used by criminals to mask vehicles' identities in order to evade detection. Typically, false plates are used to enable perpetrators to get away with speeding, illegally parking, avoiding tolls and charges travelling in low-emission zones and stealing fuel by filling up at petrol stations and driving away without paying.
Churchill Motor Insurance's Nicholas Mantel said, “Fitting tamper-proof screws to your number plates is a simple but effective theft deterrent, but if your plates are stolen or cloned, it’s crucial to act quickly by notifying the police, DVLA, and your insurer.”
Jersey, Channel Islands: £350,000 paid for Jersey number plate J5 on a broken scooter
At the beginning of August, a single-letter, single-digit number plate was sold at an auction on the Channel Island of Jersey for £350,000. The lot also included a broken-down motor scooter upon which the registration number was displayed.
Jersey auctioneer Simon Drieu stated that the sale represented the second highest price ever achieved for a number plate in Jersey. The most expensive was the £380,000 that was paid in 2020 for J4, a number once displayed on the car of the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey.
Jersey, like the other Channel Islands, is not part of the UK and therefore has its own number plate system and regulations. One of the rules states that vehicle registration numbers may only be sold when displayed on a vehicle, hence the inclusion of the broken scooter in the sale of J5.
For more information, please see our article on Jersey's private number plates.
USA: Plate theft on the rise in Texas as "temporary tags" are phased out
Law enforcement in Harris County, Texas has warned drivers to protect their license plates. The state of Texas is one of the regions where temporary paper license plate "tags" are being discontinued. Temporary tags are printed paper license plates that motorists display in their cars until their metal license plates are delivered. The paper tags are easy to fake and criminals frequently print bogus tags in order to disguise vehicles used to commit crimes, evade tolls and charges and get away with exceeding speed limits. As paper tags are being eliminated, police have said that the likelihood of license plate theft has increased.
Harris County's Precinct 4 Constable's Office recommended that people fit their plates with anti-theft screws, park in garages or well-lit areas and install locking number plate frames. They also advise drivers to check their license plates regularly and memorise their plate numbers.
Harris County resident Adrian Robles reported his license plates stolen in April.
"I was leaving for work one morning, and I noticed [...
