As an established personalised and replacement plate provider, we at Bespoke Plates understand the issues that may become apparent when owning a vehicle. One of these issues is cloning plates. But can you clone a number plate? In this blog, we will be exploring that question.
Why are number plates cloned?
A cloned plate is when a number plate from a car in use, is replicated and attached to another vehicle in order to avoid paying for tolls or parking. But more sinisterly, it can be used to hide the identity of a car being used in illegal crime. Essentially stealing the identity of your car in order to hide theirs.
Plates that are cloned are specifically selected for their ‘clean’ history. This makes it easier for criminals to use the plate as it is less likely to cause any red flags when in use. The vehicle they would use for their cloned plate would generally be the same model as the vehicle they have cloned the plate from.
ANPR systems and even online license checking websites can easily ascertain if the plate belongs to the car it is attached to, however, unless that vehicle is being seen to doing something wrong or acting suspiciously, then it is less likely to be checked.
Can you clone a number plate?
Number plates can be cloned by using equipment easily purchased over the internet, and can be done by anyone. However, this should NEVER be done by anybody aside from legally certified plate vendors who are making new plates or gel plates for their customers.
It is a crime to clone plates, if caught with a cloned plate you can be fined and/or charged depending on the circumstances. Over a 1000 motorists contacted the DVLA about their vehicles being wrongly linked to offences. So what should you do if it happens to you?
According to autotrader, here is what you can do if your plates have been cloned.
How can you tell if a car has been cloned?
To avoid buying a cloned car, you should:
- Make sure the number plate matches the VIN number and the registration number on the V5 document
- Get a vehicle check on Auto Trader to check the car’s full history which includes details about any plate changes
- Avoid purchasing a car in cash as this makes the transaction between you and the seller untraceable.
What to do if your number plate has been cloned?
If you get wrongly fined for a road offence, it’s possible your number plates have been cloned. In such a case, you should:
- Collect as much evidence as possible that proves you didn’t commit the crime such as CCTV footage or GPS data
- Contact the police so that they can catch and prosecute the person impersonating you
- Contact the DVLA with your crime reference number to inform them you’ve been wrongly fined
- Return any fines or correspondence that you’ve received for the offence to the issuing authority
How do I avoid my number plate from getting cloned?
You can take a few steps to reduce your chances of number plate cloning:
- Purchase number plates from a supplier registered with the DVLA – looking for cheap but dodgy suppliers can land you in trouble down the line
- Personalised number plates have a lesser chance of being cloned due to their distinctiveness
- Keep photos of your car. Differences such as dents, scrapes or unique modifications on your car can help distinguish it from the car committing the crime. This can serve as evidence to help you avoid paying fines and penalties.
- A dash camera can help track your whereabouts and serve as evidence as well
- Never share your V5C logbook or the 11 or 12 digit reference number on it with anyone online
Can gel plates be cloned?
Gel plates can be cloned, but at a lesser rate than standard plates, that is because the technology and methodology we use at Bespoke Plates, for our gel plates is not easy to do for someone untrained in the process.
The technology needed to clone a gel plate makes it difficult to replicate. Firstly, the plate cloner would need to see if its a 3D or 4D plate, and then replicate it whilst abiding to the specific dimensions we have to use by law.
The time, effort and technology needed to replicate this would be too time-consuming for any plate cloner, which is why they opt for standard registration plates to clone.
In the rare occasion that our gel plates are cloned, for an added layer of security, we provide official documents for you to prove your gel plates are from a legally certified producer of private plates. This gives you the peace of mind you need from cloned plates.
Are Bespoke plates gel number plates legal?
With show plates being the only exemption, our gel plates, both 3D and 4D are fully compliant with the specified legalities that should be observed when making a plate, as the number 1 plate maker, we have standards to stick to, and one of them is to keep our customers stress free!
As long as your number plate follows the guidelines highlighted by the DVLA, it is 100% legal for gel plates to be used on your vehicle. Customised license plates that fall outside of the rules of the DVLA are still legal to own and can be used as decoration or given as a gift. However, if they are used on a car you can face legal consequences.
The new rulings highlighted by the DVLA are as follows:
- The plate must be made from a reflective material. This is for road safety, to make sure other road users and authorities such as the police can see your license plate.
- Black display characters on a white background (front plate)
- Black display characters on a yellow background (rear plate)
- No background pattern on the plate, to avoid any distortion in the readability of the plate.
- Having markings that indicate the number plate supplier. To assist with any sourcing queries or incidents of theft.
- Be marked with a British Standard number – for plates fitted after September 1st 2021, the British Standard number is ‘BS AU 145e’.
- Numbers and letters on the plate must not be removable or reflective. From September 1st 2021 all fitted plates must have a single shade of black within the numbering and lettering.
Additionally, custom plates must also display:
- 3D raised characters
- Display of certain flags, symbols and identifiers
- If your vehicle is a zero-emission vehicle, it must display a green flash on the side of the plate.
As of March 2022, further changes have been made to the law regarding number plating (including gel plates) and are as follows:
- Additionally toughened to ensure they can withstand hits and destructive materials that can be found on UK roads.
- Only single in colour as two tones are deemed to cause issues when dealing with different light sources and bad weather. Acrylic and gel lettering is still approved, it just needs to be a single tone to be a legal plate. Show plates can, of course, still have more creative designs.
- Location identifiers, including the address and postcode of the supplier, also need to be included.
As a legally certified license plate vendor, we can guarantee that the options you choose for your plate will be within all of the legal parameters outlined by the DVLA, as a result, you will pass the MOT and receive official paperwork to show any time it is requested.
If your customisation falls outside of the previously stated legal parameters, you will fail the MOT and not be legally allowed to use the plate on your vehicle.
For information by the DVLA on private (personalised) number plate registering, buying and selling and other processes, click here.
Contact us
As one of the established number plate makers in the UK, we at Bespoke Plates have all the options you can ask for, as an approved license vendor we can guarantee your modification abides by the DVLA rules whilst offering same-day collections and full fitting service.
So browse our options today to get the plate that speaks to you, and speak for you, with Bespoke Plates.
We hope to have provided valuable information whilst also answering the question ‘Can you clone a number plate?
Want to read more about all things plating? Check out our blog. To get in touch and discuss the full fitting service we offer with our plates you can talk to one of the members of our team by:
- Email – info@bespoke-plates.co.uk
- Phone – 0333 006 7878
- Visit in-store –36A Broughton Street, Manchester, England,M8 8NN
