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Car and number plate cloning is on the up

Make no mistake, this is no minor problem. And what's worse is that any of us could fall victim to this crime, without even knowing it.

The Telegraph claims up to 8% of cars have cloned number plates. I'd say that was a bit of an exaggeration to grab the reader's attention. Especially if you look at their definition of cloning, which I would argue is not actually correct. Nevertheless, it's still a very real problem, that can (at the very least) cause the rest of us a bit of a headache. At worst, we could end up considerably out of pocket or even with the police knocking at our door.

So what exactly is car cloning?

The phrase "car cloning" basically means passing off a car with the identity of another (using the car registration number). Usually, this is done using the same make / model / colour of the original vehicle. It's done by either having number plates made up or by stealing number plates from someone else's car.

Think it's a minor crime? Think again.

Who clones cars and number plates?

Cars are cloned by criminals to commit a variety of offences.

Crimes can include selling stolen cars by making them look like legitimate cars. If you're  buying a vehicle privately, make sure you do some checking before parting with cash.

Fraudster James Fyfe jailed for selling number plates he did not own

James Fyfe led a lifestyle of luxury based on lies and false claims.

He duped unsuspecting buyers into parting with £1000's for prestige personalised number plates and supercars that he did not own. And he used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, renting supercars and wearing designer clothes.

He presented himself as a car salesman, and advertised Porsches and Ferraris under company name Prestige Lifestyle Supercars. How? Using social media channels and other websites. In reality, he didn't own these. But conned buyers into transferring deposits direct to his bank accounts. In total, he was found guilty for frauds adding up to £231,000.

It's taken a while... but worth the wait, we hope!

The Plate Market launched a sparkling new private number plates website today.

Finding your private number plate was never easier

The site is still packed with great value number plates that start from under £95. With over 45 million to choose from, you'll be spoilt for choice.

To make it easier, we've added some helpful filters. Now you can limit your results based on price, to see what's available within

What fees do DVLA charge for number plate services?

Transfers of personalised number plates are processed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).  There are fees for these services as the DVLA must update their database and issue replacement V5C Registration Documents.

You can find shops selling auto and car parts or accessories on many retail parks. Or there are literally dozens of online websites. So it's not difficult to find where to get number plates made up. But not all number plates are the same. So beware.
Like many things you buy, the great thing about walking into a shop is that you can see exactly what you are getting for your money. You can touch and feel the number plates before you get them made up. The quality of number plates does vary a lot. Cheap number plates do just peel apart and can cause you to fail an MoT if the letters and numbers are affected.

Personalised number plate removal in the UK is pretty straightforward. There are a few basic rules. But if the vehicle qualifies it's really simple.

What to check before removal

Whatever your vehicle, it must be of a type that needs an MoT or HGV test certificate.

Under the current rules the car should have:

Go to DVLA fees from 2015 for up-to-date information

Personalised number plate fees apply whenever you transfer from a car.

If you have a private registration number, there will come a time when you want to do one of these things:

Number plate certificate - what is it?

A personalised number plate certificate is used to hold a the registration number while it's not on a car or other vehicle. It's handy when you're changing cars, if you don't have another one to move it to.

Guide to what you need to do with your personalised number plate when your car is written off.

Car written off

You've had an accident in your car.

Your insurance company has decided it's beyond economic repair. In other words, it will cost more to repair than the value of the car itself. So the car will be written off.

What happens to my personalised number plate?

What is the right spacing for a personalised number plate?

We are regularly asked about number plate spacing. It's assumed that this doesn't matter on a personalised registration number. Not true.

Whether you have personalised number plates or a standard ones, the same rules apply for the size of the letters and the spaces between them. Even the fonts for registration numbers are tightly controlled. And the official font for UK number plates is called Charles Wright.

What are the official DVLA rules on spacing?