Government pressed to curb rise in ghost number plates

The government is under growing pressure to clamp down on the sale and use of illegal ‘ghost’ number plates: stealthy registration plates designed to trick speed cameras and other traffic enforcement systems.

These plates use reflective coatings and other modifications to avoid detection from automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, which are widely used to enforce speed limits, clean air zones such as London’s ULEZ, and rules for bus lanes, car parks and traffic lights.

Many online sellers are also flogging stick-on-films, sprays and even tampered fonts to render them invisible to enforcement cameras. Some of these can cost as little as £4 and are openly listed on well-known retail websites, despite their illegal use.

A quick online search for ‘ghost number plates’ will show you multiple websites selling them, no questions asked. These products are not only being used to dodge parking tickets or fines, but also potentially helping criminals and terrorists move around undetected, experts warn.

Ghost number plates are something to be mindful of when you buy a used car or sell a car.

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The British Number Plate Manufacturers Association (BNMA), which represents most legal plate producers in the UK, is calling for stricter regulations. Its chairman, Michael Flanagan, says rouge sellers are “rarely asking for the documentation required by the DVLA” and are flooding the market with non-compliant, untraceable materials.

Cloned plates are also a growing concern. Criminals copy registration numbers from similar vehicles and use them on their own cars, with innocent drivers facing fines and legal trouble for offences they didn’t commit.

Around one in 12 number plates are obscured and damaged. Some estimates suggest as many as one in 15 could be deliberately altered to dodge detection, according to the RAC Foundation.

Simon Williams, Head of Policy at the RAC, said: “Given the proliferation of number plate recognition cameras used for various types of enforcement, it simply isn’t right that criminals can get away with these offences by easily purchasing illegal ghost plates.”

Labour MP for West Bromwich, Sarah Coombes, is among those backing calls for tougher penalties. In February, she introduced a Ten Minute Rule Bill in Parliament, pushing for a hike in punishment.

Under her proposal, anyone caught with a ghost plate or using sprays and films could face an on-the-spot £1,000 fine and six penalty points, up from the current £100 fine and no penalty points.

A DVLA spokesperson said they are working with the police and Trading Standards to take action against suppliers who do not comply with the law. “A legitimate supplier will always ask to see ID and entitlement documents before selling a number plate. Where this doesn’t happen, members of the public can report this directly to their local Trading Standards.”

Campaigners say that, until regulations are tightened and enforcement increased, the roads will remain vulnerable to those willing to exploit these illegal loopholes.

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