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DVLA issue number plate warning amid calls for new UK laws affecting all driversMinisters are being pressured to take urgent action over the illegal trendCommentsNewsRyan Price11:31, 03 Jun

2025False number plates recovered from a stolen Audi found in Blackburn.(Image: Lancashire Live) The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has issued a warning to drivers who are

purchasing a number plate from an independent supplier.

The alert from the DVLA follows demands from the British Number Plate Manufacturers Association (BNMA) - the organisation which represents companies producing the vast majority of plates in

the UK - for tougher regulation of the sector.

‌ The BNMA penned a letter to the Government asking for 'tighter rules' around the supply of number plates.

‌ In the document, they claimed that a number of suppliers are ignoring their requirements and are not registering with the DVLA.

They added that this avoidance is allowing the illegal trend of 'ghost plates' to persist.

Ghost plates are licence plates which are cloned to display the same registration as an existing vehicle.

Article continues below These plates have a reflective coating, which prevents them from being identified by police cameras.

BNMA chairman Michael Flanagan said: "Far from being the tightly regulated industry it should be, number plates are increasingly being sold by unscrupulous below-the-radar suppliers using

non-compliant, untraceable materials.

"They rarely ask for the documentation that the DVLA require."

‌ He continued: "This is a criminal offence and enables serious criminals and terrorists to move around the roads undetected.

"Motorists deserve to know they are buying a legal, compliant number plate from a legitimate supplier.

"Now is the time for Government to tighten the regulations."

‌Content cannot be displayed without consent A spokesperson for the DVLA said that the organisation is "committed to ensuring all number plates are displayed correctly and legally.

"We work with the police and Trading Standards to take action against suppliers who do not comply with the law," they added,

‌ "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."

Ministers are now being urged to take action to enforce more stringent measures on the sale of licence plates.

Sarah Coombes, Labour MP for West Bromwich, has proposed raising the punishment for the crime from a £100 fine and no penalty points to a fine of at least £1000 and six penalty points.

‌ "Dodgy number plates are no longer a fringe issue," she said. "They’re everywhere and they’re undermining the rule of law on our roads.

"I know this Government is committed to making our roads safer for everyone. Tightening the law on number plates will be a huge step in the right direction."

Ms Coombes is hosting a roundtable event in Parliament this week to discuss the issue of ghost plates.

Article continues below The panel will include industry experts, spokespeople for the DVLA and members of the police force.