Story perspectives

UK Police to Seize Vehicles With Illegal Plates

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 10:10 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

UK police will be granted powers to seize vehicles fitted with illegal or stealth number plates.
A new camera system on south-east England motorways has detected thousands of illegal registration plates.
The Department for Transport is consulting to make illegal plates an endorsable offence with three to six penalty points.
A police exercise in London found 40% of inspected taxi and private-hire vehicles had ghost plates.

History

Historical Context

Britain’s Road Traffic Act 1988 created the modern vehicle-registration system that underpins plate regulation. The 1995 Vehicle Registration Act later made the use of false or altered number plates a criminal offence, establishing a framework for enforcement. The current proposal to give police powers to seize vehicles with illegal plates extends that legislative lineage to curb plate fraud.

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Story summary

UK police will be granted powers to seize vehicles fitted with illegal or stealth number plates.
A new camera system on south-east England motorways has detected thousands of illegal registration plates.
The Department for Transport is consulting to make illegal plates an endorsable offence with three to six penalty points.
A police exercise in London found 40% of inspected taxi and private-hire vehicles had ghost plates.

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