Car cloning - what is it and how do I avoid being a victim?

What is car cloning?

Think of car cloning as a form of identity theft. Criminals want to copy the identity of a legally registered vehicle and use it for a stolen vehicle of the same make, model and colour.

They may then try to sell the stolen vehicle or use it for further illegal activity. It’s also a way to dodge speeding or parking fines, tolls and other charges such as the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London.

In fact, data shows the number of incidents of car cloning has risen in recent years as more cities introduce Clean Air Zones.

According to DVLA data, cloned number plate reports surged by 53% in recent years, rising from 7,430 in 2021 to 11,394 in 2025. Over the same period, physical number plate thefts more than doubled as drivers increasingly attempted to evade speed cameras, toll fees, and Clean Air Zone charges.

You probably won’t realise your vehicle has been cloned until you receive a fine through the post that you know nothing about or, worse still, a police officer turns up at your door, asking questions about a crime linked to your registration number.

In addition, if you unknowingly buy a stolen vehicle with a cloned plate you could be left without the car, and the money you paid for it, when the police seize it to return it to its rightful owner.

What are ghost number plates?

Ghost number plates are plates that have been deliberately altered, obscured or designed to interfere with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

This is different from car cloning. With cloning, a legitimate registration number is copied and used on another vehicle. A ghost plate is generally intended to make a vehicle's registration difficult for cameras or other systems to read correctly.

Number plates must display the registration number correctly and can't be altered so they're difficult to read.

GOV.UK says you could be fined up to £1,000 and your vehicle could fail its MOT if you drive with incorrectly displayed number plates.

Could a cloned or ghost plate affect your car insurance?

Having your number plates cloned is unlikely to affect your car insurance, as criminals have no legal rights under your policy and cannot make a valid claim.

If a third party accidentally logs an incident against your details, your insurer's anti-fraud team should quickly clear your name once you provide proof your vehicle wasn't involved.

As a result, your claims history, premiums, and no claims discount should remain fully protected.

How can you tell if your number plate has been cloned?

You may not know your registration has been cloned until something unexpected arrives in the post.

Possible warning signs include:

• A speeding ticket for somewhere you haven't been

• A parking charge for a location you didn't visit

• A congestion charge or other motoring charge you don't recognise

• A letter about an accident involving your vehicle

• Contact from the police about an incident you weren't involved in

• A notice relating to a vehicle that doesn't match yours

If you receive an unexpected notice, don't simply ignore it or pay it immediately.

What should you do if your number plate has been cloned?

If you think your registration has been cloned, there are several steps you can take.

1. Report the cloning to the police

GOV.UK advises reporting cloned number plates to the police immediately.

If you live in England or Wales, you can use the police's cloned number plates reporting process or call 101. If you report it using the relevant police form, the police will also tell the DVLA.

You'll receive a crime reference number, which you can use if you need to contact the police about the matter again.

2. Tell the DVLA

You should tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) that your registration has been cloned.

If you're in England or Wales and report the cloning through the police form, the police will notify the DVLA for you.

Otherwise, GOV.UK says you can write to the DVLA with your registration number and copies of any fines or charges you've received incorrectly.

The DVLA will send a confirmation letter to the address on your vehicle log book (V5C).

3. Challenge any incorrect fines or charges

Don't simply pay a fine or charge that relates to a vehicle you weren't driving.

Contact the organisation that issued it and explain that you've reported your registration as cloned. GOV.UK recommends providing the DVLA confirmation letter as evidence.

The organisation will review your evidence and decide whether the fine or charge should be cancelled.

4. Gather evidence

Take photographs of your vehicle and anything that distinguishes it from the cloned vehicle.

For example, the vehicle shown in evidence accompanying a fine may be a different colour, make, model or have other distinguishing features.

You could also have evidence showing where your vehicle was at the time of an alleged incident.

We recommended considering a dash cam or telematics device, which could help prove your vehicle's whereabouts.

5. Tell your insurer

If an accident, claim or other incident involving the cloned registration has been linked to your vehicle, tell your insurer.

Your insurer can record the situation and help make sure an incorrectly attributed incident isn't treated as an incident involving your vehicle.

Am I liable for a cloned car's fines or accidents?

No, you are not legally liable for fines, traffic offences, or accidents caused by a cloned car.

If another vehicle has been incorrectly identified as yours, you can challenge the notice or allegation and provide evidence that your vehicle wasn't involved.

The DVLA advises people who believe their vehicle has been cloned to contact the police, return fines or letters to the organisation that issued them with evidence supporting their case, and tell the DVLA.

It's important to deal with any notices promptly rather than ignoring them.

Can you drive your car after your number plate has been cloned?

Yes. GOV.UK says you can continue to drive your vehicle after your number plate has been cloned.

However, if the police see a vehicle using your registration number, they may stop your car. You may be asked to provide the reference number for your cloned number plate report, your V5C vehicle log book and your driving licence.

It's therefore a good idea to keep your report reference number and relevant documents accessible.

How can you protect yourself from car cloning?

There's no guaranteed way to stop someone copying your registration number, but there are steps you can take to make cloning more difficult and make it easier to prove that your vehicle wasn't involved.

Use anti-tamper screws

Anti-tamper security screws can make it harder for someone to physically remove your number plates.

Be careful when sharing photographs

If you're selling your car online or posting photographs of it on social media, consider blurring or obscuring your registration number.

Keep photographs of your vehicle

Photograph distinctive features of your car that could help prove it isn't the vehicle involved in an alleged offence.

Consider a dash cam or telematics

A dash cam or telematics device could provide evidence of where your vehicle was at a particular time.

Park somewhere secure

If possible, park your vehicle in a garage or a well-lit area with CCTV. This can make it harder for criminals to steal your physical plates or copy details about your vehicle.

How can you check a used car isn't cloned?

• Beware of a car being advertised too cheaply. Make sure you research the price of the same make and model on a number of car selling sites.

• If it’s a private seller, ask to see their driving licence and make sure their name and address match the V5C (vehicle log book).

• Check that the V5C has a DVLA watermark and make sure the serial number is not between BG8229501 and BG9999030, or BI2305501 and BI2800000. Otherwise, the DVLA says the V5C could be stolen.

• Make sure the vehicle identification number (VIN), which should be stamped into the chassis of the vehicle, hasn’t been tampered with and matches the number on the V5C.

• Use the DVLA’s online enquiry service to check the vehicle has been taxed, and, if it’s more than three years old, it has a valid MOT.

• Ask the seller for the vehicle handbooks and service history, and check the mileage recorded is consistent. You could also contact the garage which carried out the work for verification.

• Carry out a vehicle history check with a provider such as HPI.

• Be wary if the seller can only provide one key. Some scammers keep a second key and after they have sold the car they use their key to ‘steal’ it again.

• Don’t pay in cash.

• Meet the seller at their home rather than a car park, lay-by or motorway service area.

What happens if you buy a cloned vehicle?

If you unwittingly buy a vehicle that turns out to be a clone then unfortunately you don’t have any claim as technically the car doesn’t belong to you.

You’ll need to give the police as much information as possible about the seller to assist them with their enquiry.

If you paid for the car using a credit card then you have some protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. This should allow you to recover up to £30,000.

However, if you paid by cash then you stand to lose all of the money.

If you have taken out legal assistance from your car insurance provider, find out if it includes any cover for when your car is cloned.