Number plate cloning reports up 9%, DVLA figures show

16 Oct. 2026 · Steven Jackson OBE, Founder, New Reg Limited

Reports of number plate cloning are increasing, with a 9% rise in the number of motorists contacting the DVLA to say their vehicle's registration has been copied and used on another car, according to a trade report.

For anyone who owns a cherished or personalised registration, this matters more than it might for an ordinary plate. A distinctive mark is easier to remember and therefore more likely to be noticed by cameras and witnesses, which cuts both ways: it may be spotted sooner if misused, but it can also attract unwanted attention if a criminal is looking for a plate that will not raise immediate suspicion on a particular type of vehicle.

If you suspect your registration has been cloned, the established course of action is to contact the DVLA directly. Owners can also report the matter to the police, and it is worth keeping records of any penalty notices or enforcement correspondence that arrives for offences you did not commit, as these can be used to demonstrate the problem to the relevant authorities.

The 9% figure comes from a single trade source and has not yet been confirmed by official data, so the full scale of the problem may differ from what is reported here. What is clear is that the volume of people reaching out to the DVLA on this issue is moving upward, and owners of personalised registrations are wise to check their vehicle regularly and act quickly if anything looks wrong.

Number plate cloning reports up 9%, DVLA figures show

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