I run Protect A Plate, a small London company building a network that stops number plate cloning at the source. In August 2026 our system blocked two attempted clone orders and reported them to the DVLA. Two attempts in one month, at one small company.

Anyone can buy number plate making equipment. There is no rule saying you have to be a registered supplier to own the kit. The DVLA received 11,394 reports of number plate cloning in 2025, around 31 a day. A Guardian investigation in June 2025 found more than 130 registered suppliers willing to skip the checks. Cloned plates leave innocent drivers facing fines and police investigations for crimes they never committed.

The law already requires registered suppliers to check entitlement before making a plate. The equipment itself is unregulated. The government is currently reviewing penalties, MOT checks and background checks for suppliers. None of that touches who can own the machinery.

We want the government to make it a criminal offence to possess number plate making equipment unless you are registered under the Register of Number Plate Suppliers, with a reasonable excuse defence for genuine exemptions.

Stop the cloned plates where they're made.