LoginCTSI Calls for Action on ‘Ghost Plates’
CTSI has added its voice to calls for tighter restrictions on illegal number plates.
Journal of Trading Standards Staff
Posted 03 June 2025 | JoTS Online
Content Tags: Updates|Automotive|National
So-called ‘ghost’ vehicle number plates are increasingly being used by criminals to commit offences and evade enforcement, leading to calls for tighter restrictions on their sale in the UK and stronger penalties for their use.
‘Ghost plates’, which are modified with a reflective coating to make them unreadable to Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, can easily be obtained online for as little as £30.
While it is currently legal to purchase them, it is a criminal offence to use them on public roads.
The sale of illegal number plates is not a victimless issue — it enables criminal behaviour, undermines road safety, and erodes public trust
CTSI, along with West Bromwich MP Sarah Coombes, is now calling for a crackdown amid concerns that ‘ghost plates’ undermine road safety and enable dangerous drivers to flout the law with impunity.
Coombes has urged immediate action and has introduced a Ten Minute Rule Bill seeking to toughen the punishment for using or supplying illegal number plates. She said: “The sale of illegal number plates is not a victimless issue — it enables criminal behaviour, undermines road safety, and erodes public trust. I’ve been campaigning to increase the fines for using a ghost plate to £1,000 and six penalty points. But that’s only part of the story – the websites and platforms selling these plates must also take responsibility.
“I fully support the action being taken by CTSI and Trading Standards authorities around the country, whose efforts are essential if we are going to end the number plate Wild West.”
Under existing law, being caught with an illegal or non-compliant number plate typically results in only a £100 fine – with no points on the licence. This is roughly equivalent to a minor speeding ticket (which carries £100 and three points), meaning offenders have little disincentive – the penalty for a ghost plate is often less severe than the traffic offence it hides.
Police and councils are beginning to respond to the issue, with some investing in new camera technology capable of spotting ghost plates. But lawmakers stress that penalties must be updated in step with enforcement tools.
CTSI has endorsed the campaign for a crackdown, emphasising the critical role Trading Standards teams play in combating illicit number plates. Trading Standards Officers are responsible for enforcing regulations on the manufacture and sale of vehicle registration plates, working to ensure retailers comply with the law. Under UK regulations, all number plate suppliers must be registered with the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and must produce plates that meet the British Standard (BS AU 145e) for reflectivity and legibility, while recording the buyer’s details. Suppliers who flout these rules – for example by selling non-compliant ‘ghost’ plates or failing to keep records – can be fined up to £1,000 and removed from the DVLA’s approved suppliers register.
Recent reports highlight that around one in 15 vehicle number plates on UK roads may be illegible to ANPR cameras. In one London enforcement exercise, 40% of checked taxi and private hire vehicles were found to have illegal plate modifications that made them unreadable to cameras. Wolverhampton Council’s licensing officers and Rochdale Trading Standards Officers have also discovered widespread use of ghost plates in taxis.
In 2024, an investigation by Rochdale Trading Standards uncovered that organised crime groups were using ghost or ‘stealth’ plates to evade ANPR camera detection. This prompted a nationwide multi-agency operation – involving the DVLA, the National Trading Standards Intelligence Team, and several Police forces – to target illegal plate makers and users, including roadside checks and inspections of plate manufacturers. That project, which earned Rochdale Trading Standards a national award, exposed the vast scale of the issue and led to a detailed intelligence report on ghost plates to inform further enforcement. CTSI says it believes such collaborative crackdowns are essential to stop criminals and dangerous drivers from exploiting fake plates.
CTSI Chief Executive, John Herriman, commented: “Illegal ‘ghost’ plates are a menace that allow dangerous drivers and criminals to operate with impunity – this is completely unacceptable. We fully support calls for tougher penalties and proactive enforcement to stamp out the use of fake number plates. We are particularly concerned about the growing link to Organised Crime Groups in the UK.
“Trading Standards teams across the country are on the front line of efforts to disrupt rogue traders, protect consumers from being misled, and defend the interests of legitimate number plate manufacturers who follow the law. Our campaign is about protecting the public, safeguarding honest businesses, and sending a clear message that no one is above the law.”
Councillor Tricia Ayrton, deputy leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We really welcome calls for tougher action against ‘ghost plates’ as more needs to be done to crack down on those who believe they are above the law in using them.
“We first began uncovering the scale of this criminality more than 18 months ago during joint roadside operations with Greater Manchester Police to track down rogue traders.
“It became worryingly apparent, from our proactive efforts, of how many cars on our roads were going undetected using these plates – with some stopped cars also involved in additional forms of criminal activity, including the possession of counterfeit goods.
“From further investigations, we were able to locate local suppliers of these plates, seize materials and shut down their operations but this issue goes far beyond Rochdale. That is why, with thanks to funding received from the British Number Plate Manufacturers Association, we have been able to equip wider police forces, including the West Midlands and London, with camera technology to uncover the magnitude of this national problem and take further action against those using these plates.
“We strongly support these proposals being put forward and would also encourage consideration into the future banning of 3D and 4D number plates, to ensure there becomes no grey area in what is deemed suitable by road users.”
PLEASE NOTE: This content originally appeared on our standalone Journal of Trading Standards website (www.journaloftradingstandards.co.uk), which we are gradually migrating over to the Journal's new home on the CTSI website. Please bear with us while we complete this process. This will not affect the production of our Print Edition.
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Content Tags: Updates|Automotive|National
