Thousands of illegal registration plates, known as 'ghost plates', have been detected daily by a new camera system undergoing testing on motorways in south-east England. These plates are adapted to prevent their details from being identified by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems, which are used for enforcing speed limits, low emission zones, and tracking criminals.
One test site near the Dartford Crossing has recorded an average of over 1,000 ghost plates daily over several months. At another site near the M25, detections have increased from 1,000 to nearly 2,000 per day, while a site near the Eurotunnel at Folkestone is flagging more than 400 daily.
A former government advisor stated that illegal plates are putting the public at risk and are too easy to obtain. The minister responsible for vehicle registration across the UK has confirmed that a national plan has been instigated to understand the extent of the problem and determine potential solutions.
Undercover filming revealed the ease and low cost of purchasing plates without background checks. Two out of three businesses approached at a market in Essex offered ghost plates, with one selling a plate for £40 cash without requesting ID or proof of entitlement, both required by law. While buying a ghost plate is not illegal, using it on a vehicle is.
Since 2020, only two number plate suppliers have been prosecuted and removed from the DVLA register. The DVLA stated it is "cleaning up the register, strengthening compliance and enforcement" and working with police and Trading Standards to address suppliers who break the rules.