What to Do if Your Number Plate Is Lost, Stolen or Damaged

What to Do if Your Number Plate Is Lost, Stolen or Damaged

A missing or broken number plate has to be replaced before you drive, and stolen number plates need reporting first, because thieves use them to disguise other vehicles. The steps depend on what happened. This guide covers stolen, lost and damaged plates, how to spot and deal with cloning, and how to get new plates made by a registered supplier through our number plate builder.

If Your Number Plates Are Stolen

GOV.UK sets out the steps. You must be the registered keeper or have their permission.

1. Report the theft to the police. The police will give you a crime reference number. Keep it safe, because you need it for DVLA and to dispute any fines.

2. Write to DVLA. Send a letter with your registration number and the crime reference number to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AR. DVLA sends a confirmation letter to the address on your V5C.

3. Get new plates before you drive. Order replacement plates from a registered supplier with your ID and V5C. You cannot drive the vehicle until new plates are fitted.

4. Fit them securely. Use screws, ideally anti-theft fixings, so the new plates are harder to remove than adhesive pads alone.

If only one plate was taken, the other is still evidence of your registration being in circulation, so report the theft either way.

If Your Number Plate Is Lost

A plate that has fallen off on the road or in a car wash is not a crime, so there is nothing to report, but you must replace it before driving: a vehicle without a required plate is incorrectly displaying its registration. If you think it may have been taken rather than lost, treat it as stolen and report it. Replace just the missing side if the other plate is in good condition.

If Your Number Plate Is Damaged

A cracked, faded, peeling or delaminated plate can be unreadable to cameras and fails the MOT as a major defect. Replace it as soon as you spot the damage rather than waiting for the test. Our guide to number plate fines and MOT failure shows which faults count.

Cloned Number Plates: Signs and What to Do

A cloned plate is a copy of your registration fitted to another, usually similar, vehicle. A stolen number plate is a common source. The signs are:

• Speeding, parking or congestion charge notices for places you have not been

• Toll, clean air zone or car park charges you do not recognise

• Letters about a vehicle that is a different model or colour from yours

Report it to the police and get a crime reference number, then follow the GOV.UK guidance on cloned number plates. Reply to each fine or notice with the crime reference and evidence of where your vehicle was, such as photos showing the differences between your car and the one in the image.

Getting Replacement Plates Made

Order replacement number plates from a registered supplier, which must see proof of your identity and your entitlement to the registration. A driving licence and V5C cover most orders, and our guide to the documents you need lists the alternatives, including what to use if the V5C was taken too. You can order a pair or one side, in the same style as before.

How to Protect Your Plates From Theft

• Fit plates with anti-theft screws, which need a special bit to remove

• Use screws as well as pads, so plates cannot simply be prised off

• Check your plates when you return to the car, especially after parking in public

• Buying a used car? Run a stolen vehicle check to make sure it is not on record as stolen