Cloned number plates: how to check a used car's identity, and what to do if a fine arrives for a car you never drove

The short answer

GOV.UK's definition is simple: if someone makes a copy of your number plate and uses it on a different vehicle, that is cloning. A cloned car can look completely ordinary, because the registration it wears is real and describes a real car that is taxed, tested and insured somewhere else. The way to catch it is to test whether the identity fits the metal: does the DVLA record for that registration describe this car, does the log book belong to it, and does the number stamped into the car match the number on the paper.

If you are not buying but receiving, and penalty notices are arriving for a car you never drove, the route is also on GOV.UK: report the cloned plate to the police, let the DVLA know, then contest each fine with the DVLA confirmation letter.

Before you see the car

GOV.UK's checks when buying a used car start before the viewing. Ask the seller for the registration number, the make and model and the MOT test number. Then run two free checks on the registration.

• The DVLA vehicle enquiry service returns the date of first registration, year of manufacture, engine size, fuel type, emissions, tax status and the date the last log book was issued. Every one of those should match what the seller told you and the advert.
• The MOT history shows each test, the result and the mileage recorded. A car with a recent fail or a mileage far from the advert's is a different car, or a different story.

A mismatch at this stage costs you nothing but the viewing. A match does not clear the car, because the records describe the genuine vehicle; it only tells you the identity the clone is wearing. The physical checks are what settle it.

At the car: does the identity fit the metal

GOV.UK's instructions are specific. Make sure the log book has a DVL watermark. Make sure its serial number is not between BG8229501 and BG9999030, or between BI2305501 and BI2800000; if it is, call the police as soon as it is safe to. Check the vehicle identification number and engine number and make sure these match the log book. And make sure the details in the log book match the details you have been given. A seller who will not let you do these is telling you something.

If you are the victim: fines for a car you never drove

The first sign of cloning for most keepers is a penalty notice from a place they have never been. GOV.UK sets out the route.

1. Report it to the police. You must be the registered keeper or have their permission. In England and Wales use the cloned number plates form on the police website or call 101; if you use the form, the police tell the DVLA for you. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, call 101.
2. Write to the DVLA if the police have not. Write with the registration number from the cloned plates and copies of any fines or charges received in error, to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AR. The DVLA sends a confirmation letter to the address on your log book.
3. Contest each fine. Contact the organisation that issued it, say you have reported the plates to the police and DVLA, and include the DVLA confirmation letter. GOV.UK says the company will review your evidence and decide whether to cancel the fine or charge.
4. Keep a file. Each new notice needs the same response until the other vehicle is found. If you were tricked out of money by a seller, report that to Action Fraud as well.

What this does not mean

Passing every check above does not prove a car is genuine; it means the identity on the paperwork fits the car as far as you can see, which is as far as a buyer can go without the police. A failed check does not prove the seller is a criminal, either: log books get replaced, cars get resprayed, and sellers get details wrong. What a mismatch does mean is that you should not hand over money until it is explained, in writing, by the official record. This article is general information from GOV.UK pages read on 29 October 2026 and is not legal advice.

Sources and method

This article contains no MOT statistics. Every instruction, address and serial range is quoted from the GOV.UK pages listed under Sources as they read on 29 October 2026. The MOT reliance notice below applies to the MOT history this article tells you to read.

• GOV.UK: What to do if your number plate is cloned
• GOV.UK: Checks when buying a used car
• GOV.UK: Get vehicle information from DVLA
• GOV.UK: Check the MOT history of a vehicle
• Action Fraud

This article is general information drawn from published test records. It is not professional, mechanical or legal advice, and an MOT pass or a clean MOT history does not guarantee that a car is roadworthy today. If you are unsure about a car, have it inspected by a qualified mechanic. You can check any vehicle's MOT history free on the official GOV.UK MOT history service.