All the latest on the UK private number plate market: new developments, announcements and the latest DVLA releases.
Former DVLA employee Matthew Holloway manipulated official records to give stolen and damaged cars clean identities. He got four years; his network made off with seven figures.
New DVLA data shows the UK personalised registration market generated nearly £289m in 2024/25 — a figure that puts the scale of Britain's plate obsession into sharp focus.
DVLA figures obtained by Churchill Insurance show 7,381 plates stolen in the latest 12-month period — up from 5,683 a year earlier, and more than double the rate of four years ago. Tamper-resistant screws, £15 a set, are the fix.
DVLA cloning reports hit 11,394 in 2025 — up 54 per cent on 2020. Innocent drivers are picking up ULEZ charges, council PCNs and even police investigations they had nothing to do with.
