Stop the plague of license plate theft!

The theft of license plates is unfortunately an increasingly widespread practice that stems from regulatory ambiguity.

In 10 years, the number of reported cases of license plate theft by law enforcement has nearly doubled, reaching 22,008 confirmed “duplicates” in 2022. This fraudulent practice dangerously thrives year after year as it allows malicious drivers to evade automated parking, speeding, or traffic light violations, and thus escape penalties. For the unfortunate victims of these usurpations, it marks the beginning of a long and costly legal marathon to prove their good faith and have the penalties revoked.

Verification Before Sanction

While the infraction is heavily penalized with a 6-point deduction from the driver’s license, a fine of 30,000 euros, and a maximum prison sentence of 7 years, it is known that penalties do not resolve all incivilities. Especially when it is difficult, if not impossible, to identify the culprits due to lack of evidence. For the association 40 million drivers, the problem lies in the ease with which it is currently possible to have a set of license plates made. To illustrate this leniency, the association managed, through hidden camera footage, to obtain one by merely presenting… a license plate number written on a plain Post-it!

To combat this illegal practice more effectively, 40 million drivers has approached Loire-Atlantique Deputy Luc Geismar to propose a bill that was filed in the National Assembly on April 11. This proposal aims to make it mandatory to present the vehicle’s original registration certificate and an identification document to obtain a license plate. Pure common sense that will hold its value once engraved in legislative stone.

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