
A cloned license plate vehicle refers to a vehicle that operates on the road by forging or illegally obtaining the license plates, registration certificates, and other documents of another vehicle. Below is relevant information about cloned license plate vehicles: 1. Concept: Cloned license plate vehicles are those where criminals forge or illegally obtain the license plates, model, and color of a genuine vehicle, giving smuggled, assembled, scrapped, or stolen vehicles a 'legal' appearance. These vehicles are also known as 'clone cars.' 2. Types of cloned license plates: Imported cloned plates and domestically cloned plates. 3. Hazards of cloned plates: They infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of genuine vehicle owners, disrupt public security management by authorities, and create social instability factors.

A cloned car is essentially a real car with fake license plates, where someone uses an identical plate number to yours on the road. A relative of mine experienced this—they inexplicably received over a dozen traffic tickets from other cities, and only after reporting to the police did they discover their plate had been duplicated. Such vehicles are either smuggled or assembled cars without legal status, stolen cars hiding their tracks, or even scrapped vehicles deliberately purchased for cloning. The worst part is that offenses like running red lights or speeding all get attributed to the real owner, and insurance claims may also be denied. It’s advisable to periodically check for unfamiliar traffic violations. If you find your plates cloned, immediately report it to the traffic police with your vehicle registration—modern electronic license plate recognition systems make investigations much faster now.

Over the years in auto repair, the most annoying thing I've encountered is cloned license plates, essentially twin plates. The one officially registered at the DMV is the real deal, while some people use laser engraving machines to replicate identical fake plates for their cars. These vehicles typically skip paying purchase taxes and insurance, fleeing the scene immediately after accidents. Last year, while repainting a Land Rover at our shop, we lifted the trunk mat and found three different regional plates hidden underneath. We reported it to the police right away. When parking, pay attention to suspicious vehicles around you and note the license plate details. If you ever come across one, don't confront them directly—calling 122 to report it is the safest move.

Back when I first got my driver's license, the instructor specifically talked about the dangers of cloned license plate vehicles. Genuine license plates are issued by the DMV, while cloned vehicles carry counterfeit plates identical to real ones—indistinguishable to the naked eye. 99% of these vehicles have issues, either being refurbished flood-damaged cars that dare not undergo inspection or multiply-resold collateralized vehicles. They always pay for gas in cash and only pass through ETC during free hours. When traffic police catch them, the real owners have to go through endless trouble to prove their innocence. A colleague of mine spent three months just getting traffic tickets revoked after his plate was cloned. If you spot abnormal records, immediately go to the traffic police to retrieve surveillance footage as evidence.


