What is the best way to deal with a cloned license plate on a car?
3 Answers
If your car's license plate has been cloned, you should report it to the traffic police immediately. When filing the report, you need to bring all vehicle-related documents and gather any evidence that is favorable to you to submit an appeal to the traffic management department. Below is relevant information about cloned license plates: 1. Legal provisions: According to Article 96 of the Road Traffic Safety Law, forging, altering, or using forged or altered motor vehicle registration certificates, license plates, driving licenses, inspection qualification marks, insurance marks, or driving permits will result in confiscation by the traffic management department of the public security authority, detention of the motor vehicle, and a fine; if a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility shall be pursued according to the law. 2. Processing time limit: Within two working days from the verification of the evidence materials, the traffic violation information that occurred during the use of the cloned license plate will be revoked, and the corresponding traffic violation information will be entered into the cloned license plate management system.
I just went through this last month, what a headache. Got a text saying I ran a red light, but my car was parked in the company garage at that time. Immediately checked the dashcam footage for the garage at that exact time, plus kept the gas receipt from that day as proof. Took all this evidence straight to the traffic police to file a report. After filling out the 'Cloned License Plate Statement', I specifically requested to see the violation photos for verification—turned out the cloned car was a black old Jetta, totally different from my white SUV. The officer canceled the violation record on the spot and advised me to check the 12123 app every two weeks to prevent future cloning. Oh, and it's best to replace your license plate anti-theft screws with the numbered special ones—they're more effective than regular screws.
A while ago, my neighbor's white car got cloned plates, and dealing with it was really troublesome. The key is to handle two things simultaneously: first, file a case at the traffic police team where the vehicle is registered, and second, appeal to the traffic police team where the violation occurred. When I accompanied him, I learned a detail—when reporting the case, be sure to ask the traffic police to mark 'suspected cloned plates' in the system, so that the next time the cloned car commits a violation, it will trigger an alert. It's best to prepare three copies of the materials, leaving one each with the traffic police, the vehicle management office, and the insurance company. Don’t forget to get a written receipt after a successful appeal, or next year's vehicle inspection might get stuck. Also, putting a noticeable decal on the car or installing a unique license plate frame can effectively reduce the chance of being cloned.
