Publicly admitting to making license plates on request
On Tran Nhat Duat street (belonging to Hanoi's Old Quarter), a area famous for services of carving advertising signs, house numbers and motorbike repairs, it is not difficult to encounter stores willing to make fake license plates according to customer requests. Just stopping to observe or show interest, many workers immediately actively approach and introduce license plate making services with all kinds of designs and different prices.
According to records, the most advertised products are license plates that can be flexibly removed and installed. These license plates are designed for users to easily switch between real and fake license plates in a short time.
A mechanic said that customers only need to install additional frames or specialized supports to remove the license plate and reassemble it at any time. This person also advertised that this is a solution to help car owners conveniently use it and avoid being recorded for violations through the traffic monitoring system.
Car license plates are divided into two product lines. The type introduced as "high-end" costs about 850,000 VND per set, while the popular type costs about 700,000 VND.
It is noteworthy that the external appearance of these license plates is quite sophisticatedly crafted. From size, color, font to reflective details, they are all made similar to license plates issued by the police agency. If only observed with the naked eye, distinguishing between real and fake is not simple. The license plate makers here also affirm that they can produce according to any number range requested by customers. Even, they confidently introduce products with high completion to the point of being "very difficult to recognize".
Not only stopping at producing ordinary fake license plates, some establishments also provide solutions to support quick license plate changes. According to the introduction of a license plate maker on this street, customers with higher needs can order a type of product called "plate plate". This is a system consisting of a stainless steel plate fixed to the car, allowing users to remove the license plate or install it horizontally in just a few seconds.
The price of this tray set is about 700,000 VND, excluding the cost of making license plates. Because it requires separate processing, customers often have to wait from one day or more to receive the product. Here, many stores outside only hang signs for car repair or house license plates, but inside they accept making all kinds of motorbike and car license plates. Many places also advise on additional accessories to help the dismantling and installation process take place faster.
Fake license plate market bustling on social networks
If in reality, customers have to come directly to the store to transact, in cyberspace, buying and selling fake license plates is much easier. Just searching for phrases like "cheap car license plate", "beautiful car license plate", "make license plates as required", hundreds of results appear on many social networking platforms.
Notably, many groups attract thousands of members to participate. Advertising posts are constantly updated with attractive introductions about product quality. The operating methods of the subjects are quite similar. They use anonymous Facebook accounts to publicly post. When customers express their needs, detailed exchanges will be transferred to messaging applications such as Zalo.
Advertising content does not only stop at ordinary motorbike or car license plates. Some accounts also publicly accept to make special types of license plates, including blue background license plates that are issued to vehicles belonging to State agencies.
To create trust, sellers often make commitments such as "like real goods", "difficult to detect", "do as required". However, no one can guarantee that these license plates will not be detected by functional agencies during circulation.
The development of social networks and home delivery services is making buying and selling fake license plates more convenient than ever. Buyers only need to send information, transfer money and wait to receive goods without having to meet the seller directly.
Facing the risk of administrative and criminal handling
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper about this issue, Lawyer Hoang Ha (Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association) said that the production, purchase, sale or use of fake license plates is an illegal act, regardless of whether it is a white, yellow or blue license plate.
According to the lawyer, this is not simply a violation of traffic regulations but also infringes upon the state's administrative management activities in the field of vehicle registration and management.
According to Article 31 of Decree 168/2024/ND-CP, individuals who buy and sell license plates not manufactured or licensed by competent authorities may be fined from 10 to 12 million VND; for organizations, the fine is from 20 to 24 million VND.
For the act of illegally producing license plates, the penalty level is even heavier, from 40 to 50 million VND for individuals and from 80 to 100 million VND for organizations. Violating exhibits and means serving production may be confiscated.
Not only stopping at administrative penalties, people who forge or use fake license plates may also be considered for criminal responsibility under Article 341 of the 2015 Penal Code for the crime of forging or using fake documents of agencies and organizations.
The basic penalty framework includes a fine of 30 to 100 million VND, non-custodial reform for up to 3 years or imprisonment from 6 months to 2 years. In cases of organized crime, repeated perpetration or large illegal profits, the prison sentence can be up to 7 years.
In the context of camera surveillance systems and vehicle recognition technology being increasingly widely deployed, the use of fake license plates not only poses a risk of being detected but also entails serious legal consequences. However, reality shows that the fake license plate market is still existing regardless and publicly from real life to cyberspace.
