In the context of traffic surveillance camera systems, automatic license plate recognition and cold fine handling technology being increasingly widely deployed, the use of fake license plates can lead to serious legal consequences.
However, reality shows that just searching on social networking platforms with keywords such as "cheap license plates", "make license plates on demand" or "beautiful license plates", users can easily access a series of accounts, groups and service advertising posts.
These accounts often use virtual identities to publicly post, then switch customers to exchanges through private messaging applications. Buyers only need to send information, transfer deposits and wait to receive goods through transportation services.
Notably, the 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 only issued to vehicles under State agencies.
Infiltrating fake license plate making points
According to reporters of Lao Dong Newspaper, on Tran Nhat Duat street (Hanoi), although the length is less than a kilometer long, a series of establishments claiming to make illegal license plates have appeared.
In the role of a customer who needs to make license plates for cars to avoid the camera camera system, reporters approached a business store. As soon as asked about the license plate service, the facility owner affirmed that it can meet many different types of license plates. This person also introduced installation solutions to cover real license plates or change license plates quickly when needed.
Customers come here to ask about this service a lot. Horizontal or vertical signs can be done. If you like, customers still keep the real sign on the car, just install a fake sign on the outside and cover it. Cameras are very difficult to recognize," the owner of this establishment advertised to reporters.
A few minutes later, a license plate maker was called to bring product samples to introduce to reporters. Real-world observation shows that these fake license plates are manufactured quite sophisticatedly. From size, color, font to reflective details, they are all simulated relatively similar to license plates issued by functional agencies. If only observing with the naked eye, distinguishing between real and fake license plates is not simple.
The sign makers on Tran Nhat Duat street also affirmed that they can produce license plates according to any number sequence requested by customers. Even, they confidently introduce products with high perfection to the point of being "very difficult to recognize".
Customers only need to deposit from 200,000 to 300,000 VND to order fake license plates as required. The selling price ranges from about 700,000 to 850,000 VND per set of fake license plates depending on the type.
Not stopping at producing fake license plates, some establishments also offer additional accessories to support quick removal and installation priced at 700,000 VND. Among them, there are specialized frames or supports that allow users to change license plates in just a few seconds.
Notably, many people who make license plates on this street also advertise this as an effective solution to help avoid being recorded for violations through the traffic surveillance camera system.
Consequences far exceed traffic violations
According to legal experts, the act of producing, buying, selling or using fake license plates is not simply a violation of traffic safety regulations.
Lawyer Hoang Ha (Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association) said that this is an act of infringing upon the state's administrative management activities in the field of vehicle registration and management.
According to the provisions of Decree 168/2024/ND-CP, individuals buying and selling license plates not manufactured or licensed by competent authorities may be fined from 10 to 12 million VND. For organizations, the penalty level is from 20 to 24 million VND.
For the act of illegally producing license plates, the penalty level is much higher, from 40 to 50 million VND for individuals and from 80 to 100 million VND for organizations. Exhibits and means serving production may be confiscated.
In particular, the forgery of special types of license plates such as blue background license plates or license plates for state agencies and organizations may also be considered from a criminal perspective.
Speaking about the act of forging specialized license plates, including blue background plates for vehicles of state agencies, Lawyer Bui Quang Hung - Head of the Law Office of the National Assembly and Associates Law Office - said that this is no longer a common administrative violation.
Intentionally producing license plates of official vehicles, diplomatic vehicles or license plates belonging to state agencies can be considered an act of creating fake products bearing the identification marks of agencies and organizations.
Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, this act may be considered under Article 341 of the 2015 Penal Code on the crime of forging seals and documents of agencies and organizations or using fake seals and documents of agencies and organizations.
According to lawyers, the production of special license plates not only affects vehicle management but also poses a potential risk of being exploited for other illegal acts, so it needs to be strictly handled according to current regulations.
In the context of an increasingly modern traffic surveillance system, it is necessary to prevent and strictly handle acts of producing, trading, and using fake license plates to ensure the effectiveness of State management, maintain traffic order and safety, and prevent other violations of the law arising from the use of vehicles with fake license plates.
Regarding the trading and production of fake license plates on Tran Nhat Duat street, in an exchange with Lao Dong Newspaper, the leader of Hoan Kiem Ward Police said that they will strengthen functional forces to inspect and handle in the area that the Newspaper reflected in order to prevent violations.
According to this leader, in the past time, the unit has also organized inspections and handling many times, and at the same time propagated and reminded business households on Tran Nhat Duat street to comply with the provisions of law, not to participate in buying and selling, producing fake license plates.
