Known as “doublets”, theft of license plates is increasing in France. To stem the phenomenon, a proposal aims to strengthen obligations during the manufacture and sale of number plates.
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Fraud has almost doubled in a few years and remains too easy to carry out. The principle is simple: a malicious person copies a license plate at random, what is commonly called making a “doublet”. This fraud will allow him to escape road and parking controls because, in the end, the official owner of the plate will receive fines and points withdrawn in the event of an infraction.
In addition to the withdrawal of six points from the driving license, the use of a false plate is punishable by seven years of imprisonment and 30,000 euros in fines. However, these heavy sentences do not stop the offenders. Theft of license plates has increased in France in recent years. These “doublets” increased from 13,600 cases in 2010 to 22,008 in 2022, according to the Ministry of the Interior. The 40 million motorists association is alarmed by this 62% increase and emphasizes that this figure only concerns complaint filings.
Another figure is circulating: that of more than 400,000 counterfeit plates in France according to professionals. For the motorists’ defense association, the increase in “doublets” can be explained in two ways. “Today we have very few checks carried out by the police, everything has been entrusted to automatic machinesexplains Pierre Chasseray general delegate of 40 million motorists. The second point which is concomitant is that many checks are now carried out using the license plate, such as parking monitoring and today even insurance. We find ourselves with an extremely strong temptation among certain delinquents and therefore an obvious increase in the number of number plate thefts.”
The temptation is accentuated by the ease today of making a “doublet”. Contrary to what one might think, there is no need for any administrative document to create a license plate from a professional. A situation that the motorist association wants to resolve by joining forces with MP Luc Geismar. The MoDem parliamentarian is tabling a bill to make it compulsory to present the vehicle’s registration document and a driver’s identity document to obtain a license plate in store or online.
A necessary law justifies the MoDem deputy in his bill because in the event of usurpation it is up to the victim to carry out “restrictive administrative procedures” to prove his good faith. “This initiative is, in itself, obvious, indisputable, and responds to a real challenge.”, says Pierre Chasseray. But the general delegate of 40 million motorists recognizes that this remains a “tourniquet on severe hemorrhage”. The bill does not provide for any verification with professionals. Pierre Chasseray hopes that the Ministry of the Interior will subsequently take advantage of the law to put in place truly effective control.
