Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 section 44

Forgery and fraud

Section 44 creates criminal offences relating to the forgery or fraudulent misuse of vehicle registration marks, registration documents and trade plates.

• It is a criminal offence to forge, fraudulently alter, fraudulently use, fraudulently lend, or fraudulently allow another person to use any of the items covered by this section.
• The items covered are registration marks, registration documents, and trade plates (including replacement trade plates).
• On summary conviction (in a magistrates' court), the maximum penalty is a fine up to the statutory maximum.
• On conviction on indictment (in a Crown Court), the maximum penalty is imprisonment for up to two years, or a fine, or both (except in Scotland, where imprisonment and a fine cannot be imposed together).