{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/vehicles-crime-act-2001/section-28",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/vehicles-crime-act-2001/section-28.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2001/3",
  "legislation_title": "Vehicles (Crime) Act 2001",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/vehicles-crime-act-2001",
  "path": "section/28",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "28",
  "heading": "Offences relating to plates etc.",
  "text": "(1) A person who sells a plate or other device which is not a vehicle registration plate as a vehicle registration plate knowing that it is not a vehicle registration plate or being reckless as to whether it is a vehicle registration plate shall be guilty of an offence.\n(1ZA) A person who sells a plate or other device which is not a trailer registration plate as a trailer registration plate knowing that it is not a trailer registration plate or being reckless as to whether it is a trailer registration plate shall be guilty of an offence.\n(1A) A person who sells a plate or other device which is not a vehicle registration plate only because the registration mark displayed by it—\n(a) does not comply with regulations under paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section 23 of the 1994 Act, or\n(b) is displayed otherwise than in accordance with regulations under paragraph (b) of that subsection,\n(or both) shall be guilty of an offence.\n(1AA) A person who sells a plate or other device which is not a trailer registration plate only because the registration mark displayed by it—\n(a) does not comply with regulations made by virtue of paragraph (b) of subsection (4) of section 15 of the 2018 Act, or\n(b) is displayed otherwise than in accordance with regulations made by virtue of paragraph (c) and (d)(i) of that subsection,\n(or both) shall be guilty of an offence.\n(1B) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that the offence under subsection (1A) or (1AA) is not committed in circumstances prescribed by the regulations.\n(2) A person who—\n(a) supplies a plate, device or other object to a person who is carrying on a business which consists wholly or partly in activities which are unlawful by virtue of subsection (1), (1ZA), (1A) or (1AA); and\n(b) knows or reasonably suspects that the plate, device or other object will be used for the purposes of that other person’s unlawful activities;\nshall be guilty of an offence.\n(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Word in s. 28(1) inserted (19.7.2018) by Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018 (c. 19), s. 27(1), Sch. para. 8(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 28(1ZA) inserted (19.7.2018) by Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018 (c. 19), s. 27(1), Sch. para. 8(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 28(1A)(1B) inserted (1.11.2008 for E.W.) by Road Safety Act 2006 (c. 49), ss. 45(4), 61(1); S.I. 2008/1862, arts. 2, 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in s. 28(1A) inserted (19.7.2018) by Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018 (c. 19), s. 27(1), Sch. para. 8(5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 28(1AA) inserted (19.7.2018) by Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018 (c. 19), s. 27(1), Sch. para. 8(6)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 28(1B) inserted (19.7.2018) by Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018 (c. 19), s. 27(1), Sch. para. 8(7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 28(2)(a) substituted (19.7.2018) by Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018 (c. 19), s. 27(1), Sch. para. 8(8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 28(3) substituted (1.11.2008 for E.W.) by Road Safety Act 2006 (c. 49), ss. 45(6), 61(1); S.I. 2008/1862, arts. 2, 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 28 heading substituted (1.11.2008 for E.W.) by Road Safety Act 2006 (c. 49), ss. 45(7), 61(1); S.I. 2008/1862, arts. 2, 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 28 wholly in force; s. 28 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 44; Pt. 2 (ss. 17-31) of the Act in force for certain purposes at 1.12.2002 and s. 28 otherwise in force at 1.1.2003 by S.I. 2002/2957, arts. {2}, {3}"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2001/3/section/28",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:20:15.084371+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}