Counterfeit crisis – the rise in forged driving licences and vehicle documents

According to their social media sites, police around the UK have dealt with a noticeable increase in both car drivers and motorcyclists using their vehicles on a public road without insurance or tax; a sign that many people are quite willing to chance their luck and risk a criminal conviction, disqualification, large fine (and, in some cases, imprisonment) if, or more likely when, they get caught.

Police have been seizing uninsured vehicles for the DVLA for a year or so now and can evidence that these motorists are more likely not to stop when involved in a serious or fatal accidents. 

Nearly 6,000 other drivers and riders initially stopped by police for some often minor infringement have proffered forged or altered EU and UK licences in the last five years, particularly from those owners domiciled in the UK yet driving uninsured, untaxed, foreign-registered cars and motorcycles that are shown to be ‘permanently exported’ from the UK, in an attempt to avoid prosecution.

Countless numbers of both risktakers and criminals have become prime candidates for purchasing their bespoke forged or replica documents including the V5 vehicle registration document, MoT and insurance certification, driving licence and even passports from internet sites such as those shown below that all promise authentic-looking driving licences that are "perfectly legal" for as little as £20, or passports for £750. 

A real UK passport, for example, was advertised recently on the dark web for USD $2,500 (£1,925), while a residence visa for Australia was offered for $1,000 (£770). A complete set of fake documents containing a passport, identity document, driver’s licence and a SIM card for New Zealand was $2,600 (£2,002). 

The countries most in demand for fake identity documents after the UK and Northern Ireland appear to be France, Sweden, Spain, Holland, Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belgium, Italy and Finland. 

Peace of mind without the effort, maybe (providing no one looks too hard, of course) and some might just get away with it for a while, but when they do get caught they would be charged with fraud, for which there is little defence.

Candidates for these forgeries are those that want or need to drive but can’t do so legally because they have been disqualified, had their licence revoked or simply have not passed either a theory or practical driving test. 

To demonstrate the potential extent of the problem, of the 1,787,773 practical driving/riding tests taken in the UK in 2018-19, only 845,024 people passed. DVLA data reveals that almost a third of a million UK drivers and riders have had their driving licence revoked for medical reasons over the last five years. 36,310 revoked licence holders in 2019 were owners of cars and motorcycles and 11,953 aged between 17 and 24 had their licences revoked under the New Drivers Act in 1995 due to incurring more than six points on their licence within two years of passing their test; that’s 33 a day.

Last year 25,000 vehicle users over the age of 50 lost their licences for reasons such as seizure, loss of eyesight , memory problems, mental health issues, heart problems and drug-related issues. Simple things such as arthritis, ADHD, heart palpitations and pacemakers are also listed as potential medical conditions that can prevent you getting behind the wheel.

Riders and drivers who fail to notify the DVLA about a medical condition can be fined up to £1,000 but with so many reliant on personal transport for work and pleasure many still find it a risk worth taking.

Genuine documents in the wrong hands are usually stolen or fraudulently obtained to be either used by someone other than the owner or to be altered to fit a purchaser’s requirements. 

Counterfeit licences are more in the domain of the organised crime gangs and will usually display an incorrect flag image, a photograph image in the wrong place, a plain background, fake holograms and an incorrect signature. Experienced document examiners at the DVLA in Swansea are always called in to investigate suspicious photocard driving licences, either submitted as part of an application or received by police when drivers are accused of flouting road laws. Their evidence is vital in any prosecution but the police also have comparisons of many real European driving licences that can aid them to detect forgeries.

It’s clear that a large quantity of both learner drivers and riders have been tempted to buy fake provisional licences in the hope of keeping themselves on the road. For example, 1,522 people were investigated for cheating the theory test in 2018-19 by either using a Bluetooth headset to speak to someone outside the examination room or allowing others to sit the exam for them, usually for financial gain. Estimates suggest cases of these types of frauds could rise to 2,500 in 2019-20 although it’s thought many more have escaped detection.

The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) used to rely on independent investigators and the Crown Prosecution Service to bring cases to court, but now it has the power to sanction those it has found cheating and its policy is to prosecute all cases where a criminal offence has occurred.

While it isn’t illegal to possess a “novelty” driving licence, it is illegal to use it to lie about your background or status – the consequences of which can be severe. At the most, you can face a £5,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison. 

With Brexit still uncertain, the Government guidance for Britons is that their current driving licences may become useless on the continent in a no-deal scenario. Holidaymakers to the EU will have to spend £5.50 on an international driving permit if the UK leaves without a deal. These will be available to purchase from the Post Office.

Motor insurance green cards will also be necessary when driving in the EU and EEA. You can get one of these by contacting your insurance provider a month before you travel – but no doubt both of these documents will be replicated and available on the internet less than a day after they are deemed necessary.

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