Why do they steal license plates from cars?

What to do if license plates are stolen from a car?

Good afternoon, dear reader.

State registration plates (numbers) of a car are placed on the outside of the vehicle body, and this often leads to their loss or theft.

This article will talk about what a driver should do if the car’s license plates are lost or stolen. In addition, a fine for losing the number will be considered:

What to do if license plates are missing from your car?

1 . If the car is missing at least one license plate, you should postpone your trip . The fact is that the penalty for not having a number is quite serious. Therefore, it is better to call a taxi or use public transport.

2. Try to understand under what circumstances the number or both numbers disappeared from the car. If both numbers disappear while parked, it is most likely theft. If only the front number plate is missing, for example, after overcoming a deep puddle, then the number is most likely simply lost.

Let's figure out why you need to know whether the number was stolen or lost ?

If the number is lost, then you can restore it and not be afraid that the “old” number will be used by attackers in violation of the law.

If both numbers are stolen, then we can assume that the scammers will try to install the numbers on a similar car. This will lead to the car owner receiving fines for violations that he did not commit. Problems may also arise if a crime is committed in a “clone car.”

In addition, if the numbers are stolen, I recommend filing a report of the theft with the police. This must be done in case the stolen numbers are used in the commission of a crime. At least you will have documentary evidence that the numbers are missing.

How to recover stolen car license plates?

There are 2 ways to recover stolen or lost numbers:

• production of duplicate(s);
• obtaining other numbers from the traffic police (vehicle re-registration).

Let's look at each of these methods in more detail.

Buying a duplicate

The production of duplicates of state registration plates is carried out by private organizations. To obtain license plates, you need to contact such an organization with a vehicle registration certificate. The cost of the service depends on the region. On average, you will have to pay 1,500 rubles for the production of one issue, 2,000 rubles . This method can be used if the car license plate is lost (not stolen).

Getting duplicate numbers is quite easy. Just find the contacts of the relevant organization via the Internet and contact them with a certificate of registration. Making duplicates occurs quite quickly, often within half an hour.

Obtaining other numbers from the traffic police

Obtaining new numbers means contacting the traffic police to change registration data. This procedure is discussed in detail in a separate article:

The amount of state fees for issuing new license plates will be 2,850 rubles . To obtain them, you need to contact the nearest registration department of the traffic police. The procedure for changing registration data may take longer, but if you make an appointment through State Services, you can get new numbers in about an hour.

This method should be used if the car's license plates are stolen. Obtaining new numbers will protect you in the event that stolen numbers are used to commit crimes.

Please note that if the registration data is changed to change the license plates, the car does not need to be submitted to the traffic police for inspection. That is, it is better to leave a car without license plates where you are, and go to the traffic police department by public transport.

Fine for losing a car number

In 2019 and 2020, there is no fine directly for the loss of a car license plate. However, there is a fine for driving a car without a license plate(s), provided for in Article 12.2 of the Administrative Code:

2. Driving a vehicle without state registration plates, as well as driving a vehicle without state registration plates installed in designated places, or driving a vehicle with state registration plates modified or equipped with the use of devices or materials that impede the identification of state registration plates or allow their modification or hide -

shall entail the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five thousand rubles or deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of one to three months.

Thus, driving a car whose license plates have been stolen or lost will entail a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of rights for a period of 1 to 3 months.

Note. In accordance with the resolution of the plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 20 of June 25, 2019, the fine for the absence of one number is similar to the fine for the absence of two numbers.

What to do if your numbers are stolen and a ransom is demanded?

In some cases, numbers are stolen for ransom. In this case, the ransom amount, as a rule, is slightly less than the cost of producing duplicate numbers. What to do in this case?

1. Look for numbers close to where they were stolen.

As a rule, criminals do not take the numbers with them, but hide them in the nearest bushes, bury them in a sandbox, etc. This is done in order to “excuse” the theft if detained by police officers. After receiving the money, the criminal tells the driver the place where he can pick up the license plates. So if the numbers were stolen for ransom, then first of all look for them in the surrounding area.

2. If you couldn’t find the numbers, make duplicates or get new numbers from the traffic police. There is no point in financially supporting criminals, because... transferring money will only help the “business” of stealing numbers to continue to develop.

In conclusion, I would like to note that restoring numbers if lost/stolen is quite simple. However, it is important to understand that you should never drive a car without license plates.

What to do if 2019 license plates are stolen from your car

A car left in the yard often becomes a target for intruders, be it extortionists, hooligans or vengeful neighbors. A very unpleasant, but quite common morning surprise for a car enthusiast is the theft of license plates. Finding yourself in such a situation for the first time, any car owner will not immediately clearly understand what to do if the license plates are stolen from the car: the first instinct will be to call the mobile number left by the scammer. However, this is not the best, and far from the only option.

In a situation where license plates have been stolen from a car, what the owner should do will help him understand a clear idea of ​​who needed it and why. It is possible to avoid unnecessary formalities and procedures by analyzing the circumstances of a particular theft.

Why are numbers stolen?

License plates are stolen for the following purposes:

1. Receive a ransom for license plates. The greatest likelihood of suffering from such scammers is among owners of cars with “thieves” plates - the presence of such suggests that the owner is not indifferent to the beautiful combination of numbers and that he will not be stingy in returning them for a monetary reward. The attackers will definitely provide the victim with the opportunity to contact them, but whether it is worth contacting them, and what to do when the license plates are stolen from the car, is up to him to decide;
2. Use license plates for criminal purposes. After car license plates are stolen, criminals have the opportunity to use them as cover for committing any illegal acts. In this case, there is no hope of returning the stolen property, but what to do when license plates are stolen from a car for criminal purposes and how to protect yourself will be discussed further;
3. Add an interesting piece to your own collection of license plates. For these purposes, old, rare license plates are selected. Thieves are often content with just one sign and remove the signs very carefully;
4. The last and quite common reason that you should think about if the license plates are stolen from your car is simple retribution for the inconvenience caused by you or your car. You should look for the intruder nearby - he probably lives in your yard.

It is not always possible to quickly determine for what purpose the license plates were stolen, and in half the cases the owner of the car will never know about it. But the question of what to do when license plates are stolen from a car requires an immediate decision.

In practice, quite often the search for stolen license plates within a radius of 300-400 meters from the scene of the incident is successful: attackers do not always manage to unhinderedly deliver the stolen items to their destination.

Drivers should also remember that driving without a front license plate entails many times more responsibility than driving without a rear license plate. Therefore, if thieves left the rear plate intact, it is advisable to move the remaining license plate to the front when driving this vehicle.

In 2019, the process of restoring a stolen license plate, as before, is, first of all, a choice between two options (duplicate or recreation of the number in the MREO). As before, the cost of both methods is quite comparable - about 2 thousand when using the first method, 2.5 thousand when choosing the second. At the same time, restoration (or rather, re-registration with the receipt of a new license plate, different from the previous one, in the MREO) will certainly take a slightly longer period of time, however, it will also relieve the car owner from unnecessary worries about unreasonable involvement in criminal matters.

What to do if your numbers are stolen?

More recently, car enthusiasts, answering the question of what to do when the license plates were stolen from a car, could imagine a long series of formalities that were completely incommensurate with the scale of the loss. Modern legislation gives relative freedom of action in this case.

Undoubtedly, an important and mandatory step that every driver needs to take when a license plate is stolen from his car is to file a statement with the police in order to protect himself in case criminals commit a crime using stolen plates. A notification ticket issued by the police will allow you to:

• avoid a fine for driving a car without license plates to the place where you receive new ones;
• contact the traffic police for re-registration or issuance of a duplicate earlier than the ten-day period allotted to the police to investigate your application.

A few more important rules in case the license plates are stolen from your car, what to do at the stage of contacting the police:

1. There is no need to succumb to the persuasion of employees to refuse to write an application. Often, citing the obvious hopelessness of the situation, the police convince the applicant that the appeal is pointless; however, the essence of this action is not to find the thief, but to record the very fact of theft;
2. It is worth paying attention to whether a protocol has been drawn up indicating all the circumstances of the incident.

But after contacting the police, the issue remains unresolved. Next, we will try to reveal all aspects of the situation when license plates were stolen from a car, what to do? 2017 brought car enthusiasts the opportunity to choose from two options for solving the problem.

Ordering duplicate numbers

If before legislative innovations, a duplicate license plate was considered a false license plate, and its use was subject to sanctions, including the loss of the right to drive a car, but currently the law does not require mandatory re-registration to obtain a new plate.

Choosing this path has a number of advantages for drivers whose car license plates have been stolen, including:

1. Efficiency – the procedure takes from 10 minutes to 1 hour;
2. Relatively low cost - about 2,000 rubles;
3. A small package of necessary documentation:

• Passport or license;
• Certificate of state vehicle registration;
• Notification coupon.

The only drawback of the procedure can be seen only by very suspicious owners whose car license plates have been stolen: thieves will still be able to use a license plate with an identical combination of numbers for criminal purposes.

Car re-registration

Registration of a car involves the issuance of completely new license plates and the simultaneous transfer of stolen ones to the category of wanted ones. Meanwhile, the re-registration procedure itself means the same as registering a car with the traffic police. In 2019, this will require going through the following stages:

1. Write a statement about the loss of registration plates;
2. Pay the state fee (2,500 rubles);
3. Submit the following documents:

• Citizen's passport;
• Vehicle passport;
• Car registration certificate;
• Insurance policy;
• Remaining license plate, if available.

How to prevent repeat theft

Not a single motorist is insured against getting into a situation where the license plates have been removed from a car. In addition, similar problems await the owner of the car in the event of loss of license plates while driving on bumpy roads. Preventing such situations is the first thought that occurs to the driver after he received new registration plates. There are several simple rules and methods that will help you avoid troubles associated with restoring license plates:

1. Purchase of anti-vandal retention devices. This type of frame is fastened in four places using hidden bolts; it will not be easy to deal with them even for a craftsman who has a screwdriver;
2. Securing numbers with bolts or self-tapping screws. Such a precaution will already complicate the removal of the sign, and if you use a bolt with a secret or a screw with a non-standard hat, the attacker will definitely have a hard time;
3. The best place to park a car is on illuminated streets where there are residential buildings or office buildings with installed CCTV cameras;
4. An alarm system that responds to actions with license plates will also protect the car from intruders.

By taking care of the safety of his car while it is parked on the street, a citizen protects himself not only from unnecessary time and financial costs, but also from various types of fraud on the part of unscrupulous persons. In 2019, purchasing reinforced license plate mounts will be much cheaper than restoring them after the rude actions of criminals (after all, by removing the license plate, they can damage other parts of the car). In addition, theft of property of any scale is a serious test for the owner’s nervous system; it is better to prevent it than to eliminate the consequences.

Instead of a conclusion, let us remind you of the responsibility of drivers for driving a car without registration plates: the absence of one of them is punishable by a fine of 500 rubles, two - 5,000 rubles. On our portal you will find competent answers to all your questions, and you will also be able to get legal advice free of charge online regarding the actions of the car owner in the event of theft or loss of license plates.

Video - testing anti-vandal frames to protect against theft of our license plates

Have your license plates been ripped off your car?

If your car's license plates are stolen, don't panic. How quickly you restore them and how much money you spend on it depends on the calmness and correctness of your actions. All car owners should know what to do in 2019, where to look and where to go.

Trouble can happen to anyone.

Why do people steal license plates?

License plates are removed for several purposes. For installation on stolen or not cleared through customs cars of the same make and model, color, body, date of manufacture. This is how twin cars appear. The passports for such cars are usually fake, and fines and taxes are issued in the name of the person who owned the stolen plates.

To make a quick profit, scammers ask for ransom for stolen registration marks. As a rule, it is slightly less than the cost of restoration at the traffic police. The catch is that the bookmark address can be given after several transactions, so the final ransom cost is several times higher than the recovery cost.

There are several other reasons for theft, for example, for a collection of rare signs, as a rule, one sign is removed in order to take revenge for previously caused inconvenience. It is not easy to identify the reason for the theft, but if the goal is ransom, then the scammers leave a phone number under the windshield wiper where you can find out the terms of the return.

It also makes sense to explore the surrounding area. The signs are not taken with them, but hidden; the location of the bookmark is announced after the money is transferred. Frequently used places are sandboxes, cracks in buildings, and under garages. There are cases when local residents are imbued with sympathy and, through joint efforts, manage to find the loss.

Why you shouldn't pay extortionists

The theft of license plates for the purpose is a criminal business on a grand scale. By collaborating with criminals, you contribute to the flourishing of illegal activities, including in your area. Think how comfortable you will feel, realizing that some scammers, thieves, for the sake of a dose of drugs, alcohol, or easy money, scammed you out of money. Isn't it easier to resolve the issue within the legal framework?

Even if you decide to make a deal with criminals, no one can guarantee that you will get the stash site. Sometimes scammers require several transactions until they are sure that they have taken out all the money and only then will they indicate the exact location. Dubious cooperation will lead to loss of nerves, time and money.

What to do in case of theft

When you discover a missing plate, refuse to travel by car - operating a vehicle without license plates is prohibited. You have several options to solve the problem. Which one to choose is up to you.

1. Call the scammers and negotiate a ransom. This dubious option is fraught with the fact that it can take a long time to extort money and the amount of payment will exceed the cost of restoring the signs, in addition, you are supporting a criminal business.
2. Search your nearest area. Usually, for security reasons, criminals hide and bury the numbers. Take the time to look around sandboxes, nearby garages, benches and other secluded areas. There are cases when the victim found several numbers and solved not only his own problem, but also helped other fellow sufferers.
3. Report to the police. This action will protect you from the troubles associated with paying fines for a double car; in addition, if the double has committed an offense, then proving innocence will be problematic. When you contact the authorities, information about the missing license plates enters a single database, restrictions are imposed on the license plate, the clone car is put on the wanted list, and you receive supporting documents stating that the license plates have been stolen and are released from liability for offenses committed by the duplicate car.

How to recover

In accordance with amendments to the law of 2013, it is possible to legally obtain duplicate license plates through any company that produces plates. You can find such a company on the Internet and send a scanned PTS, driver’s license by email, and provide the number that needs to be restored. The courier will deliver a duplicate. The approximate cost of the service is about 2000 rubles. Without leaving your home or office, get metal plates for your car in 4 hours.

The disadvantage is that the original license plates remain with the criminals; they can install them on another car, operate it in violation of traffic rules, commit an offense, hit a person and flee the scene, commit any crime and the one on whom the license plates are registered will come under suspicion. By the way, fines will be sent to the name of the lost number. It will be extremely difficult to prove non-involvement.

The best thing to do is call the police and report the theft. There is a high probability that you will be able to receive the numbers on the same day. After the call, prepare information about license plates, a contact phone number, or preferably 2 numbers. Find out from the operator where the duty station of the area in which the theft occurred is located.

After some time, a traffic police car arrives and representatives of the authorities record your message and confirm the veracity of the call. Now the license plate falls into a single database and is put on the wanted list. With the help of surveillance cameras, it is possible to record the vehicle on which your plates are installed.

The next step is a meeting with operatives. You'll have to visit the duty station. It’s better to do it yourself, without waiting for employees to come to your home. Representatives of the traffic police radio about your intention to arrive to the dispatcher, but after about five minutes, dial him yourself and confirm your arrival. This is important in case the traffic police stops you for driving without license plates and you confirm your intention to restore the plates.

You will need a pen in the control room; it is better to take it with you. Write a statement and show the car to the operative. You will receive a notification from him that the application has been accepted. Now the Car is no longer needed, it can be sent to the parking lot. At the traffic police registration center, use a coupon 15 minutes before the specified time and receive new signs. Replacement cost is 2850 rubles.

How to protect numbers

Forewarned is forearmed. Some methods will help prevent the onset of an unpleasant situation; thieves only remove numbers that are poorly secured; this will not attract the attention of passers-by, but the alarm can scare away thieves. Spend about 3,000 rubles and install the sensors in the license plate; they connect to the car alarm.

You can strengthen the alarm system using anti-vandal frames. Their cost is in the range of 1000-10000 rubles. Countersunk bolts or special construction covers the perimeter. If the thieves have the keys to the fasteners. Removing it won't be a problem, but it will take some time. and the alarm system will warn the owner.

Secure the signs from inside the car using regular nuts and bolts. The cost will not exceed 100 rubles, and you can purchase the material at any furniture or construction store. The result will please you. It is difficult to pull out such a fastening. The method is not suitable for machines that are under warranty.

Do not forget to treat holes in metal structures with an anti-corrosion compound.

Creating even minor difficulties in removing the license plate can save you from trouble, since it is easier to find a car with poorly attached signs than to waste time and risk attracting attention to remove the reinforced plate. Combine different methods of protection and do not cooperate with scammers.

Who can steal license plates from a car and why?

It’s not a happy picture when you approach your car and notice that there are no license plates. Yesterday they were, but today they are not. This is not a dream, not a glitch, not a mirage; they really don’t exist. Stolen! There are bolts lying around the front and back. The place for numbers is empty and one question arises in my head: who the hell made that witty joke? In general, our portal believes that all thieves should first be in prison, and then in Hell. But let’s try to figure out why license plates are stolen, because in some cases the theft is “initiated” by the car owner himself.

There aren't many options here. There is a 100% chance that the kidnappers fall into one of the following categories:

1. Criminals need numbers for an “alibi” during crimes. When removing, try not to damage it. You don't have to hope to get your number for a reward. They don't need money. They earn enough. Don't waste your time. Feel free to go to the MREO for new numbers.

2. You have probably become a victim of a “collector”. They always rent one number. They do it carefully, almost like a jeweller. They are interested in rare, old issues. They need it exclusively for someone else’s or their own collection. You can't count on a miraculous return.

3. If you have a beautiful, “thieves” number in the style of 4444, 1111, 0707 or something like that, then it is quite possible that extortionists stole your number. Their calling card is a letter at the crime scene with return conditions. Don’t be surprised when you receive a call from an unknown number offering to return your number for a reward. Here the probability of getting a number is 97 percent.

4. Nice neighbors. The room was canceled due to grievances in the past:

— your car has taken the permanent parking spot of your neighbor’s car;
— your car alarm periodically disturbs your neighbors;
— they forgot about their $300 debt to a neighbor or returned it with a delay;
- and many more and other “charms”.

In this case, you can find the number in a trash can near the house, lying under the wheels of a car, on the grass near the house. It's rare that rooms go completely missing because of neighbors.

You should know that from the moment the numbers are stolen you fall under Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences. In accordance with the law, if at least one number is missing, you need to pay a fine or you can get off with a warning. If you do not have two signs, you will be deprived of the right to drive a car for a period of 1 year or fined.

So. The first thing you need to do if your license plates go missing is to call a police officer or come to the district police department. To write an application. The employee will immediately issue a notification ticket and draw up a protocol. They will consider the application within 10 days and make a decision to initiate a criminal case.

If during this time the attackers do not show up and return your numbers, then go to the MREO to get new ones.

Kolodiychuk Andrey , specially for ByCars.ru

When using this material, a link to https://bycars.ru/ is required.

Published 01/01/70. This page has been viewed 15076 times

Actions to take if license plates are stolen from a car

Today, active legislative activity is taking place, and the automotive sector has not been spared changes. The information regarding the loss or theft of license plates has changed significantly. All car owners should be familiar with this information, since practically no one is insured against such a loss. If the signs are attached incorrectly or the car sits unattended for a long time, there is a risk that they may be lost or stolen. Therefore, you need to know in advance where to go if your license plates are stolen and how to avoid fines and other problems if you lose them.

Is it possible to drive without license plates?

It is prohibited to drive in the Russian Federation without license plates. This amounts to driving with signs that cannot be identified. In any case, when the car is stopped by traffic police, the driver may be fined or his license may be taken away.

According to clause 2 of the Russian Traffic Regulations, license plates must be on motor vehicles. The only exception may be trams and trolleybuses. Therefore, the basis for imposing a fine by police officers will be precisely this paragraph, which states the following violations:

• lack of numbers;
• placement of license plates in an unintended place;
• the presence of signs that are not of a typical shape;
• difficulty in reading.

In all these cases, the driver faces a fine. The size of the fine will depend on the severity of the offense. So, for driving without license plates, the fine can reach 5,000 rubles. or may be deprived or withdrawn of rights.

Lost or stolen license plates do not relieve you from liability for driving without them. The only exception is the opportunity to get home or to the nearest branch.

What to do if license plates are stolen from a car?

If the license plates of the car were stolen with intent, then traffic police officers will not be able to do anything for now. The only correct decision after the theft of license plates is to contact the police department to file a statement. The application must indicate as accurately as possible the location of the theft and a description of the signs. It is worth adding a copy of the vehicle’s passport and a copy of the owner’s passport to the application.

Writing a statement is a fairly important and thoughtful act and you should not hesitate to do so. Since traffic police officers react quite quickly to the theft of state vehicle signs and the further possibility of their use. Therefore, very soon you can get your license plates back and continue driving safely. It is also important to remember that if you contact the police, the driver will not be charged with illegally using stolen license plates.

Once the application has been submitted and reviewed, the second step is to create new numbers, since the old ones can no longer be considered valid.

Production of new numbers and re-registration

There are two ways to return license plates. The first involves creating a duplicate, and the second method is re-registration.

To make a duplicate of stolen license plates, you should contact special companies or a private owner (government agencies no longer do this). The cost of such a service will be about 2000 rubles and it consists in the fact that new duplicate numbers will be made based on the documents provided.

It is worth noting that upon receipt of a duplicate, in the event of theft, administrative legislation does not prescribe mandatory re-registration of the car. But still, to be on the safe side, you need to re-register again. Re-registration of the car may also be necessary in order to avoid getting into an absurd situation when stolen state car registrations begin to be actively used for criminal purposes.

In order to re-register license plates you will need to do the following:

To contact the traffic police, you need to have the following set of documents with you: passport, car passport, car registration certificate, insurance, documents confirming payment of the state duty. You will also need to fill out an application to make changes to license plates. If you need to include in your application the reason for issuing new tables, it is better to indicate that the owner of the car lost them due to unknown circumstances.

If you indicate that the numbers were stolen, then new ones will only be available in a month, due to the investigation.

If traffic police officers require you to provide a vehicle, you can refer to clauses 40 and 57 of the Administrative Regulations, which clearly state that the provision of a car is not required to obtain new license plates.

When everything is ready, after some time you can restore the lost item to its place.

Have your license plates been stolen from your car in Belarus or Ukraine?

It may be a very real situation when car license plates may be stolen while on vacation in Belarus or Ukraine. If this suddenly happens, then it is much more difficult to obtain new signs than for the driver to be on the territory of his state.

The surest and best option would be to call your friends or relatives and issue a power of attorney for the car. Then, using a power of attorney, they will be able to make duplicate numbers or re-register them. As a result, after a friend receives new signs on their car, they can be sent to the real owner. This way there will be virtually no problems, but the only drawback is that this procedure can take a lot of time.

If you stole only the numbers in the front or only in the back, you can try to attach them to the front and get to your city. The likelihood that no one will stop you is quite high. Even if someone asks, you just need to explain the situation, most likely the police will allow you to go to your place of residence, where a complete replacement can be made.

Why can license plates be stolen?

There are a number of thieves who are only interested in state license plates. Removing them is not that difficult; all you need is a wrench or a screwdriver. But still, even number thieves can be divided into several groups:

• Avengers. That is, people who decided to take revenge for something. For example, these could be neighbors or ill-wishers. It is worth noting that most often teenagers and hooligans can commit petty theft. Therefore, if you are sure that they were the ones who stole the numbers, then don’t get upset. It is best to take a good look around and look for license plates in the yard, since ill-wishers are unlikely to be able to take the license plates far;
• Collectors. These fanatics can only hunt for old, unique numbers. Therefore, if you have an ordinary state sign, then you can hardly become their victim;
• Attackers. A rather dangerous category, since they will most likely need license plates to commit crimes. If the license plates fall into their hands, then it is no longer safe to return them to themselves. The best option in this case is to make new numbers and write a statement to the police;
• Extortionists. Such people steal numbers in order to receive a reward for their return. Statistics show that such numbers are still returned, but to take risks or not is the choice of the car owner himself. They usually also hide the license plates near the car, and leave a business card with a phone number. When contacting criminals and transferring a sum of money, they report the location of the license plates. Before transferring money, be sure to search all secluded places near the vehicle, such as entrance canopies, curbs, playgrounds, etc.

How to bring a thief to justice?

According to recent changes in our country, criminal liability has been introduced for the theft of license plates. So according to Art. 325 of the Criminal Code for the unlawful taking of state license plates, you can receive the following types of punishment:

• fine (up to 2000 rubles);
• a fine in the amount of wages or other income for the year;
• compulsory work up to 360 hours;
• correctional labor for up to one year;
• imprisonment up to one year.

If numbers are stolen by an organized group, the punishment will be much more severe:

• fine up to 3 thousand rubles;
• a fine in the amount of wages or other income for 2 years;
• compulsory work up to 480 hours;
• correctional labor for up to 2 years;
• imprisonment for up to 4 years.

It is worth noting that the Code of Administrative Violations also has sanctions for the unlawful taking of state car signs. But a sanction in the amount of a fine of 2,000 to 5,000 rubles occurs only when there is no criminal offense. That is, it can be a form of simple hooliganism, self-indulgence, and so on.

Nuances of action

If you fall for extortionists and they want a certain amount for license plates, then there is no need to panic right away. As practice shows, such thefts occur almost every day, and there are a lot of such cases in the police archives and there are often cases when, even after paying the money, the license plates from the car are never returned. Therefore, you should not rely on the integrity of thieves, because it is quite possible to become a victim of deception.

In the event of a ransom being extorted, the police recommend not to panic and to think about where the thieves could have hidden the numbers. Most likely this could be somewhere near the car. So it’s worth thoroughly searching everything within a radius of 400 meters from the car. This is all because extortionists are unlikely to want to walk around the city with someone else’s license plates; the best thing for him would be to hide them somewhere nearby and then extort money. It is important to take into account where the thief could have run and look for all possible places where signs can be hidden.

Thus, if you lose your license plates, there is no need to panic. It is best to follow the instructions posted above and eventually get your numbers back or get new ones for yourself and protect yourself from liability for the criminal use of stolen numbers.