When a car is released from an impound, some drivers find that the number plates have been removed or damaged. It might seem harmless to drive a short distance home or to a garage without them, but doing so is illegal. Driving without number plates on public roads is treated as a serious offence, even if the car has just been collected from a pound.

Why Plates Are So Important

Number plates aren’t just for identification — they link the vehicle to its tax, insurance and MOT records. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras rely on them to check whether the car is legally on the road. Without plates, there’s no quick way for police or the DVLA to confirm that the vehicle is insured or taxed, and that alone can justify another seizure.

Possible Reasons Plates Are Missing

Plates may be removed at the time of seizure if the car was untaxed, uninsured or involved in an offence. In some cases, they’re simply damaged while the vehicle is being towed or stored. Pounds are not legally required to refit or replace them, so the responsibility falls back to the keeper or driver before the vehicle goes anywhere.

What the Law Says

Under the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations, it is an offence to drive a vehicle on a public road without clearly visible front and rear plates showing the correct registration mark. The penalty can include a fine, penalty points, and — if police suspect other offences — the car being seized again. There is no grace period for travelling home or to a garage without plates fitted.

How to Move the Car Legally

If the number plates are missing or broken, the safest option is recovery transport. A tow truck or flatbed can legally move an unplated vehicle as long as the driver of the recovery vehicle has proper insurance and documentation. If the car must be driven under its own power, new plates need to be fitted first.

Replacement plates can be made by authorised suppliers once proof of ownership and identity is shown — usually a driving licence and the V5C logbook or impound release notice. Many motor factors and vehicle parts shops can produce plates while you wait, often within an hour.

Temporary or Handwritten Plates Are Not Acceptable

Writing the registration on cardboard or taping a printed sheet inside the window doesn’t meet legal standards. Plates must be reflective, display characters of the correct size and spacing, and be permanently attached. Anything else risks another stop by police and potentially another fine or seizure.

Practical Steps Before Leaving the Pound

• Inspect the car to make sure both number plates are present and securely fixed.
• If a plate is missing or unreadable, arrange professional recovery instead of driving.
• Keep the release paperwork and insurance certificate ready in case of inspection.
• Replace damaged plates as soon as possible from an authorised supplier.

Key Point to Remember

Driving without number plates is never allowed, even immediately after collecting a vehicle from impound. If plates are missing, use recovery transport or have replacements made before driving. It may feel like an inconvenience, but it avoids further penalties, extra fees, and the risk of losing the car a second time.

Check here for more useful information about impounded cars!

Please note: impound rules, collection windows and fee structures are set locally and can change at any time. Details on this site offer a broad outline only and are not guaranteed to match the requirements of any individual pound or authority.