Starting from July 15, people using forged, altered or fraudulently obtained motor vehicle license plates would be fined NT$72,000 following the passage of an amendment to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例) in May, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.
The ministry proposed the amendment after a surge in suspended, confiscated or revoked license plates following the 2023 implementation of a new point system for traffic infractions. The police have identified 1,271 forged license plates.
The number of the forged license plate cases peaked in August last year, reaching 261 monthly cases.
Photo: Huang Liang-chieh, Taipei Times
Through cross-departmental collaboration, the number of cases fell to 101 by December last year.
The ministry on Monday announced that the Chart for Standard Rates for Fines Regarding Traffic Violations (違反道路交通管理事件統一裁罰基準及處理細則) would be adjusted to match the amendment.
The fine for using forged, altered and fraudulently obtained vehicle license plates would be raised to NT$72,000 from NT$18,000, and vehicles carrying fake plates would be confiscated on the spot.
The regulations would also impose heavier fines on drivers and motorcyclists who operate vehicles while their plates are suspended.
Currently, motorcyclists are fined NT$5,400 to NT$8,100 for such offenses, while car drivers are fined NT$7,200 to NT$10,800. They would all be fined NT$36,000 under the new regulations, with their vehicles being confiscated on the spot and the license plates being revoked.
A fine of NT$36,000 would also be imposed on drivers who operate a motor vehicle without a legitimate license plate or a plate that has been decommissioned or scrapped. The same fine would be issued to those failing to display a valid license, mount it in designated locations, report a lost license plate to the highway authority or continue to operate a vehicle even after a citation.
The fine for parking a motor vehicle without a valid license plate on public roads is NT$36,000 as well.
Individuals who knowingly operate vehicles owned by others with forged or falsified plates would be fined NT$36,000.
Motor vehicles of repeat offenders using forged or altered license plates in a 10-year period would be put up for auction or destroyed. They would also be put up for auction or destroyed if their operation with a fake plate led to injury or death.
The new regulations would be open to public input for seven days before entering legislative procedures, the ministry said.
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