TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC, 交通部), Taiwan's government agency overseeing transportation infrastructure and regulations, announced on Tuesday (July 1) a significant crackdown on fraudulent vehicle identification. Starting July 15, motorists caught using counterfeit or altered license plates will face substantially harsher penalties under a recent amendment passed by the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, aimed at combating a growing trend of vehicle-related crimes and identity fraud.
Under the stringent new regulations, vehicle owners caught using fake or altered license plates will face a steep fine of NT$72,000 (approximately US$2,464), representing one of the harshest monetary penalties in Taiwan's traffic code. The amendment grants authorities additional power to confiscate vehicles in severe cases, particularly those resulting in injury or death. Transportation officials have formally revised Article 16 and the attached table of Article 2 in the comprehensive "Unified Penalty Criteria and Handling Rules for Road Traffic Management Violations" (違反道路交通管理事件統一裁罰基準及處理細則) to ensure legal alignment with the recently passed amendment.
The comprehensive draft outlines a tiered penalty structure that extends beyond fraudulent plates to address multiple vehicle-related violations. Motorists caught assembling vehicles without regulatory approval or operating them without proper licensing documentation now face fines ranging from NT$3,600 (approximately US$123) to NT$36,000 (approximately US$1,232), with immediate vehicle confiscation at the scene of the violation. Similarly severe consequences await drivers operating vehicles without valid licenses or during license suspension periods, who will incur maximum fines of NT$36,000 (approximately US$1,232) and face on-the-spot confiscation of their vehicles.
Transportation officials emphasized that the hefty fine for counterfeit, altered, or fraudulently obtained license plates represents a deliberate doubling of previous maximum penalties to reflect the serious nature of these offenses. The amendment includes provisions for vehicle confiscation in cases where plate numbers are changed or if violations recur within a 10-year period, creating long-term consequences for repeat offenders. Following standard regulatory procedure, the ministry has established a seven-day public announcement period for the draft and has coordinated implementation details with the Ministry of the Interior (MOI, 內政部), Taiwan's agency overseeing domestic affairs and public security, to ensure consistent enforcement when the new regulations take effect on July 15. ◼