The Dark Side of Unofficial Number Plates: Evading ETLE and Facilitating Criminal Modus Operandi

JAKARTA — Rows of unofficial vehicle number plate workshops in the Matraman area of East Jakarta continue to persist despite the digital transformation of motor vehicle services. Behind the sound of hammers and the distinct scent of spray paint, the practice of producing non-official number plates hides serious issues that are now coming under scrutiny from transport observers and the police.

Transport observer Deddy Herlambang believes that the existence of unofficial number plates can no longer be viewed merely as a temporary replacement service. According to him, weak law enforcement has allowed the use of unofficial plates to flourish on the roads. “Because there is no legal firmness. Those not using number plates at all are free to roam the streets,” Dedasy told Kompas.com on Sunday (17/5/2026).

Deddy noted that the public continues to choose roadside plate printing services because the process is fast, practical, and less complicated than arranging reprinting through the Samsat (Regional Motor Vehicle Registration Office). “The potential for misuse is enormous because they can bypass ETLE (Electronic Traffic Law Enforcement),” he said.

According to Deddy, the use of unofficial plates is not just an administrative vehicle issue. In practice, fake number plates can be used to evade electronic fines or even disguise vehicle identities during criminal activities. He assessed that law enforcement has primarily targeted vehicle users, while the makers or producers of fake number plates often escape prosecution.

“Law enforcement is indeed weak. So, if a criminal case occurs, only the user is arrested, not the producer of the fake number plates,” he stated. Deddy compared this situation to narcotics enforcement, which targets not only users but also the distributors and suppliers. He suggested that authorities could utilise general criminal law approaches to prosecute the producers of fake plates.

“Under the Criminal Procedure Code, producers of fake number plates used for crime should be arrested. If using Law Number 20 of 2009 on Traffic and Road Transport, the law is weak and does not reach the producers,” he said. He urged the police not to rely solely on traffic fines as regulated by the Law on Traffic and Road Transport (LLAJ), but to also apply criminal charges for the forgery of state documents.

At the front of the stalls, various types of number plates are displayed as a walking showcase. The colourful plates on display range from the old black models and the latest standard white plates to yellow plates for public vehicles and plates with blue lines at the bottom for electric vehicles. In addition to civilian plates, some stalls even display replicas of official government plates in red, green, and yellow, complete with specific agency logos.