UNION COUNTY, N.C. — The Union County Sheriff’s Office is working to remove fake license plates from the roads.

In 2023, the sheriff's office began noticing an influx of temporary South Carolina license plates with the same numbers. Investigators soon realized many of these plates were fake.

What You Need To Know

  • More than 1,500 fake license plates have been removed from cars in Union County since 2023

  • Driving with a fake license plate can result in a misdemeanor charge

  • The Union County Sheriff's Office said it has seized fake plates from South Carolina, Virginia, Florida and other states

“Some of the reasons that we're seeing them is just because people don't want to register their vehicle,” Deputy James Murray said. “They can't get their vehicle registered. They don't want to put insurance on their vehicle. They can't get insurance. They don't have a driver's license.”

Union County deputies are now trained to spot these fake plates. Since 2023, they have seized more than 1,500 fake tags from South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, California and other states.

Murray said many people buy these plates online.

“We get multiple repeat offenders,” Murray said.

It took Murray less than a half hour during one patrol in Union County before he saw a driver with a fake tag. When he ran the plate, he learned it had been used several times.

“I've got 27 matches of it on this car and multiple different cars,” Murray said.

Driving with a fake license plate can result in a misdemeanor charge in North Carolina. However, Murray said drivers can face additional charges if they are driving without a valid driver's license or auto insurance. He also said deputies have found stolen guns and drugs during these traffic stops.

While the sheriff's office is cracking down on drivers using these plates, Murray said it is a problem statewide.

“They see them in Raleigh, Gastonia, Cabarrus County and toward the coast,” Murray said.