AZE.US
Vehicle owners in Azerbaijan cannot restore stolen or lost license plates under current regulations and must instead obtain entirely new registration numbers, a rule that has drawn criticism from some drivers.
According to existing procedures, if a state registration plate is stolen or lost, authorities do not issue duplicates. Instead, the owner must apply for a new set of license plates through the traffic police system.
Officials say the rule was introduced to prevent potential misuse. If a duplicate were issued while the original plate remained in circulation, it could be used by criminals on another vehicle to commit offenses or evade law enforcement.
Theft of plates reported more frequently
Some drivers say incidents of license plate theft have become more common in recent years. In some cases, criminals reportedly remove one of the plates and then demand money from the owner in exchange for returning it.
Because duplicates are not issued, victims are forced to replace the entire registration number.
Cost concerns for owners of premium numbers
The issue is particularly sensitive for owners of so-called “premium” or customized license plates, which can be sold privately for tens of thousands of manats.
Market prices for certain desirable combinations can reach 50,000 to 100,000 manats, meaning that losing such a plate may result in a significant financial loss.
Experts suggest legal changes
Some experts believe the legislation should be updated to reflect modern monitoring technologies. With widespread surveillance cameras across cities, they argue that controlled issuance of duplicates could be introduced without increasing security risks.
One proposed solution is to allow drivers to obtain duplicate plates after paying a symbolic administrative fee.
Penalties for driving without plates
Under Azerbaijani law, driving a vehicle without a license plate or with a plate assigned to another vehicle carries a fine of 100 manats and four penalty points.
Drivers who lose their plates are required to report the incident to the police and apply for new registration numbers through the state traffic authority.