Keyless car theft devices to be banned
Five-year prison sentences to be introduced for possessing electronic devices, such as ‘signal jammers’ that are responsible for keyless car theft...
Anyone caught either in possession of or distributing electronic devices that can be used to unlock car doors and start engines will now face a prison sentence of up to five years. At present it’s not illegal to have these items, but the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, which is about to be introduced, makes it against the law to have them or share them with another person.
Tens of thousands of keyless cars are stolen in the UK each year using small handheld electronic devices that either block or grab and replicate the signals emitted by keyless fobs. To make it harder for the police to identify the devices, they are often disguised as legitimate small electrical items, such as bluetooth speakers or Gameboy children’s toys.
Around 80% of brand new cars have ‘sleeping keyfobs’ or other technology that prevents these devices from being used to gain entry to a car. Land Rover is among a number of car makers to have introduced ultra-wideband technology to its keyfobs to make them more secure. However, many older cars aged more than three years old are still vulnerable to this type of theft.
In fact, the latest data from the DVLA on car thefts in 2024 reveals that 50% of the 61,000 cars stolen in the last year were aged four to eight years old, and those aged between three and 12 made up 70% of all the cars taken.
Small electronic devices are often used to steal expensive, high-end vehicles that are shipped abroad by organised criminal gangs. They often operate in larger urban areas, such as Greater London and the West Midlands, which are the UK's car theft hot-spots.
The Association of British Insurers, car makers and others in the car industry have been calling for these devices to be outlawed for some years, and the change in the law was planned by the previous government.
Richard Billyeald, Chief Research and Operations Officer at Thatcham Research, who collaborated with the Home Office on the Bill, said: "This legislation addresses a critical vulnerability in the current vehicle security framework. By criminalising the possession and sale of these devices, we're raising the stakes for criminals while protecting the legitimate automotive sector. However, vehicle security requires a multi-faceted approach of which device regulation is a part."
RAC head of policy Simon Williams added: “With government statistics showing an average of 370 vehicles being stolen every day, outlawing the possession and distribution of signal jammers cannot come soon enough and we welcome the government’s action on this.
“Having your car stolen is not only a violation, it causes massive amounts of stress and inconvenience as well as higher insurance costs for the individual concerned and drivers generally.”
While the new law is a positive step towards curbing car theft, it doesn’t ban the sale of these items altogether, so they may stay in circulation. However, it makes it easier to prosecute those found with them.
At present, the police can only prosecute someone for handling these devices if they can prove they’ve been used to commit a specific crime. However, when the new law comes in, anyone who has one, or has imported, adapted or distributed one, can be given a five-year prison sentence and an unlimited fine if they can’t prove they have the device for a legitimate purpose.
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