Boro Pres Levine Calls for New Crackdown on Ghost Plates
One out of 20 cars passing through enforcement cameras has an unreadable license plate, says Borough president Mark Levine who has released a new report calling for a crackdown.
| 16 Aug 2024 | 04:01
In a crackdown in July by a multi-agency task force, MTA chairman Janno Leiber pondered the psychology of drivers in expensive late model cars, who still try to beat tolls with ghost plates. (
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A law enforcement official pulls a strip of paper off a plate which rendered the license unreadable by toll scanners. Manhattan borough president Mark Levine says one in 20 drivers are using so called ghost plates. (
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Have you ever seen a car zoom by with license plates scratched out or obscured by tinted or reflective covers? What about clearly fake or expired paper plates from “Georgia,” “New Jersey” or “Texas”?
These cars lacking legal plates are called “ghost cars” and are a real problem in NYC, with serious implications for public safety, traffic law enforcement, and toll collection.
As you know, license plates serve a critical function in identifying and tracking vehicles. When plates are defaced, obscured, or altogether fake, it becomes nearly impossible to enforce traffic laws, collect tolls, and hold drivers accountable for their actions.
The data is alarming: we estimate that more than 5 percent of vehicles passing through enforcement cameras monthly have unreadable plates. In total, this translates to over 100,000 unreadable images from Dept. of Transportation-operated cameras alone every month. And that number is going up.
This not only compromises the safety of our streets, but also results in hundreds of millions of dollars in uncollected fines and tolls each year. And it’s allowing people to drive dangerously with impunity. To address this challenge, my office has proposed a series of recommendations in a new report aimed at curbing bad actors’ ability to obtain fake and fraudulent plates and empowering law enforcement to enforce traffic laws effectively.
In the report, we propose a technological overhaul to improve license plate enforcement. This includes adopting high-tech digital license plates, alongside providing law enforcement with the necessary training and tools to combat fraudulent plates.
We also desperately need a strong legal and regulatory framework to combat license plate fraud. This framework should encompass stricter penalties for offenders, crackdown on the sale of fraudulent plates, modernize outdated laws, and empower neighborhoods with greater control over parking regulations.
License plate fraud is unfair, and it’s unsafe. By cracking down on ghost cars, we can make our roads safer, fairer, and more efficient for everyone.
Stay safe and keep cool.
Mark Levine is the Manhattan Borough president.