NYC set to crack down on obscured, altered license plates; fines start April 16

If you’re planning to drive or park with an obscured or altered license plate anywhere in New York City, law enforcement officials say you’d better think again.

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and New York City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said this week that proposed rules announced in January as part of a crackdown on so-called ghost plates and other license plate-related violations will take effect April 16. Violators will be subject to fines.

The new rules target drivers who intentionally obscure plates in an attempt to evade tolls, penalties and law enforcement, but make it clear any obstruction of a license plate — whether due to dirt, rust, plastic coverings or any material that makes a plate unreadable — is prohibited. Drivers are subject to a $50 fine for parking with an obscured plate.

"Drivers who obscure their license plates are not just breaking the law — they are putting everyone at risk," Rodriguez said in a statement, adding: "Clear and visible plates are more important than ever to ensure public safety, fairness, and improve traffic flow."

Tisch said in a statement: "Ghost plates only exist to evade the law, and they pose a threat to both public safety and traffic safety. Over the past year, the NYPD has taken thousands of illegal ghost plates off the streets, which are often connected to larger crimes."

In conjunction with the new rules, license plates must be "securely fastened, properly displayed, readable, positioned between 12-48 inches from the ground when possible, and kept clean and unobstructed."

Plastic and glass coverings are not allowed.

Distorted plates — that is, plates that are covered, coated or altered in any way that obscures the ability to read them — are illegal. These include plates with any alteration that "distorts or reflects light in a way that prevents cameras from capturing plate numbers in photographs or video recordings" used by law enforcement to catch violators.

Vehicles cannot be parked with a cover that conceals its license plates, registration stickers, vehicle identification number (VIN) or any other identifying information. And officials said plates must not be obstructed by any items carried on them — except for "officially issued tolling transponders installed according to mounting instructions."

Officials said that since the start of crackdowns on ghost plates under the administration of Mayor Eric Adams, more than 73,000 "ghost cars and unregistered motorized vehicles" have been taken off New York City streets. Officials also said daily violations have dropped 94% in areas with speed cameras, and locations with speed cameras have seen 14% fewer traffic-related injuries and deaths. However, repeat offenders remain a problem, with more than 12,000 drivers receiving 20 or more speed camera violations each in 2023.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”