DRIVERS who have customized their cars can be hit with $200 fine under a new rule.
The new law, rolled out on September 1, is cracking down on so-called ghost plates.
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A ghost plate is a car license plate altered to evade automated traffic cameras.
The license plate customizations now banned include:
- opaque coatings
- extra-glossy films
- digital devices that obscure or distort the plate’s characters
- any other alteration that makes it difficult for enforcement systems to read
On September 1, the sale and use of license plate modifications became illegal throughout New York.
Drivers caught using the fare-evading ghost plates are subject to automatic $200 penalties.
“You will get caught,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said during a press conference with New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
“Gone are the days we’re gonna tolerate people going through here with an attitude that, ‘I’ll take my chances because I’ll never get caught.'”
Drivers had been scooping up the plate-hiding customizations and placing them on their cars to avoid paying tolls.
The plate-modifying tools cost anywhere from $5 to $500, according to Buffalo-based ABC affiliate WKBW.
The new rules outlawing the license plate-covering sales is part of a larger effort to collect cash at state-wide tolls.
Previously, New York City officials announced they had confiscated dozens of cars after they repeatedly went through tolls with reflective gear or without license plates.
Speaking in front of seized Cadillacs, Mercedes-Benz, and Land Rovers, city-wide officers pleaded with drivers to pay the tolls.
Fighting incorrect toll violations
A legal expert says a toll violation notice can be disputed with a few simple steps.
- Double-check the name and license plate number. Violations are finalized by a technician before they’re mailed, and sometimes a simple mistake can be made. If the matter is as simple as someone misreading the plate due to a grainy photo, the matter can be resolved by calling the toll agency.
- If the license plate is correct but the car is no longer registered to you, you can dispute it by contacting your state’s transportation agency (ie. DMV) to provide proof the vehicle is no longer yours.
- If the violation claims it was issued due to a missing account and you indeed have an active account, the violation can usually be disputed on the toll agency’s website. If not, calling is an option.
- Dispute the notice promptly. Many toll agencies will impose a short time limit that drivers can dispute a notice, so it’s important to do so quickly to avoid late fees.
- Be clear when submitting a dispute online. The more details included, the easier it is to have the matter resolved.
- If necessary, drivers can submit a hearing to dispute the charge.
Read more here.
Officials said taxpayers bear the cost of toll evaders.
“This is about fairness and making sure New Yorkers don’t get stuck with the bills that the dead beats won’t pay,” Janno Lieber, the CEO of the MTA, said while an Escalade SUV sat perched on a tow truck.
“It’s your money that they’re taking, and we’re not going to let it happen.”
In the September news conference, Hochul said toll evaders owe over $12.5 million in unpaid fairs.
“We’re sick and tired of everyone taking advantage,” Hochul said.
“And everyone else feels like a sucker because they’re the ones paying the tolls like law-abiding citizens.”
NEW YORK ROAD RULES
New York officials announced several roadway crackdowns with several-hundred-dollar consequences for drivers.
The state announced it caught 15,000 drivers who weren’t correctly wearing their seatbelts over a two-week period.
Police also stopped another 17,000 car owners for speed violations.
Drivers in NYC are also prepping for new speed laws that will reduce top speeds to 20 mph in densely populated areas.
More than 250 streets will unveil reduced speed limits.
Car operators are eligible for $50 to $600 fines if city police catch them speeding.
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