NEW rules regulating drivers’ vehicles will prohibit anything–even rust–from being on a license plate.
The crackdown on obscured license plates is meant to help public safety, but drivers who are caught will be fined $50.
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The New York City Department of Transportation first announced these changes in January but stated that the rules won’t go into effect until April 16.
NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said that drivers obscuring their license plates are “putting everyone at risk.”
“Clear and visible plates are more important than ever to ensure public safety, fairness, and improve traffic flow,” Rodriguez said in a press release.
“Automated camera enforcement has been proven to reduce speeding and lower pedestrian fatalities, but it can only work if plates are visible, which is why these strengthened rules are critical to holding violators accountable and protecting all New Yorkers.”
Ghost plates, which are license plates that are intentionally obscured, allows drivers to evade tolls, red light cameras, and other camera-based fees.
Mayor Eric Adams made it his mission over the past three years to ramp up regulations on ghost plates.
According to a press release by the NYC DOT, the Adams administration has removed over 73,000 ghost cars and unregistered vehicles from New York City streets.
“Over the past year, the NYPD has taken thousands of illegal ghost plates off the streets, which are often connected to larger crimes,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said in the statement.
“These new rules will strengthen our ability to crackdown on this problem and make our street safer for all.”
The DOT noted that drivers who evade tolls put more of a financial burden on law-abiding citizens.
Drivers who have any sort of obstruction on their plates–including dirt, rust or plastic coverings–will receive a $50 fine.
The new rules ban distorted license plates and clarify that plates must be visible to both the human eye and to cameras.
Car owners are also no longer able to have any sort of vehicle cover that conceals important identifying information, such as registration stickers or VIN.
Plus, the new restrictions explicitly ban altered or fake plates mimicking legal plates.
The latest changes follow Adams’ successful implementation of speed cameras and red light cameras.
The NYC DOT reported that in locations where cameras were installed in 2022, there were 14% fewer traffic injuries and deaths than in locations without cameras.
New rule changes
The new rules will come into effect on April 16, 2025.
Key rule changes include:
- License Plate Visibility: Plates must be securely fastened, properly displayed, readable, positioned between 12–48 inches from the ground when possible, and kept clean and unobstructed. No glass or plastic covers are allowed.
- Distorted Plates: No person shall stand or park a vehicle having a license plate that is covered, coated, or altered in a way that obscures its readability. License plates must remain fully legible to both the human eye and automated enforcement cameras. Any material, including clear coatings or substances, that distorts or reflects light in a way that prevents cameras from capturing plate numbers in photographs or video recordings is strictly prohibited.
- Ban on Vehicle Covers: No vehicle may be parked with a cover that conceals its license plates, registration stickers, VIN, or other identifying information. Covers that restrict access to the vehicle are also prohibited when the vehicle is in violation of posted parking rules.
- Prohibition of Altered or Fake Plates: Any materials that conceals or mimics a legitimate plate is strictly prohibited. License plates must not be obstructed by any part of the vehicle or by items carried on it, except for officially issued tolling transponders installed according to mounting instructions.
The study also found that 74% of vehicles that receive violations receive no more than a couple per year, which proves that the cameras deter reckless driving.
However, repeat offenders pose the biggest threat to road safety.
According to the release, drivers who received multiple tickets are five times more likely to be in a crash that results in death or critical injury.
Despite the success of the automated enforcement system, the DOT said it can only work in conjunction with visible license plates to cameras.
“By preventing license plate obstruction and distortion, NYC is reinforcing its commitment to Vision Zero and making streets safer for all New Yorkers,” the statement ended.
