Fake and altered license plates are under fire in NYC as police deploy drones, trailers, and joint sweeps
- 5,343 vehicles towed in 100 joint ghost car operations since 2024.
- Nearly $12M in unpaid tolls and fees were recovered in 2025 alone.
- Drones and license plate reader trailers now aid enforcement efforts.
New York’s war on ‘Ghost Cars’ just passed a major milestone. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), working with a dozen regional law enforcement offices, just finished its 100th operation. Those trying to shirk tolls are in the crosshairs, and authorities have towed thousands of cars so far.
‘Ghost cars’ are vehicles that run around with fake, altered, or covered license plates. We’ve covered them several times in the past. The MTA ghost car initiative started back in 2024, and since then, it says it’s towed over 5,300 cars. This year alone it’s towed 1,893 cars tied to almost $11.5 million in unpaid tolls and fees. The MTA Police have issued 16,000 summons.
More: NYC Drivers Dodge $108M In Speeding Fines With Crafty License Plate Tricks
Officials say these crackdowns are proving successful. Toll losses linked to ghost plates are down 20 percent. Authorities have confiscated 48 ghost plates in 2025 and 126 since the program began. They say that this is about far more than just unpaid tolls. Cars with ghost plates are often unregistered, uninsured, stolen, or used in crimes.
“We won’t tolerate bad actors using obscured and fraudulent license plates to avoid detection while committing crimes,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “Public safety is the priority, and if you cover your plates, you will get caught and you will pay the price – not just the toll you evaded.” The department isn’t just using longer traffic lines and personnel to find ghost plates either.
It’s employing drones to record license plates as they drive through certain checkpoints. When the drone spots a plate that matches one that has been suspended by the DMV, it sends an alert to an officer who can pull the car over. “The coordination between B&T officers and our regional law enforcement partners has resulted in increased accountability on our roads,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Catherine Sheridan.
“Our enforcement efforts continue to drive down the use of covered, obstructed, and altered license plates and I commend our B&T and MTAPD officers, as well as those of our partners, for their dedication to this important mission,” she continued. The MTA is also using automatic plate readers that can send these automatic alerts. Suffice it to say, the authorities are working hard to stop those who drive through tolls with ghost plates.