- NYC’s Department of Transportation is cracking down on license plates.
- New rules effective from April 17 demand plates must be readable.
- Plates too dirty to read or purposely hidden will get you a $50 fine.
New York City has had it with plate cheats. Starting next month anyone who purposely obscures their license plate, or even just allows their car to get so dirty the plate can’t be read, risks a $50 fine. So, if you’ve been trying to outsmart the system by letting your car get all filthy or even covering up your plate, it’s time to rethink that strategy.
NYC this week adopted a new set of rules concerning plate visibility that become operational from April 16 in part to get a handle on the problem of speeders and toll skippers. Both groups have taken to obscuring their license plates in recent years to evade fines and fees by preventing cameras correctly identifying their vehicles.
Related: NYC Drivers Dodge $108M In Speeding Fines With Crafty License Plate Tricks
Last year we reported that speeders had avoided more than $100 million in tickets, and in 2023 we covered a story about NYC seizing 44 cars for skipping $1 million in tolls, including one Range Rover whose driver owed the City $52,000.
The new rules demand cars wear correctly fastened license plates front and rear positioned between 12-48 inches (305-1,220 mm) from the ground. They must be readable, and not obscured by anything, including glass or plastic covers. Out-of-state cars are fine with just a rear plate if that’s correct for their home turf.
Fake or altered plates are obviously banned, but so too are car covers for parked vehicles that prevent official access to the license plate, registration sticker and VIN. That one might rile up a few drivers who own multiple, maybe older, or classic cars, which, if parked up, are not evading speeding fines or toll charges.
“Drivers who obscure their license plates are not just breaking the law — they are putting everyone at risk,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said as the crackdown was announced.
“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.”
Do you agree with these new rules, and do you think a tiny $50 fine is going to be enough to stop drivers trying to obscure their plates?
