license plates
Streetsblog Basics
No License Plates? No Problem! Scofflaw Drivers Remove Tags Yet Rarely Get Caught
Cars without license plates are everywhere in New York City, but the Adams administration is failing to crack down on them, allowing tens of thousands of drivers to dodge accountability in the city each year.
January 16, 2024
New Jersey Lawmakers Pass Major Reforms to Combat Temporary License Plate Fraud
The vote follows a Streetsblog investigation that uncovered widespread misuse of the state's temporary license plates, with car dealers selling the tags illegally to drivers using them to avoid accountability on the road.
January 8, 2024
Dozens of Car Dealers Shut Down for Temporary License Plate Fraud Following Streetsblog Investigation
And seven dealerships identified by Streetsblog as possible temp tag sellers are now under criminal investigation, officials said.
January 8, 2024
Monday’s Headlines: The Ghosts in the Machine Edition
It's been a busy few days it's been on the ghost car and defaced plate beat. Plus other news (including the world premiere of a new criminal mischief video).
December 18, 2023
Friday’s Headlines: Here’s a Great Fundraising Idea Edition
As we've been mentioning this month, we're in our annual fundraising drive — and people have already been so generous and selfless.
December 8, 2023
CYCLE OF RAGE: Even Cheap Souvenir Plates Fool NYC Speed Cameras — And Piss Off an Out-of-Town Man
You don't have to be SEXY to fool New York City speed cameras. You just have to pretend to be.
October 2, 2023
Cops Violated Lawyer’s Civil Rights During Infamous ‘Criminal Mischief’ Arrest: Suit
Famed bike lawyer Adam White fights back against a specious charge for repairing a defaced plate.
September 19, 2023
Someone is Driving with a Defaced Plate — And Sticking a Staten Island Man with the Bill
Meet Brett Roses, a Staten Island resident who has been receiving toll bills for a driver who defaced his plate so that it looked like Roses's.
August 17, 2023
‘Maliciously Obstructed’ License Plates Surge on MTA Bridges and Tunnels
MTA toll gantries snapped 32,313 "maliciously obstructed" plates in November 2022 — a nearly 200-fold increase from 2017.
July 24, 2023
NYPD’s Fight Against ‘Ghost Cars’ Lacks Serious Muscle
The NYPD claims it has stepped up its efforts to summons and arrest car drivers who cover or deface their plate, or drive with a fake temporary tag, but its own statistics show that the effort has not continued into this year, department officials said on Monday.
June 27, 2023
