Toll in New York Drives Sales of Kits to Defraud License Plates (Dream Lab – Canva)
The new congestion toll in New York has fueled the sale of illegal kits that allow drivers to hide characters on their license plates to avoid fines and fees.
These devices, sold for about $60 to $70 on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Amazon, include stickers and films that make plates invisible to cameras but visible to the naked eye. While marketed as legal, experts assert that using these products for fraud is illegal.
The state of New York has already banned the sale and distribution of materials that obscure license plates since 2023, increasing fines to $500 and suspending the registration of repeat offenders. However, New York City is still debating additional measures, such as $50 fines for vehicles with obstructed plates. Meanwhile, police have intensified enforcement, seizing thousands of vehicles with fake plates and issuing hundreds of tickets in the early days of the new toll system.
Ad for an illegal kit on Instagram (Instagram)
Platforms like TikTok and Amazon have started removing ads for these products following complaints, but many remain available online. Experts warn that the sale of these devices could become the target of stricter regulations in the future to curb the growing use of “ghost plates” for fraud and traffic violations.
Source: New York Post | Photo: Dream Lab – Canva / Instagram | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
