Investigation finds vehicles with ghost plates are most prevalent in the Bronx and accrue more fines and serious traffic violations

City Hall, NY – Today, the New York City Council released “Plate and Switch,” a report detailing the Council Oversight & Investigations Division’s (OID) investigation into the ways out-of-state license plates, some of which are “ghost plates,” can be used to skirt enforcement and accountability across the five boroughs. Between March and April of 2025, OID investigators surveyed more than 3,500 parked vehicles across 50 square blocks in 10 police precincts. These precincts were chosen due to the high percentage of summonses issued to out-of-state license plates. Out of the over 3,500 vehicles observed, 768 did not have New York State license plates. Among the vehicles lacking New York license plates, one in five either had temporary plates, plates that did not match the vehicle registration, or no plates at all. This issue was most prevalent in the Bronx, followed by Brooklyn and Queens, with Staten Island and Manhattan having the least number of offenders.

A ghost plate refers to any license plate that obscures the true ownership of a vehicle, including fake or improperly registered plates that may otherwise appear legitimate at a glance. Drivers using ghost plates can avoid traffic tickets, tolls, accountability for crimes, and evade enforcement systems altogether. While many vehicles without New York State license plates belong to tourists or commuters, others display fraudulent, expired, mismatched, or even no plates at all.

The investigation found that vehicles with mismatched or “no hit” plates committed more traffic and parking violations, and owe more in outstanding fines, than vehicles with matching out-of-state plates. On average, vehicles with mismatched or “no hit” plates owed $667.68, in comparison to $268.08 for vehicles with matched plates. Overall, vehicles with ghost plates paid less than 20% of the fines they incurred, underscoring the lack of traceability and accountability that results in the loss of millions of dollars in fees and fines each year. The research further shows that cars with ghost plates are more likely to commit infractions such as toll evasion, and there are reports of ghost vehicles fleeing from crash scenes and being used to perpetuate violent crimes. They also accrued, on average, significantly more violations for speeding in school zones and blocking fire hydrants.

The full report can be found here.

“The use of ghost plates, especially those from out of state, to evade responsibility for violations and fines has become too commonplace throughout our city,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “The Council’s investigation into this systemic problem underscores the need for more coordinated enforcement and policies to ensure bad actors who are more likely to commit traffic violations that jeopardize our public safety are held accountable for their actions. I thank the Council staff for their hard work on this important investigation that will help inform the ways our local, state and federal partners can move forward to confront this issue.”

The report comes at a time when state and local officials have made enforcement against ghost plates a priority. The findings, outlined in the newly released report, demonstrate that ghost vehicles are a systemic, citywide problem, with improperly registered and untraceable cars on streets across all five boroughs. Additionally, OID’s investigation shows that the ghost vehicle plate problem is not only limited to temporary or obscured license plates, but also includes the intentional use of out-of-state plates to defy traffic laws and enforcement.

“Ghost vehicles are not just a nuisance — they are a public safety hazard and an affront to every New Yorker who plays by the rules,” said Council Member Gale A. Brewer, Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Investigations. “This investigation shows just how widespread the problem is, from mismatched plates to cars with no plates at all, racking up unpaid tickets and blocking fire hydrants. It is unacceptable that online marketplaces still allow the sale of fake or fraudulent plates that fuel this crisis. The City Council will continue to push for stronger enforcement and tighter oversight so we can keep our streets safe, ensure fair use of curb space, and hold bad actors accountable.” 

Key findings from the Council’s Oversight & Investigations Division investigation into out-of-state ghost plates include:

  • Of the over 3,500 vehicles surveyed, 768 had out-of-state plates.
    • Of these 768 vehicles, 530 had plates that matched their vehicle.
    • Nearly one in five of the 768 displayed license plates were not registered to the vehicles.
  • More than a quarter of the 786 out-of-state vehicles raised concerns:
    • 126, or 17%, had problematic plates that either returned no registration or a registration that did not match the vehicle
    • 48, or 6%, carried out-of-state temporary or dealer plates
    • 64, or 8%, had no plates at all
  • The Bronx exhibited the highest concentration of ghost vehicles (73 of 242), followed closely by Brooklyn (54 of 193) and Queens (50 of 179).
  • Staten Island (12 of 81) and Manhattan (1 of 73 vehicles) had substantially lower numbers of ghost vehicles.
  • Vehicles with mismatched plates owed nearly two and a half times more in outstanding fines than vehicles with properly matched out-of-state plates—$667.48 compared to $268.08.
    • This disparity is tied to payment behavior: vehicles with valid plates paid 63% of the fines they incurred, while those with mismatched plates paid only 16%.
  • On average, vehicles with mismatched plates accrued 49% more camera violations for Speeding in School Zones and received 74% more Blocking a Fire Hydrant violations than vehicles with matched plates.

“The use of out-of-state license plates, specifically untraceable ghost plates, allow drivers to behave recklessly throughout New York City streets with little to no accountability,” said Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. “As chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I am deeply committed to improving street safety for all New Yorkers, including by reducing the speeding violations and toll evasion infractions that are correlated with ghost plates. I’m grateful to my colleagues in the Council’s Oversight and Investigations Division for conducting this investigation, and I look forward to working with our partners in government to develop constructive solutions.”

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