More than 3,300 tickets issued during 'Operation Plate Check,' state says

An eight-day statewide law enforcement effort to crack down on fake and unlawful license plates led to the recovery of more than a dozen stolen cars and the issuance of several thousand tickets, state officials said.

The New York State Police, in collaboration with the state Department of Motor Vehicles and local law enforcement departments, issued more than 3,300 tickets to operators of vehicles displaying fraudulent “temp tags” as well as obstructed or otherwise illegal plates, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday. “Operation Plate Check” took place on state roadways from April 26 through May 3.

The weeklong operation targeted “individuals who are using fake and defaced plates to avoid paying tolls or detection by law enforcement,” Hochul said in a statement issued Friday. The number of fraudulent plates, as well as those deliberately obstructed or defaced to skirt camera detection, has been increasing throughout New York in recent years, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

“The collaborative effort to crack down on forged and altered license plates — often called 'ghost plates' — has been an important one to protect the safety of New York’s roads and everyone who uses them,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder, who also serves as chairman of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. “Not only does it help catch those who commit crimes in vehicles with those improper plates, it makes sure the people who try to avoid the tolls that help to maintain New York’s roads are held responsible for paying their fair share.”

Throughout the campaign, troopers issued 3,308 tickets for license plate violations, plus 83 tickets for suspended registrations, according to the release. Police also recovered 14 stolen vehicles during the operation week.

State police officials who patrol the New York State Thruway issued 664 tickets for license plate violations throughout the weeklong effort, the most of any troop in the state.

Trooper Brittany Burton, the spokesperson for New York State Police Troop L, which covers Nassau and Suffolk counties, could not immediately provide the number of tickets issued by officials patrolling state roads on Long Island during “Operation Plate Check.”

Motorists with peeling or damaged license plates are encouraged to visit the DMV's website to learn how to replace those plates, according to the release.