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NEW YORK CITY — Ghost plates and fake out-of-state license plates in New York City are most in most prevalent in one borough, according to a new report released by the city council’s Oversight and Investigation Divisions.
The “Plate and Switch” report, released on Thursday and found that the Bronx had the most ghost vehicles and were more likely to accrue more fines and serious traffic violations than other cars.
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, according to the report.
Between March and April 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.
In addition, 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.
“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,” Council speaker Adrienne Adams said. “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 investigation also 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.
“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,” Council Member Gale Brewer, Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Investigations, said. “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.”
You can read the full report here.
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