By Y.M. Lowy

New York lawmakers are reviewing a bill aimed at cracking down on drivers who intentionally avoid paying tolls on MTA bridges and tunnels. 

Tolls help fund the region’s transportation system, including subways, buses, commuter rails, and major crossings operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. In 2025 alone, about 340 million vehicles used these crossings, and tolls generated roughly $2.5 billion the year before.

Most drivers pay their tolls, but some avoid them on purpose. One common method involves “ghost plates,” where drivers cover, alter, or use fake license plates so toll cameras cannot identify the vehicle. Another group, known as persistent toll violators, simply ignore repeated toll bills and violation notices. Lost toll revenue from ghost plates alone has averaged about $42 million per year in recent years, while unpaid toll bills have climbed sharply.

State lawmakers already approved some enforcement changes in 2024, including stronger penalties for covering license plates and efforts to stop the online sale of plate-blocking products. The MTA also increased enforcement and created a task force with other agencies to target vehicles using ghost plates. These steps slowed the growth of toll evasion, but the problem has not gone away.

The new bill would expand enforcement tools. It would allow police to remove illegal plate covers, add license points for repeat plate violations, and give authorities more ways to collect unpaid tolls from repeat offenders. It would also close loopholes that allow drivers with suspended registrations to re-register vehicles under someone else’s name.

Officials say the proposed law targets drivers who repeatedly cheat the system—not people who accidentally miss a toll payment.