What's happening
This bill increases fines for violations involving number plates on toll highways, bridges, and tunnels to $100-$500.
Why it matters
Targets Evasion of Toll Payments. By raising fines specifically for violations involving number plates at toll facilities, the bill aims to deter drivers from obscuring, altering, or failing to display plates to avoid tolls, which can undermine transportation funding.
Increases Enforcement Incentive. Higher penalties could encourage law enforcement and toll operators to more actively pursue and penalize violations, potentially leading to greater compliance and more reliable toll revenue for infrastructure maintenance.
Creates a Distinct Category for Toll Facility Violations. The new language separates violations at toll highways, bridges, and tunnels from other number plate offenses, signaling that the state considers toll evasion a more serious issue deserving higher penalties.
Potential Impact on Drivers. The increased fines may act as a stronger deterrent but could also have significant financial consequences for individuals who are caught violating number plate regulations at toll facilities, underscoring the importance of proper plate display.
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Who cares
Drivers using toll highways, bridges and tunnels
The bill would raise fines for number-plate violations at those facilities from $25–$200 to $100–$500.
Commercial vehicle operators using toll facilities
Number-plate violations involving their vehicles on toll highways, bridges or tunnels would carry the higher fine range.
Police and courts handling traffic violations
The bill would establish a separate penalty range for number-plate violations on toll facilities while leaving the existing range in place elsewhere.
Headline styles
Increase Toll Plate Fines
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 38
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3481
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 7, 2019
Introduced by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to violations concerning number plates on a toll highway, bridge and/or tunnel facility
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 402 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 61 of the laws of 1989 and as renumbered by chapter 648 of the laws of 2006, is amended and a new subdivision 9 is added to read as follows:
8. [The] Except as provided in subdivision nine of this section, the violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not less than twenty-five nor more than two hundred dollars.
9. The violation of this section on a toll highway, bridge and/or tunnel facility shall be punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06238-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to violations concerning number plates on a toll highway, bridge and/or tunnel facility
Purpose
To provide increased fines for violations of the law relating to number plates on vehicles for violations occurring on a toll highway, bridge and/or tunnel facility.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Adds a new subdivision 9 to section 402 of the vehicle and traffic law to provide that any violation of this section on a toll highway, bridge and/or tunnel facility shall be punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars. This section also makes a corresponding technical amendment to subdivision 8 of section 402.
Section 2. Effective date.
Existing law
Existing law provides fines of not less than twenty-five nor more than two hundred dollars for violations relating to number plates.
Justification
Several public authorities in Nenò York have implemented the electronic toll collection system commonly referred to as E-ZPass. The E-ZPass system has increased customer convenience while reducing travel time, fuel consumption and potential back-ups at toll plazas for the ThruWay Authority and other public authorities. While the benefits of E-ZPass are numerous, it does provide opportunities for abuse. Those who are not E-ZPass subscribers can evade tolls by driving through lanes designated for that purpose.
This bill addresses the increasing problem of motorists using special devices designed specifically to hide or shield a person's license plate from the view of the cameras that are used for toll collection enforce- ment by establishing higher fines for the use of such devices on a toll highway, bridge and/or tunnel facility.
Legislative history
2017-18: S381 - PASSED SENATE 2015-16: S2019 - Passed Senate/delivered to assembly 2014: S7603 - Transportation Committee
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.