NEW YORK, NY — Drivers who ignore toll-by-mail invoices owe nearly $350 million in unpaid tolls, more than double the amount recorded three years ago, according to a new analysis from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The agency found unpaid tolls from mailed invoices climbed from $147 million in 2022 to nearly $350 million.
The report states the growing gap stems from drivers who simply ignore bills sent after toll cameras capture vehicles without valid electronic payments.
The analysis appeared in an MTA policy brief outlining proposals aimed at reducing toll evasion and closing loopholes that allow repeat offenders to avoid penalties.
One proposal centers on legislation in Albany, New York that would give police officers the power to confiscate illegal license plate covers used to obscure plates from toll cameras.
The bills, sponsored by Andrew Gounardes in the state Senate and Landon Dais in the Assembly, would also impose license points on drivers caught three times within five years with obstructed or defaced plates.
The measures would expand on existing enforcement efforts by the MTA, including operations targeting vehicles with covered or altered plates.
Those “ghost plates” cost the agency about $56 million in lost toll revenue last year, slightly less than the previous year but far above losses recorded in 2018.
Transit officials say enforcement against plate fraud alone will not solve the broader problem if drivers continue ignoring mailed invoices.
The proposed legislation would allow the MTA to place liens on bank accounts or property belonging to repeat offenders until tolls are paid. It would also authorize the agency’s bridge and tunnel police to enforce judgments, a task currently handled by the New York City Sheriff’s Office.
The agency says it is targeting drivers who accumulate three or more violation notices within five years. Those notices are issued only after a toll bill remains unpaid for 90 days.
Officials described those drivers as chronic evaders rather than motorists who accidentally miss a payment.
Another provision would classify toll evasion as theft of services, a Class A misdemeanor, placing it on the same legal footing as subway and bus fare evasion.
Lawmakers are also considering a measure to close a loophole involving suspended vehicle registrations. Under current rules, drivers with suspended registrations can avoid penalties by replacing their license plates. The proposed legislation would instead link toll suspensions to a vehicle’s identification number, preventing any re-registration tied to that vehicle until the tolls are paid.
Despite the proposals, the MTA faces resistance from lawmakers.
In 2024, state leaders and Kathy Hochul included several anti–toll evasion measures in the state budget after the agency requested them. Those changes increased fines for defaced plates and allowed officers to give drivers the option to remove plate covers instead of issuing penalties.
Other proposals, including allowing police to seize illegal plate covers, were not included in the final budget.
Advocates say the remaining loopholes allow many drivers to avoid meaningful penalties.
“Albany’s purported ‘crack-down’ on ghost plates in 2024 was deliberately riddled with loopholes that allow toll-evaders who get caught to easily avoid fines or punishment,” said Rachael Fauss, senior policy adviser at Reinvent Albany.
“They just have to show they have ‘fixed’ the problem and are now using a real, unmarred plate,” Fauss said. “This is like allowing bank robbers to walk free if they return the loot.”