ALBANY, NY — Senator George Borrello (R,C-Sunset Bay) and Assemblyman Scott Gray (R-Watertown) are calling on the chairs of the Senate and Assembly Transportation Committees to convene a joint public hearing to investigate the alarming rise of license plate fraud across New York State.

In a formal letter sent this week to Senator Jeremy Cooney and Assemblymember William Magnarelli, the lawmakers described a troubling and increasingly common issue in which properly surrendered license plate numbers, meant to be permanently retired, are showing up again on vehicles, particularly in the New York City area. Victims have reported receiving toll violations, E-ZPass bills, and even visits from law enforcement tied to plates they had legally turned in months or even years earlier.

“This is not an isolated issue; it’s a statewide failure that is putting innocent people through financial and legal turmoil,” said Senator Borrello. “After being scammed by criminals, these innocent New Yorkers have been victimized all over again by a bureaucracy that seems unwilling or unable to stop it. We owe it to them to get answers and demand accountability.”

“It is absolutely unacceptable that our constituents are facing toll violations, E-ZPass bills, and even registration suspensions over license plates they legally surrendered. This administrative oversight is creating a massive headache and real distress for victims, and we must take immediate action to permanently retire plate numbers and protect our citizens from this troubling fraud,” said Assemblyman Gray.

A series of investigative reports by Buffalo-based TV station, WIVB, has brought the issue to public attention, profiling victims from Western New York who have been hit with thousands of dollars in fraudulent fines. One Jamestown couple was charged nearly $10,000 in tolls tied to a plate they had surrendered long ago. In another case, a resident was mistakenly linked to a downstate criminal offense committed using a plate number that was supposed to be out of use. 

Despite repeated inquiries to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), state officials have been unable to explain how these surrendered plate numbers are being re-used by bad actors. DMV officials claim their system marks surrendered plates as inactive, but mounting evidence suggests serious lapses in chain of custody, recordkeeping, or data security.

Borrello and Gray have introduced legislation to strengthen penalties for license plate fraud but note the scale and complexity of the issue call for broader legislative scrutiny. They are urging the Transportation Committees to schedule a public hearing when the Legislature reconvenes in January to gather testimony from affected residents, DMV officials, law enforcement, and tolling entities. 

“The rampant issue of fraudulent license plate use demands tough action to protect law-abiding citizens. By strengthening penalties—making the sale or use of stolen and fraudulent plates a serious felony offense—we are sending a clear message: we will not tolerate criminal activity that results in harassment, fines, and heartache for our constituents. This measure is about ensuring justice and safety for the people of New York,” said Assemblyman Gray. 

“This isn’t just a technical glitch; it’s a broken system that is damaging lives and eroding public trust,” Borrello said. “We need to find out where the system is failing and fix it.”