License Plate Fraud bill gets sponsor in Assembly

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A bill has been introduced in the New York State Assembly to address license plate fraud.

State Assembly Member Scott Gray from Upstate New York is sponsoring a bill (A09122) that would increase penalties for license plate fraud from a misdemeanor to a low-level felony.

Assembly Member Gray, a Republican from Watertown, is the sponsor of the bill. It’s the same piece of legislation (S08506) that State Senator George Borrello has already introduced in direct response to our reporting on license plate fraud, which has highlighted the struggles local drivers have faced in getting bogus toll bills even though they’ve surrendered their license plates, thinking their old license plate number would never be used again.

“The current law is a misdemeanor, but from what I’m told, it’s rare that anyone gets jail time, it’s rare that anyone gets any significant fine. For the most part, your first time around if you are using a fraudulent plate you’re probably walking with a slap on the wrist. That has to change,” Borrello said.

The proposed law would increase the penalty for license plate fraud on the first offense from a misdemeanor to a Class E felony, punishable up to one year behind bars and a fine not less than $500. For a second offense, license plate fraud would move to a Class D felony, punishable up to three years in prison, a fine of at least $1,000, plus the driver’s license would be suspended for at least a year.

For any piece of legislation to make its way to Gov. Kathy Hochul, it needs to be introduced in the Senate and the Assembly.

That has now happened.

The Governor’s Office says the governor would review the legislation if it passes the Assembly and the Senate. The new session for state lawmakers begins in January.

“The governor needs to recognize that this is a problem that we have not fully addressed, that there are loopholes in the system that are being exploited and that ultimately, on top of the harsher penalties that we in the Legislature can pass into law, that she needs to be cognizant of the fact that people are indeed becoming victims of New York State’s rules and regulations,” Borrello said.

Borrello’s bill is in part motivated by the experience of Erik Anderson and Amanda Griffin.

The bill states: “Their story highlights the urgent need for stronger enforcement mechanisms and harsher penalties for repeat offenders who exploit gaps in the system to harm innocent individuals.”

Borrello says he believes the issue of license plate fraud is coordinated with congestion pricing in New York City, where it costs additional tolls to enter certain areas of Manhattan.