Ghost Car Update: 2,100 Vehicles Seized in 2025

The MTA and various law enforcement officials gave a broad update on their “ghost car” crackdown on Tuesday, August 19, in order to commemorate the 100th operation of a task force that began in March 2024. Ghost cars are vehicles that either have obstructed or altered license plates, in order to evade tolls or scrutiny by the authorities.

At a press conference held at the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge–which snakes through Randall’s Island, connecting northern Manhattan to Queens and the Bronx–officials announced that 2,100 ghost cars have been seized statewide in 2025, out of a total of 5,300 that have been impounded since the task force began. A total of 16,000 summonses have reportedly been issued over the course of the crackdown.

A spokesperson for the MTA told Straus News that the task force does not collect data on a borough-by-borough basis, meaning it can’t be ascertained how many of these seizures took place in Manhattan.

Law enforcement officials touted the use of drones as “aerial license plate” readers in connection with the crackdown, explaining that they feed license plate numbers into a system that identifies “PTVs” (Persistent Toll Violators). Officials have also set up “mobile trailers” in order to identify ghost cars, which are “strategically” deployed near bridge and tunnel infrastructure, where tolls are collected.

”Your strong coordination and dedication in targeting ghost cars–vehicles with fraudulent, altered, obstructed or missing license plates–has delivered real results, increasing accountability in our facilities and in our streets, and improving safety,” MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Catherine Sheridan told as assembled array of law enforcement officers. She also thanked MTA Chief Janno Lieber and Governor Kathy Hochul, who were not present, for “steadfast leadership.”

”These joint operations have led to the recovery of millions of dollars...and many of these cars were not just toll evaders,” Sheridan added. “They were unregistered, uninsured, stolen, and used in more serious crimes–including those involving firearms and narcotics.”

Sheridan also said that the crackdown was essential for “revenue recovery,” as “every [toll] dollar recovered” by the task force is used by the MTA for “maintaining and operating the critical infrastructure that millions of New Yorkers rely on every day.”

NYPD Chief of Transportation Olufunmilola F. Obe spoke next, calling ghost cars a “plague” that enable the avoidance of red-light and speed cameras. She added that ghost cars “make it hard to report hit-and-runs, reckless driving, and traffic infractions.”

Prominent officials that didn’t attend the event, such as Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, provided statements on the ongoing crackdown to the press.

“Ghost cars aren’t just illegal – they are a public safety threat,” Tisch said. “I am grateful to every state and local agency that has stood with us in making sure all drivers understand the rules of the road.”

“New Yorkers deserve streets that are safe for families and communities, and that’s what this multi-agency city-state task force has helped deliver for more than a year,” Adams said. “Those violating the law know that the days of ‘anything goes’ are over.”