Syracuse, N.Y. — State police impounded 170 vehicles this fall and issued more than 1,000 tickets targeting toll evasion and illegal license plates on the Thruway, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday.
Enforcement occurred in Albany, Hudson Valley and Syracuse. Officers targeted drivers with suspended registrations, many of whom were bound over unpaid tolls, as well as vehicles with fraudulent or obscured number plates, often referred to as “ghost plates”.
Thirty vehicle owners whose cars were impounded owe nearly $82,000 in unpaid tolls and fees, according to the Thruway Authority. So far, about $38,000, or 46%, has been recovered from 16 vehicle owners.
“By eliminating persistent toll evaders, driving the Thruway system is fairer and more affordable for New Yorkers,” Hochul said in a statement.
The enforcement effort in the fall followed a similar campaign in the summer that resulted in 140 vehicles being sized and 711 tickets issued. A combination of summer and fall operations recovered $116,000 of the $207,000 owed to the Thruway Authority, officials said.
During the four fall operations, troopers issued tickets for a variety of offenses, including fraudulent or blocked license plates, speeding, distracted driving, seat belt violations and driving with expired licenses or registrations. Several arrests were also made for DUI, drug offenses and outstanding warrants.
In October in Syracuse, enforcement details on I-90 totaled 195 tickets issued. Sixty tickets were issued for license plate violations and 14 vehicles were impounded, including one for non-payment of tolls.
The crackdown comes as the state watchdog continues to examine how exactly tolls are collected under the state’s cashless toll system.
A September 2025 audit by Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found that the Thruway Authority generally bills drivers accurately and has improved its toll collection process since earlier audits, but found persistent problems that can lead to lost revenue or improper charges to motorists.
“The Thruway Authority has come a long way since it first implemented cashless tolling, but some issues remain,” DiNapoli said. “Even a smaller percentage of illegible or inaccurate tolls can mean lost revenue for the state or aggravation for New Yorkers who face incorrect bills.”
In 2024, the Thruway Authority reported $1 billion in tolls and related revenue, up from $804 million in 2021. E-ZPass accounted for 95 percent of tolls collected last year, according to the audit.
Auditors found that approximately 92,000 tolls could not be collected over a three-week period because the number plates were illegible. At one interchange near Schenectady, roughly 36,000 tolls were incorrectly billed and another 8,000 were missed entirely, resulting in an error rate of about 5 percent.
The audit also highlighted concerns over the oversight of more than 12,000 non-revenue E-ZPass tags and toll discounts. For a sample of 75 non-market brands, the Thruway Authority could not provide documentation supporting eligibility for 46 of them.
Auditors also found inconsistencies in how the Thruway Authority applied its own guidelines through the Office of the Toll Payer Advocate, which helps drivers resolve toll disputes.
In some cases, fee reductions exceeded established limits without sufficient documentation. The audit also cited problems with undeliverable toll bills and found that some notices continued to be sent to incorrect addresses, preventing drivers from paying on time and avoiding penalties.
The audit made nine recommendations aimed at improving toll accuracy, oversight and customer service. The Thruway Authority generally agreed with the findings and said it has already begun implementing several recommendations.
Officials stressed that drivers can avoid toll violations and registration suspensions by paying their bills on time through E-ZPass or Toll by Mail. Vehicles with suspended registration are subject to towing according to state law.
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