New York City, Amazon Partner On ‘Ghost Vehicles’ Crackdown

As part of a collaboration with New York City, giant retailer Amazon said it will proactively restrict the sale of smokescreen license plate covers and tinted license plate covers to customers with a New York state address. Amazon said it will also automatically display notices that these products cannot be shipped to New York locations.

The arrangement is part of a crackdown by Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) on “ghost vehicles” that use “camera blockers” to conceal or obscure their license plates.

In January 2022, the city enacted a law prohibiting the sale of “camera blocker” products. According to the city, despite the law, companies have continued to sell these products to New York City residents who use them to hide illegal and counterfeit license plates.

According to officials, ghost vehicles are fueling an epidemic of virtually untraceable cars that harm and kill pedestrians, bicyclists and others. Officials say obstructed license plates are often used to avoid speed and red-light cameras, resulting in upticks in dangerous traffic violations and convincing drivers they can evade accountability.

In the first seven months of 2022, the NYPD reported arresting more than 2,700 vehicle operators driving with forged license plates.

“Ghost cars are by design unsafe and untraceable, so in addition to finding and towing them, we’re going to stop them from appearing in the first place,” Adams said.