S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8880--A
I N S E N A T E
April 26, 2022
___________
Introduced by Sen. BROOKS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation -- commit-
tee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recom-
mitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to increasing
the penalties for purposefully obstructed license plates
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 5-a of section 401 of the vehicle and traffic
law is amended by adding a new paragraph d to read as follows:
D. IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON TO REGISTER, REREGISTER, RENEW,
REPLACE OR TRANSFER THE REGISTRATION, CHANGE THE NAME, ADDRESS OR OTHER
INFORMATION OF THE REGISTERED OWNER, OR CHANGE THE REGISTRATION CLASSI-
FICATION OF ANY VEHICLE WHOSE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IS ASSOCI-
ATED WITH A VEHICLE WHOSE REGISTRATION HAS BEEN SUSPENDED, OR IS SUBJECT
TO A PENDING REQUEST FROM A TOLLING AUTHORITY TO SUSPEND THE REGISTRA-
TION, UNDER PARAGRAPH D OF SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION FIVE HUNDRED TEN
OF THIS CHAPTER AND 15 NYCRR 127.14. THE COMMISSIONER OR THE COMMISSION-
ER'S AGENT SHALL IMPOSE A VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER BLOCK AND DENY
THE REGISTRATION, REREGISTRATION, RENEWAL, REPLACEMENT OR TRANSFER OF
THE REGISTRATION FOR SUCH VEHICLE AND VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
UNTIL THE TOLLING AUTHORITY ADVISES, IN SUCH FORM AND MANNER AS THE
COMMISSIONER SHALL PRESCRIBE, THAT NOTICES OF VIOLATION HAVE BEEN
RESPONDED TO AND ANY UNPAID TOLLS, FEES OR OTHER CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH
THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER HAVE BEEN PAID TO THE
TOLLING AUTHORITY. WHERE AN APPLICATION IS DENIED PURSUANT TO THIS PARA-
GRAPH, THE COMMISSIONER MAY, IN THE COMMISSIONER'S DISCRETION, DENY A
REGISTRATION, REREGISTRATION, RENEWAL, REPLACEMENT OR TRANSFER OF THE
REGISTRATION FOR ANY OTHER MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE
APPLICANT WHERE THE COMMISSIONER HAS DETERMINED THAT SUCH REGISTRANT'S
INTENT HAS BEEN TO EVADE THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH AND WHERE THE
COMMISSIONER HAS REASONABLE GROUNDS TO BELIEVE THAT SUCH REGISTRATION,
REREGISTRATION, RENEWAL, REPLACEMENT OR TRANSFER OF REGISTRATION WILL
HAVE THE EFFECT OF DEFEATING THE PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH. SUCH VEHI-
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13211-04-2
S. 8880--A 2
CLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER BLOCK AND DENIAL SHALL ONLY REMAIN IN EFFECT
UNTIL THE TOLLING AUTHORITY ADVISES, IN SUCH FORM AND MANNER AS THE
COMMISSIONER SHALL PRESCRIBE, THAT NOTICES OF VIOLATION HAVE BEEN
RESPONDED TO AND ANY UNPAID TOLLS, FEES OR OTHER CHARGES ASSOCIATED WITH
THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER HAVE BEEN PAID TO THE
TOLLING AUTHORITY.
§ 2. Subdivision 8 of section 402 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
amended by chapter 451 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as
follows:
8. A violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not
less than twenty-five nor more than two hundred dollars, except that a
violation of subparagraph (ii) or subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (b) of
subdivision one of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not
less than fifty nor more than three hundred dollars. A POLICE OFFICER
AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-TWO OF THIS CHAPTER ACTING
PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL SEIZE AND CONFISCATE ANY COVERING AFFIXED
OVER THE NUMBER PLATES WHICH OBSCURES THE ABILITY TO EASILY READ SUCH
NUMBER PLATES AND IS MADE OF GLASS OR ANY PLASTIC MATERIAL, EXCEPT THAT
A VIOLATION OF PARAGRAPH (B) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE
PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF NOT LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS AND THE
OWNER OF THE VEHICLE WHO SUCH NUMBER PLATES WERE ISSUED SHALL HAVE ONE
WEEK FROM THE DATE SUCH VIOLATION IS ISSUED TO REMOVE ANY ARTIFICIAL OR
SYNTHETIC MATERIAL OR SUBSTANCE THAT CONCEALS OR OBSCURES SUCH NUMBER
PLATES OR TO PURCHASE NEW NUMBER PLATES.
§ 3. Section 510 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a
new subdivision 4-h to read as follows:
4-H. SUSPENSION OF REGISTRATION FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH REMOVING
ANY ARTIFICIAL OR SYNTHETIC MATERIAL OR SUBSTANCE THAT CONCEALS OR
OBSCURES NUMBER PLATES OR THE PURCHASE OF NEW NUMBER PLATES. UPON THE
RECEIPT OF A NOTIFICATION FROM A COURT OR AN ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL
THAT AN OWNER OF A MOTOR VEHICLE FAILED TO COMPLY WITH SUBDIVISION EIGHT
OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED TWO OF THIS CHAPTER, THE COMMISSIONER OR HIS OR
HER AGENT SHALL SUSPEND THE REGISTRATION OF THE VEHICLE INVOLVED IN THE
VIOLATION AND SUCH SUSPENSION SHALL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL SUCH TIME AS
THE COMMISSIONER IS ADVISED THAT THE OWNER OF SUCH VEHICLE HAS SATISFIED
THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUCH SUBDIVISION.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized to be made on or before such date.