Governor Hochul’s Annual Plate Check Operation Returns With Record Enforcement and Rising Revenue for the State
The 2026 operation follows a 250 percent increase in tickets and new toll increases on the Cuomo Bridge (formerly the Tappan Zee Bridge)
Operation Plate Check and the Cost of Getting to Work
Governor Hochul announced the third annual Operation Plate Check on May 2, 2026, a week-long initiative running through May 9, coordinating the State Police, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Thruway Authority, and local law enforcement to crack down on fraudulent license plates and reckless driving across New York’s highways, bridges, and tunnels.” [1]
The operation has grown significantly since its launch. In 2024, the first year, State Police issued 945 tickets for license plate violations. In 2025, that number rose to 3,308, a 250 percent increase, with troopers also issuing 83 tickets for suspended registrations and recovering 14 stolen vehicles. [1] At a conservatively estimated average of $150 per fine [2] plus $90 in mandatory state surcharges [3], 3,308 tickets represent approximately $790,000 in revenue from a single week of enforcement. [4] This figure does not include fines for aggressive driving or Move Over Law violations issued during the same operation, nor does it account for back tolls, administrative fees, or registration suspension penalties assessed separately by the Thruway Authority, DMV, or courts.
The operation also enforces the Move Over Law, which was originally enacted in 2010 after police officers and emergency workers were struck and killed by passing traffic on highway shoulders. [5] In March 2024, the Governor expanded the law to cover all vehicles stopped on the shoulder of any roadway, regardless of whether they are emergency vehicles and regardless of whether their lights are flashing. [6] A driver who does not slow down or move over when passing a car with a flat tire now faces a fine of up to $150, a mandatory surcharge of $88 or $93, and two points on their license. [7] These tickets are issued during Operation Plate Check and counted in the same enforcement statistics. [1]
The Cuomo Bridge, which connects Rockland County to Westchester County, currently charges $7.25 per crossing with E-ZPass and $12.69 without. [8] Annual increases of $0.50 to the base E-ZPass toll began in 2024 and continue each year through 2027, when the rate will reach $7.75. [9] A Rockland County resident who commutes five days a week currently pays $36.25 per week in bridge tolls at the E-ZPass rate, $150 to $160 per month, and approximately $1,800 per year, rising to $38.75 per week, $160 to $170 per month, and approximately $1,940 per year by 2027. [10]
The Thruway Authority uses the toll revenue to service its debt, maintain its infrastructure, and fund its operations. [11] The state collects the fine and surcharge revenue, which is deposited in the state general fund, the criminal justice improvement account, and the indigent legal services fund. [13] The drivers use the road to get to work.
Endnotes
[1] Governor Hochul’s announcement of Operation Plate Check 2026, including the agencies involved, scope, and prior year enforcement statistics (945 tickets in 2024; 3,308 tickets in 2025; 83 suspended registration tickets; 14 stolen vehicles recovered): Rockland Daily, “Governor Hochul Announces Statewide Crackdown on Fake License Plates and Reckless Driving,” May 2, 2026. https://www.rocklanddaily.com/news/governor-hochul-announces-statewide-crackdown-on-fake-license-plates-and-reckless-driving
[2] VTL 402(8), as amended by Subpart A of Part WW of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2024, effective September 1, 2024: minimum fine of $100, maximum fine of $500 for violations related to obscured, covered, or fraudulent license plates. New York State DMV Advisory P-8/M-8 (2024), August 23, 2024. https://www.ejustice.ny.gov/LawEnforcement/docs/dmv/P8M82024.pdf. See also Adirondack Daily Enterprise, “Obstructed license plate sanctions get tougher,” September 16, 2024. https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/opinion/columns/safety-on-the-roads-by-dave-werner/2024/09/obstructed-license-plate-sanctions-get-tougher/
[3] Mandatory state surcharge of $88 or $93 on traffic violations: Law Office of James Lynch and Associates, “Move Over Law NY.” https://trafficticket-ny.com/new-york/traffic-tickets/move-over-law/
[4] Revenue estimate of approximately $790,000: author’s calculation. 3,308 tickets at a blended average of $150 per fine (conservative midpoint within the $100 to $500 statutory range) plus $90 in surcharges equals approximately $240 per ticket, multiplied by 3,308 tickets. This figure is a floor estimate. It does not include Move Over Law fines, aggressive driving fines, back tolls, administrative fees, or penalties assessed by the Thruway Authority, DMV, or courts outside the ticketing process.
[5] The Move Over Law (VTL 1144-a), the Ambrose-Searles Move Over Act, took effect January 1, 2011 and was named in honor of Trooper Robert W. Ambrose and Onondaga County Sheriff Deputy Glenn M. Searles, both killed by passing vehicles while stopped on the shoulder in the line of duty. The law was amended in 2012 to include hazard vehicles displaying amber lights: Law Office of Terri B. Kalker, “The Expanded New York Move Over Law: A Comprehensive Guide,” March 28, 2024. https://www.ticketdefendersny.com/the-expanded-new-york-move-over-law-a-comprehensive-guide. See also Attack That Ticket, “Move Over Law,” September 5, 2019. https://www.attackthatticket.com/nys-move-over-law/
[6] Expansion of the Move Over Law to all vehicles stopped on the roadside, effective March 27, 2024: NYTrafficTicket.com, “New York’s Move Over Law (NY VTL 1144-A) Expanded,” November 13, 2024. https://nytrafficticket.com/new-yorks-move-over-law-ny-vtl-1144-a-expanded/
[7] Move Over Law fine of up to $150 for a first offense, surcharge of $88 or $93, and 2 points on the driver’s license: Benjamin Goldman Law Office, “VTL 1144-a(a).” https://www.benjamingoldmanlawoffice.com/ny-vehicle-traffic-laws/move-over-law-vtl-1144aa.html. See also Rosenblum Law, “Move Over Law in NY - VTL 1144-a(a),” January 6, 2025. https://traffictickets.com/new-york/traffic-tickets/move-over-law-1144-aa/
[8] Current Cuomo Bridge toll of $7.25 (E-ZPass) and $12.69 (Tolls by Mail): New York State Thruway Authority, “Incentive Pricing Toll Schedules - Cashless Tolling,” 2026. https://www.thruway.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2025-12/2026-incentive-tolls-charts.pdf
[9] Annual $0.50 increases to base NY E-ZPass toll rates on the Cuomo Bridge through 2027, reaching $7.75: New York State Thruway Authority, “Thruway Toll Adjustment.” https://www.thruway.ny.gov/news/adjustment/index.html. Separately, a system-wide 5 percent increase to the Thruway’s per-mile E-ZPass rate, from 4.5 cents to 4.9 cents per mile, takes effect January 1, 2027 and applies to Thruway mainline mileage beyond the bridge. See also Thruway Authority Press Release, December 29, 2023. https://www.thruway.ny.gov/news/pressrel/2023/12/2023-12-29-toll-adjustment.html
[10] Commuter cost estimates: author’s calculation. The Cuomo Bridge toll is collected southbound only. At the current E-ZPass rate of $7.25 per crossing, five crossings per week: $7.25 x 5 = $36.25 per week. Monthly estimate based on an average of 4.33 weeks per month: $36.25 x 4.33 = $156.96, rounded to approximately $150 to $160 depending on the month. Annual estimate based on 50 working weeks: $7.25 x 5 x 50 = $1,812.50, rounded to approximately $1,800. At the 2027 E-ZPass rate of $7.75: $7.75 x 5 = $38.75 per week; $38.75 x 4.33 = $167.79, rounded to approximately $160 to $170; $7.75 x 5 x 50 = $1,937.50, rounded to approximately $1,940. These estimates do not include additional per-mile Thruway tolls, commuter discount programs (40 percent for qualifying commuters), or the Rockland/Westchester resident discount (20 percent). A commuter enrolled in the resident discount program pays approximately $5.80 per crossing as of 2026. The 2027 E-ZPass bridge rate of $7.75 is published by the Thruway Authority: The Hudson Independent, “Toll Increases Revealed for Gov. Mario Cuomo Bridge,” April 25, 2023. https://thehudsonindependent.com/toll-increases-revealed-for-gov-mario-cuomo-bridge/
[11] The Thruway Authority describes itself as receiving “no dedicated federal, state or local tax dollars” and operating as a “user-fee supported roadway”: New York State Thruway Authority, “Thruway Toll Adjustment.” https://www.thruway.ny.gov/news/adjustment/index.html
[12] New York State Police, “State Police issue more than 27,000 tickets during ‘Speed Week’ crackdown,” June 23, 2025 (contains 2024 Move Over Law ticket breakout of 499 during Speed Week). https://troopers.ny.gov/news/state-police-issue-more-27000-tickets-during-speed-week-crackdown
[13] VTL 1809, “Mandatory Surcharge and Crime Victim Assistance Fee Required in Certain Cases,” directing surcharge revenue to the state general fund. https://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/vat/title-9/article-45/1809/. See also Fiscal Policy Institute, “New York State Fine and Fee Revenue Lacks Transparency,” May 2021. https://fiscalpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/New-York-State-Fine-and-Fee-Revenue-Lacks-Transparency-1.pdf