BILL NUMBER: S4977
SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to prohibiting the
sale of covered license plate frames
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
License plate covers are illegal in New York State and yet are still
available for sale. This bill prohibits their sale, aligning the sale of
the product with the law.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
section 1: amend general business law by adding a new section 391-s to
state that sales or giveaways of license plates covers are prohibited.
Section 2: this law will take effect immediately.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
License plate covers serve two purposes in New York State, they entrap
drivers who are not aware they are illegal, and they are also used to
obscure license plates so as to evade electronic tolls state-wide.
New York State drivers purchase license plate covers in New York State
in the belief that they are legal as they are for sale. Conventional
wisdom would lead a reasonable person to believe that if a product is
not legal, it would not be for sale. This amounts to the entrapment of a
driver that is stopped for a license plate cover and unaware that
products that cover license plates are not legal in NYS.
Additionally, license plates covers have become a tool for scofflaws to
evade tolls in a scheme costing New York State $100 million in lost
revenue annually. The sale or giveaway of these tolls must end. This
legislation prohibits their sales in the state.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2014: referred to economic development
2015/16: referred to economic development
2017/18: referred to economic development
2019/20: referred to economic development.
2023-2023: S8322 Comrie/ A4715 Steck
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Will add revenue to the state.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately