BILL NUMBER: S6158A
SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to radio-fre-
quency identification (RFID) tags
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To create a system of vehicle registration and tracking that uses radio
frequency identification (RFID) technology.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill amends Article 1 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law
by adding a new section 105-c which defines a radio-frequency identifi-
cation (RFID) tag.
Section two of the bill amends section 401 of the Vehicle and Traffic
Law by requiring that vehicle registration stickers, called "date tags"
in VTL § 491, employ the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID)
technology.
Section three of the bill sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology allows for a tag (tran-
sponder) to be affixed to an object for tracking without the need for
physical contact or a direct line of sight. E-ZPass uses RFID technology
to wirelessly collect vehicle specific information and tolls from driv-
ers using their systems at bridges, tunnels, and thruways. Despite the
technology being available, New York still largely relies on visual
capture and manual stops for red light cameras, automated speeding,
parking, and toll enforcement. As a result, obstructed "ghost" license
plates from drivers that seek to evade fines, suspensions, and legal
accountability remain a growing source of revenue loss. According to a
2024 study from Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, an estimated
$200 million in revenue is lost annually in New York City alone due to
ghost plates.
Using RFID technology for vehicle registration allows the state to
combat the issue of obstructed license plates by enabling automated toll
and enforcement cameras to scan an RFID tag and match it to a Vehicle
Identification Number and identifying driver information, bypassing the
need for the camera to attempt to read and decipher a license plate
number, which may be covered, tampered with, or removed altogether.
Furthermore, cameras enforcing parking adherence and red light
violations would be equipped with RFID readers to pinpoint vehicles that
choose to disregard traffic law.
While someone can always remove an RFID tag from their windshield, this
bill requires that they be visually conspicuous enough that ticketing
agents and DMV-licensed inspection stations can easily tell when one is
missing from a vehicle. Most RFID tags are designed to be difficult to
un-stick once adhered onto a surface, meaning they cannot be removed
without destroying the tag itself. Compared to the ease with which driv-
ers can cover or distort a license plate, the design of RFID tags create
a greater disincentive to tampering as removals cannot be easily reat-
tached. On the technological end, compromising the integrity of an RFID
tag is unlikely; when used in tolling systems, RFID tag data is
encrypted meaning only an RFID reader with the encryption key can decode
and view such data. Attempting to subvert an RFID through technological
means would require a degree of cyber prowess that the average driver
does not possess, making it a tactic much less widely pursued than the
low-tech solution of a license plate cover. Employing RFID technology in
vehicle registration is a common sense solution that recaptures lost
tolling revenue, decreases administrative burden, and keeps our streets
safe.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
The act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law

Statutes affected:
S6158: 401 vehicle and traffic law, 401(3) vehicle and traffic law
S6158A: 401 vehicle and traffic law, 401(3) vehicle and traffic law