With congestion pricing now in effect, there’s a new crackdown on toll evaders.

“Avoiding the tolls is like people jumping the turnstiles. Same thing,” said one driver who drives into Manhattan every day for work.

Mayor Eric Adams issued a stern warning to drivers who alter or obstruct their license plates, or use ghost plates, in an attempt to avoid the $9 toll for entering Manhattan below 60th Street.

“Bad guys are so tricky in everything they do,” Adams said. “There is going to be an entirely new industry on how to evade tolls. That’s just ingenuity of mankind, of humankind. And so, DOT, NYPD, they’ll do their job to crack down on those who are enforcing.”

The Transportation Department and NYPD proposed a new rule that requires valid plates be properly displayed and fastened, and be free of dirt, rust, glass, or plastic coverings. Also, no vehicle can be parked with a cover that obscures the VIN, registration, or inspection stickers. Parking with an obstructed plate could result in a $50 fine.

Officials say they’ve removed 73,000 ghost cars, as well as 27,000 unregistered e-scooters and e-bikes, from city streets since Mayor Adams took office. Additionally, 7,500 ghost cars were removed in 2024 alone. Under state law, drivers who obscure their plates could be fined up to $500.

“There’s always gonna be someone trying to circumvent the system and we have to do everything possible to catch them, make sure the laws allow for the confiscation of vehicles if needed, make sure the penalties are severe enough so it will deter them from doing it,” Adams said.

New Yorkers will have a chance to comment on the proposed rules at a public hearing on Feb. 6.