Illustration by Martin Schapiro

GHOST TAGS

Inside New York City’s Black Market
for Temporary License Plates

Editing: Gersh Kuntzman
Design: Angel Mendoza
Illustration: Martin Schapiro
Photography: Johnny Milano
Additional reporting: Blake Aued

Parts 1 through 3 co-published with New Jersey Monitor
‘Duped’ co-published with Motherboard

Click here for a PDF of this series

 

Part 1: The Dealers

Used car dealers have exploited loose state regulations to fraudulently issued temporary license plates, which flow through a thriving black market to drivers who use them to skirt accountability on the road. (April 3, 2023)

 

Part 2: The Landlords

Vast numbers of temporary license plates trace back to a network of warehouses and office buildings across Georgia and New Jersey that each serve as the business address of dozens or even hundreds of enigmatic used car dealers. (April 4, 2023)

 

Part 3: The Buyers

Motorists in New York City and across the country have turned to fraudulent temporary license plates to drive without car insurance or valid licenses, to skirt tolls, taxes and fees, or to commit more serious crimes on the road with their identities concealed. (April 5, 2023)

 

‘Duped’

Kareem found out the hard way that his Craigslist gig delivering temp tags was illegal. Now he's exposing the operation that employed him, revealing clues about his anonymous bosses that all trace back to the same place. (June 9, 2023)