New York S 5863: Relates to bystander reporting of stolen, false or fraudulent license plates

Bill Text

Bill Search and Legislative Information | New York State Assembly 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

 Skip to main content 

 New York State Assembly

 Speaker Carl E. Heastie

 --> 
 --> 

 --> 

• 
 Assembly Members 

• 
 Legislative Info 

• 
 Public Hearings 

• 
 Speaker's Press 

• 
 Assembly Reports 

• 
 Committees & More 

• Bill Search Home
• Laws
• Legislative Calendar
• Public Hearing Schedule
• Assembly Calendars
• Assembly Committee Agenda 

 Javascript must be enabled to properly view this page. 

 Bill No.: 

• Summary 
• Actions 
• Committee&nbspVotes 
• Floor&nbspVotes 
• Memo 
• Text 
• LFIN 
• Chamber&nbspVideo/Transcript 
S05863 Summary:

BILL NOS05863 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

&nbsp

SPONSORGOUNARDES

&nbsp

COSPNSRHOYLMAN-SIGAL, KRUEGER, SALAZAR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §§392-a & 402, V & T L

&nbsp

Directs municipalities to create a program for bystander reporting of stolen, false or fraudulent license plates.

Go to top S05863 Actions:

BILL NOS05863 

&nbsp

03/03/2025REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

Go to topS05863 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS05863 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS05863 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 5863

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 March 3, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. GOUNARDES, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, KRUEGER, SALAZAR -- read
 twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the
 Committee on Transportation

 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to bystander
 reporting of stolen, false or fraudulent license plates

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Section 392-a of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by
 2 chapter 307 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows:
 3 § 392-a. Sale or purchase of stolen, false or fraudulent license,
 4 identification card, certificate of registration, or number plate. 1. A
 5 person who knowingly sells or offers to sell or buys or offers to buy a
 6 false, fraudulent or stolen license, identification card, certificate of
 7 registration or number plate, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor as a
 8 first offense and a class E felony as a second or subsequent offense
 9 committed within ten years of the prior offense.
 10 2. (a) For the purposes of this subdivision, the following definitions
 11 shall apply:
 12 (i) "Bystander" shall mean any natural person, other than a police
 13 officer or other governmental employee authorized to serve summons for a
 14 violation of this section, who observes a number plate on a motor vehi-
 15 cle that such person believes to be stolen, false, and/or fraudulent and
 16 reports such believed violation to the local enforcement authority
 17 pursuant to the provisions of this section.
 18 (ii) "Local enforcement authority" shall mean any police department or
 19 other governmental entity designated by a municipality to enforce the
 20 provisions of this chapter.
 21 (iii) "Municipality" shall mean a county outside the city of New York,
 22 or a city, town, or village.
 23 (b) Each municipality in this state shall create a program in which a
 24 bystander may report to the local enforcement authority a number plate

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD07805-01-5

 S. 5863 2

 1 that such person believes to be stolen, false, and/or fraudulent on a
 2 form prescribed by such municipality. The municipality shall make avail-
 3 able and post online information describing such program and all details
 4 that the local enforcement authority deems necessary and relevant to
 5 include in a bystander report which may include, but not be limited to,
 6 time and date verification, make, model, and color of the motor vehicle,
 7 license plate number, and issuing state. Such information shall include
 8 guidance on gathering supporting documentation and shall clearly
 9 describe anticipated timelines for the investigation of such alleged
 10 violation and issuance of fines.
 11 (c) Any bystander who has served a complaint upon a local enforcement
 12 authority, pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subdivision, shall receive
 13 twenty-five percent of the proceeds of any fine, issued under article
 14 eighty of the penal law, for disclosure of information or evidence not
 15 in the possession of such authority prior to the receipt of the
 16 bystander's complaint which leads to a conviction of the offense
 17 described in subdivision one of this section.
 18 (d) A municipality may enter into a joint service agreement, consist-
 19 ent with section one hundred nineteen-o of the general municipal law,
 20 with another municipality in order to effectuate the provisions of this
 21 section.
 22 § 2. Section 402 of the vehicle