Fans of the James Bond Aston Martin and other spy movie cars have likely seen the license plate flipper, an ingenious device used to evade the authorities and stay one step ahead of the bad guys. While it sounds like a fantasy, flippers are real and they raise some serious questions, especially when it comes to legality.
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License plate flippers do exactly what their name suggests: They flip the rear license plate, or the front plate if your state requires it, out of sight, and some can switch plates too. At the press of a button, the current plate rotates out of sight or is replaced, allowing the driver to avoid proper identification. While there is no nationwide ban on license plate flippers, it’s considered illegal throughout the country because plates cannot be altered or otherwise obstructed from view.
However, some states have passed laws specifically prohibiting these devices from being used, including Texas and Washington in 2013, with the latter carrying a 364 day jail sentence and $1,000 fine for the first offense, according to the Washington State Legislature. Pennsylvania and Tennessee followed suit in 2024, with similar fines and sentences, while cities like New York and Philadelphia are also addressing the issue. The state of Illinois began taking steps in April of 2025 to ban the devices as well.
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New York is fighting back against license plate flippers
Some shady drivers are using license plate flippers to dodge tolls and to avoid speed cameras, as well as traffic light cameras. They’re also being used to commit more serious crimes as well, and as we know, one offense typically leads to another.
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Known as “ghost cars,” vehicles with flippers have become a serious problem in New York, causing authorities to form a task force to fight back. They found that in 2023, obstructed license plates cost the state over $21 million just in tolls from the MTA Bridges and Tunnels agency alone. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey lost around $40 million for the same offense in 2022. Toll violations weren’t the only crimes discovered, however, as authorities also found that ghost cars were being utilized for gun trafficking.
While many states still do not have specific laws on how to directly deal with license plate flippers once the offenders are in court, that will likely change. As more cities and states push forward with their own targeted initiatives, the consequences of using such technology will undoubtedly become much harsher.
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