A routine evening drive along Route 20 in Central New York ended with a tow truck instead of a trip home. New York State Police say a trooper stopped a Jeep in the town of LaFayette on Thursday night after noticing the license plates did not match the vehicle.
When the trooper looked closer at the windshield, the usual state inspection and registration stickers were missing. In their place were homemade versions, drawn by hand with pen, marker and crayon. The sketches included dates, numbers and phrases meant to mimic official wording. Creativity, it turned out, was not enough to keep the Jeep on the road.
How did a routine traffic stop in LaFayette uncover fake car paperwork?
State Police report that the traffic stop began as a standard case of switched plates: the Jeep was displaying license plates registered to a 2011 Chevrolet Express van. During the stop on Route 20 in LaFayette, the trooper noticed that the inspection and registration stickers on the windshield looked off.
According to police accounts, the stickers appeared to be hand drawn with a mix of pen, marker and crayon. They included expiration dates, numbers and wording similar to “New York State Safety Emissions,” but key details such as barcodes and printed vehicle information were replaced by scribbles and thick black lines. The vehicle was taken off the road after the discovery, ending the experiment in do-it-yourself documentation.
What charges is the LaFayette driver facing for the fake stickers?
Troopers identified the driver as 50-year-old Gregory T. Cawley of LaFayette, New York. Police say he was behind the wheel of the Jeep when the mismatched plates and fake stickers were found.
Cawley received several traffic tickets and the Jeep was towed from the scene. The citations, as listed by State Police, are summarized below.
| Alleged violation | What it means for drivers |
| Operating a motor vehicle without inspection | Driving without a valid New York safety inspection, which must be renewed at least every 12 months at a DMV-licensed station. |
| Operating an unregistered vehicle | The vehicle was not properly registered with the state at the time of the stop. |
| Improper plates | License plates on the Jeep were registered to a different vehicle, a 2011 Chevrolet Express van. |
| Unlicensed operation | Driving without a valid driver license, according to police. |
| No left side view mirror | The Jeep was allegedly missing the required driver-side mirror, which New York rules say must be present on most vehicles. |
| Exhaust system equipment violation | Police reported a problem with the exhaust system, which must meet safety standards under state inspection rules. |
For most drivers, that list translates into court dates, fines and possibly higher insurance bills, all over paperwork that could have been handled at a licensed inspection station or DMV office.
Why does New York insist on official inspection and registration stickers?
Under New York law, every vehicle registered in the state has to pass a safety inspection at least once every 12 months at a DMV-licensed station. After the inspection, the station issues an official sticker that proves the vehicle met safety and, when required, emissions standards.
Inspectors check basics that matter in everyday driving: brakes, seat belts, lights, mirrors, fuel leaks and more. If the car does not pass, the owner receives a rejection notice and is expected to repair the problems and return for another inspection. The DMV also ties inspection records to registration, using a system that can block registration renewal if there is no valid inspection on file.
Registration documents serve a different purpose, linking the vehicle to its owner and to valid insurance. Fake or swapped plates can hide who is responsible for tolls, tickets or crashes, which is why troopers pay close attention when something on the plate or sticker does not look right.
This case also comes after other incidents in New York where drivers tried to bluff their way through enforcement with homemade paperwork. In 2022, troopers in the Southern Tier found a fake inspection sticker where the official text was replaced by a handwritten complaint about having no money and caring for a baby, instead of paying for repairs and inspection.
A 2016 case in western New York involved a woman driving with a license plate made of painted cardboard, which led to a felony forgery charge.
How can New York drivers avoid inspection and registration trouble?
Most drivers just want to get through inspection, avoid tickets and not spend a whole day at the DMV. State rules are strict, but they are also clear enough that a bit of planning can keep a car legal without reaching for the crayon box.
Here are practical steps New York motorists can take before that next commute or road trip:
- Check the expiration dates on your inspection and registration stickers and set reminders a few weeks before they run out.
- Use only DMV-licensed inspection stations and make sure you leave with an official sticker on the windshield.
- If you buy a used vehicle from a private seller, request the ten day inspection extension from DMV when you register it, instead of driving around uninspected.
- If a sticker or plate is damaged, missing or stolen, contact DMV or law enforcement for a replacement rather than improvising.
- Make sure the plates on your car actually belong to that vehicle, and update registration promptly when you change vehicles.
At the end of the day, the message from State Police and DMV is simple: inspections and registration are legal requirements, not art projects. For most drivers, staying on top of those details is still easier than explaining hand drawn stickers to a trooper on the side of Route 20.
