Auto-Scan

Auto-scan is the automatic violation lookup feature that checks all vehicles in a fleet's roster against NYC's violation databases on a nightly schedule. Unlike manual searches (where you look up one plate at a time), auto-scan runs without any user intervention — once vehicles are added to the roster, they are automatically included in every scan cycle.

Auto-scan covers all three NYC violation datasets: DOF (parking and camera), OATH (idling, noise, and environmental), and BIC (trade waste and market). Each dataset uses a different search strategy optimized for the data structure — DOF uses plate-based batch queries, OATH searches violation details text, and BIC matches against business names.

The value of auto-scan is early detection. Camera violations are mailed to the registered owner and can take 2–3 weeks to arrive. Auto-scan typically finds them within 24–48 hours of the violation appearing in NYC's database, giving you weeks of extra time to pay before penalties hit. Clear Plates runs auto-scan for every active and inactive vehicle on your roster every night.