The passenger, Luis Jose Cabral, 34, a Dominican immigrant who lives in the Bronx, was arrested shortly after the discovery on Tuesday, and was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on charges of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison, officials said. Mr. Cabral did not respond to a request for comment conveyed through his lawyer.

All vehicles registered in New York State must undergo an annual safety inspection performed by an inspector licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Most vehicles are also concurrently inspected for emissions.

Image Counterfeit New York State vehicle inspection stickers. Credit U. S. Customs and Border Protection

Richard A. Brown, the Queens district attorney, whose office is prosecuting the case, estimated the value of the stickers at more than $100,000 based on the average street price of about $125 each, even though the imitations were of very low quality, used the wrong font and coloring, and lacked certain security features.

While inspections cost between $6 and $27 depending on the kind of procedure and the type of vehicle, the greater potential value of counterfeit stickers might be the savings for people facing expensive repairs to bring their vehicles into compliance.

But officials say the cost-cutting can have serious public safety consequences.

The stickers “were likely intended for individuals who knew that their vehicles stood a good chance of not passing inspection,” Mr. Brown said in a statement. “If this scheme had not been stopped, hundreds of unsafe or improperly equipped vehicles could have been operating on our streets.”