Question about license plates

Hoping someone will have some info...
I have this "friend" - lets call her "d_liteful" and many years ago she had a car, registered in nyc. When the car died, she donated it to one of those charities, and operating under some misinformation destroyed the license plates, which is acceptable in her home state. She only recently learned that in New York, you are supposed to turn in the plates.
So now, its many years later and she never heard a word from the dmv about it. If in the future, I -I mean she- wants to get another car and register it, what will happen ?
Has anyone here had a similar experience?