Violation Enforcement Frequently Asked Questions
 |
Click on the question to view the answer.
| You can avoid violations by paying all tolls properly. The Illinois Tollway has always made it clear, by signs at the toll plazas and other mechanisms, that there are penalties for not paying tolls and that failure to pay tolls is against the law. As indicated by these signs – "Toll violators are subject to fine, arrest or suspension of driving privileges." To avoid violations in the future, please get an I-PASS by calling 800-UC-IPASS (800-824-7277) or visit www.getipass.com. |
| Violations can occur when an Illinois Tollway user drives through a toll collection lane without paying the proper toll. In automatic lanes at the ramp toll plazas, violations can occur when vehicles don't come to a complete stop. If a customer doesn't stop when paying the toll, the toll collection equipment will not always match the vehicle and axle counts to the payment deposited. Under most conditions, it takes between 5-10 seconds for coins to be counted in an automatic lane. It is imperative both for safety and to ensure that you are not recorded as a violator, that you come to a complete stop when paying a toll and wait for the green "Thank You" signal before proceeding. At ramp locations, stop signs are posted notifying drivers that they must stop. Not stopping to properly pay the toll is a violation of the law. |
| Customers should stop and pay the correct amount of money for the toll. Once you have done this, if the light does not turn green, you can proceed after waiting a reasonable amount of time. Under most conditions, it takes between 5-10 seconds for coins to be counted in an automatic lane. When a coin machine malfunctions, violations for that lane are supposed to be automatically suppressed by the system. In the unlikely event that you receive a violation notice that includes this transaction, we recommend you call us at 800-UCI-PASS (800-824-7277) so that we can schedule an administrative a hearing and research the failed transaction. |
| The violation enforcement system is structured so that violation notices are not issued when toll machines are jammed or malfunctioning. |
| Toll violation notices will come in the mail and will include a photo of one of the violation events that the Illinois Tollway has on record, as well as details of the date, time and location of each violation event. Example Notice |
| Generally, no. The data on all transactions, which are at all different stages of processing, is not fully searchable. The only way to really know whether you have violations is to receive a violation notice. However, if you already have a violation notice that has not yet been paid, it often is possible for the customer service representative to identify other violations for your vehicle, so long as those violations are in the final processing stage. |
| No. Under the common law, the statute of limitations does not apply where the state asserts a civil action involving a public right. |
| This notice may have been issued because your transponder was not functioning properly or your vehicle information was not up to date. All electronic toll collection systems throughout the nation (E-ZPass, SUN-PASS, TOLL-TAG, I-PASS, etc.) filter-out potential violations by cross-checking the event against customer license plates, as opposed to checking by customer name. You are only responsible for the unpaid toll amount, which can be deducted from your I-PASS transponder balance provided you were an I-PASS customer at the time the violations occurred, your account is active and you have sufficient funds. No additional fees will be assessed provided this matter is resolved before the due date of a Final Order of Liability notice. Please call 800-UC-IPASS (800-824-7277) and a customer service representative will assist you. Please have the following information available when you call: 1) Complete name as it appears on your I-PASS account. 2) Transponder number (found on the bar code label located on the transponder) and/or I-PASS account number. 3) All current license plate numbers and plate types. In the future, to avoid being recorded as a potential violator, you must keep your account updated. Updating your account information is as simple as managing your account online or calling 800-UC-IPASS (800-824-7277) where a customer service representative will be available to assist you. |
| You can review and verify your license plate images online, select one of two dispute options and file a dispute electronically. A violation notice number and license plate number are required to enter the violation database. |
| Under Illinois law, as the registered owner of the vehicle, you are liable for any toll violation, regardless of whether you were in the car at the time the toll violation was recorded. |
| If the plates or vehicle was sold/transferred or stolen at the time of the violation(s) included in the notice you may dispute the notice. Please call 800-824-7277 and a customer service representative will assist you. |
| I-PASS, E-ZPass and iZoom customers who respond to a violation notice prior to the due date of the Final Order of Liability, and who have an account in good standing, are eligible to have their fines dismissed and pay only the cash rate for tolls. Such customers who fail to respond to the violation notice prior to the due date of the Final Order of Liability are eligible to pay a settlement amount as outlined by the Illinois Tollway. |
| I-PASS, E-ZPass and iZoom customers who have a negative account balance must bring the account into good standing to qualify for a settlement. I-PASS account holders can add funds to their account online, by calling the Customer Call Center at 800-UC-IPASS (800-824-7277), or by visiting one of the Customer Service Centers. I-PASS, E-ZPass and iZoom customers must include their license plate information on their account to qualify for a settlement. I-PASS account holders can update account information or add funds to their account online by calling the Customer Call Center at 800-UC-IPASS (800-824-7277), or by visiting one of the Customer Service Centers. Any customer who chooses to pursue a hearing and is found liable for the violation no longer qualifies for a settlement. Hearing officers do NOT have the authority to grant a settlement. |
| Customers who are unable to pay their violation fines can apply for a non-standard settlement. Customers must submit an application to the Tollway requesting a non-standard settlement. The application requests data about monthly income, expenses and other relevant financial information. It also requests a customer to provide a suggested settlement amount. In addition to a completed application, the response must include a pay stub and may include bank statements, credit card statements, tax returns, medical bills and loan documents, for example. Download an application for a non-standard settlement |
| If you filed a Chapter 7 or 11 bankruptcy like civil fines and penalties imposed for parking tickets and other government issued violation notices, toll evasion fines are not dischargeable under section 523 (1)(7) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Furthermore, the federal courts have held that the fine or penalty need not be imposed in judicial proceeding and may be imposed by way of an administrative proceeding, such as the Tollway's Administrative Hearings. If you filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy the courts "may" discharge your toll evasion fines. |
| Images are available online, by mail and in person. Requests must include the following information:
To view your violation images online: |
| The identification begins with digital image captures of license plates when no toll payment is recorded for vehicles traveling through a toll plaza. This can result in the issuance of a toll violation after a thorough image review process. All violation images are first cross referenced with the I-PASS data base, so tolls can be deducted from accounts in good standing rather than issuing a toll violation. For I-PASS customers it is important to:
For cash customers it is important that people stop and pay their tolls properly to avoid any chance of a violation. If a driver does not come to a complete stop when paying a toll, the toll collection equipment is not able to assign a coin count to the vehicle record and the transaction cannot be verified as completed. |
| If drivers believe a violation has been issued in error they are able to request copies of violations images. To request a copy of your violation notice, you must provide the following information:
To request a copy of your violation image or notice: -OR- Mail us your Request Please note: The fee to have violation notices printed is 15 cents per image. For instance, if you have 12 violations then the cost for printing will be $1.80 ($0.15 x 12 = $1.80). Check must be received before violations are printed (personal checks are acceptable). Make checks payable to the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority or ISTHA. Violations incorrectly assigned to a driver are dismissed and no payment is necessary. The image is then reassigned for plate correction and a violation may be issued to the correct plate. |
| To request a copy of your violation notice, you must provide the following information:
To request a copy of your violation notice: -OR- Mail us your Request Please note: The fee to have violation notices printed is 15 cents per image plus $1.00 for postage. For instance, if you have 12 violations then the cost for printing will be $2.80 ($0.15 x 12=$1.80) plus postage ($1.00). $1.80 ($0.15 x 12 = $1.80). Checks must be received before violations are printed (personal checks are acceptable). Make checks payable to the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority or ISTHA. |
| If you had a valid I-PASS account at the time of the violations, the notice may have been issued because:
You do not need to schedule a hearing. However, prior to the due date on the violation notice, you do need to pay the cash rate for the missed tolls and update your I-PASS account information. Call 800-UC-IPASS (800-824-7277) or visit any of our customer service centers and a customer service representative will assist you to resolve the violation notice. To update your account information online please go to www.getipass.com. If your I-PASS account was suspended at the time of the violations, you are liable for both the tolls and fines issued in the violation notice. You will not be able to reinstate your I-PASS account until all violations are cleared up. |
| You can pay a toll violation online, in person at any of our customer service centers, by phone at 800-UC-IPASS (800-824-7277), or by mail in the form of a cashier's check or money order to: Please include the bottom portion of the violation notice with your payment. The law allows 21 days from the date of the Violation Notice to pay in full so that fines do not escalate.
|
| Additional fines may be added and may result in the Tollway requesting that the Secretary of State suspend your vehicle's license plate or driver's license. In addition, the case may be referred to a collection agency. |
| Violators are provided with the opportunity to set up an administrative hearing where they can view the violation evidence and make their case before an independent hearing officer. Learn more about violations. |
| I-PASS, E-ZPass and iZoom customers who respond to a violation notice prior to the due date of the Final Order of Liability, and who have an account in good standing, are eligible to have their fines dismissed and pay only the cash rate for tolls. Such customers who fail to respond to the violation notice prior to the due date of the Final Order of Liability are eligible to pay a settlement amount as outlined by the Illinois Tollway. What if my account is not in good standing? I-PASS, E-ZPass and iZoom customers must include their license plate information on their account to qualify for a settlement. I-PASS account holders can update account information or add funds to their account online by calling the Customer Call Center at 800-UC-IPASS, or by visiting one of the Customer Service Centers. Any customer who chooses to pursue a hearing and is found liable for the violation no longer qualifies for a settlement. Hearing officers do not have the authority to grant a settlement. |
| Customers who are unable to pay their violation fines can apply for a non-standard settlement. Customers must submit an application to the Tollway requesting a non-standard settlement. The application requests data about monthly income, expenses and other relevant financial information. It also requests a customer to provide a suggested settlement amount. In addition to a completed application, the response must include a pay stub and may include bank statements, credit card statements, tax returns, medical bills and loan documents, for example. Download an application for a non-standard settlement |
| You have 21 days from the issue date of the violation notice to contest the violation by requesting an Administrative Hearing. |
| Sometimes, mistakes occur and we apologize if this driver received a violation notice in error. When a driver violates a toll, a camera takes three to four digital images of that car's license plate to make sure that we get at least one good image of the plate. |
| First, check with your rental car company on their policy for paying tolls. Some rental car companies provide transponders. In such cases, be sure you understand how to use the transponders and how you will be charged for transponder-based tolls. Inquire about transponder availability and fees with the rental agent. Second, if your rental car company does not provide a transponder or you do not want to use the transponder they provide, you have two options:
In the event your transponder signal is not properly read while in the rental car, there is a possibility you will receive a violation notice. The violation notice in such a case originally is sent to the rental car company, which is the registered owner of the vehicle. The rental car company then has two options: 1) by Illinois law, they may re-assign the violation notice to you based on their record of who was renting the vehicle when the violations were incurred; or 2) they may choose to pay the notice and bill you themselves. If a rental car agency chooses to pay the notice and bill you themselves, you will not be eligible for the settlement guidelines. |
| We understand some customers do get busy signals when calling during peak usage times. We strongly urge customers to call during non-peak times Find additional information on violations. |
| We understand some customers do get busy signals when calling during peak usage times. We strongly urge customers to call during non-peak times |
| The Tollway can forward unpaid violation notices to a collection agency. Once you have been referred to a collection agency you must contact them to make payment arrangements. Call the number on your collection letter to get more information. |
| An unpaid toll occurs when a driver goes through a toll area without making payment. This can happen in Open Road Tolling (ORT) lanes as well as at cash lanes without gates. If payment for the toll is made within 7 days, the driver pays only for the unpaid toll. If payment is not made within 7 days each unpaid toll becomes a violation. Each violation carries a fine of $20 plus the original cost of the toll. If the violation is not taken care of within the 21 days allowed by law the fees may escalate. |
| If you didn't pay a toll and are still within the 7 day grace period you can pay online or by mail. |
| In order to determine which toll you didn't pay, you can view a Tollway map with rates by going to our map page and the link titled "Tollway System Map with rates". In the event of unknown plazas or direction, toll calculations will be based on the maximum charge (per toll) on our system for your vehicle category. Maximum charge per toll:
|
NOTE: To protect your security, do not send credit card or driver's license numbers through this unsecured page. Manage your account online or call 800-UC-IPASS (800-824-7277) Mon. - Fri. 6 a.m.- 10 p.m.; Sat. - Sun. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. for answers to your I-PASS or violations questions.