Last Updated on October viii, 2022 by Kristin

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Did you lot get an E-ZPass violation in a rental car? Getting stuck with a toll violation in a rental car can be a pricey addition to your trip. That's because the violation will be sent directly to the rental motorcar company. You'll be billed for the toll and penalty fee, and the rental car company will accuse an additional admin fee.

Violations have a nasty manner of snowballing. For example, the Chicago Skyway toll in Illinois is $5.30 for a passenger automobile. If you pay your violation within seven days, that'due south all you owe. But the rental machine company might not fifty-fifty pass on the violation detect within that week. And if you don't pay within seven days, the price jumps to over $30 for the violation and drove fee. Await an other fee on top of that from your rental motorcar company.

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In that location are several reasons you can get a toll violation, some of which are less obvious than others. Plan alee and be sure not to make whatever of these mistakes.

Common East-ZPass Violations

Price Evasion: This is probably what you lot think of when you hear "toll violation," and it's pretty straightforward. Toll evasion occurs when you drive through a lane without paying and without a valid E-ZPass tag mounted in your vehicle.

Be aware that it'due south getting easier to end upwards unknowingly driving on a toll roll. In states like New York, for example, price plazas are disappearing and being replaced by cashless cost overpasses that record your car every bit yous drive underneath.

Bereft Funds: When your account is below cypher and you travel through an EZPass Only lane. This could be considering you lot forgot to reload your business relationship funds, or because your credit card on file is no longer valid. Exist sure to check your account residual before you hit the road in a rental car with your own transponder.

Transponder Error: You could get stuck with a toll violation if your transponder isn't properly mounted in your vehicle, or if something blocks the transponder indicate.

Course Mismatch: When your E-ZPass tag designating the vehicle class does not match the vehicle yous are driving, it's a violation. This is unlikely, but if you plan to switch your transponder between multiple vehicles or to a rental car, merely make sure they're in the same vehicle class.

Speeding: When you travel through the East-ZPass lane at a speed in excess of the posted limit, you can snag yourself a violation. While many electronic toll plazas don't fifty-fifty crave you to slow down anymore, keep an middle on posted speed limits to make certain y'all don't stop upwards in trouble. Common lane speeds are 5 mph and 20 mph.

How to Avert E-ZPass Cost Violations

Bring your own transponder. If yous have an E-ZPass transponder on your machine at home, bring information technology along to save money and a lot of hassles. Nearly electronic toll systems apply the car's license plate equally a backup if the transponder can't be read properly, then if you're using your own transponder, consider logging on to your E-ZPass account online to add together your rental automobile license plate to your account. Just don't forget to remove information technology when your trip is over.

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Utilise cash toll lanes. While electronic-only toll plazas are condign more common, you lot'll nevertheless find cash toll lanes in many states. TollGuru can help yous observe routes with cash price lanes in addition to E-ZPass or other transponder lanes.

Map out your route to avoid tolls. It may seem like tolls are everywhere, but they tin ofttimes exist avoided. You might add some time to your trip, but you'll save money, avert traffic, and get to enjoy the breathtaking route. Utilize a navigation app like Waze to find a toll-less route.

If yous decide to travel on toll roads, employ a toll calculator to estimate your costs before your trip.

Do your homework on your rental company'southward cost policy. Some rental machine companies charge a steep daily fee if y'all opt to rent their transponder, while others offer reasonable rates if you but can't avoid electronic cost plazas. Information technology'south a safer bet to opt for the daily toll fee than to run a risk paying a pricey fine after the fact. Silvercar is one brand known for fair cost rates with a erstwhile admin fee, rather than a daily rate that adds upwards over the course of your rental.

Pay for tolls online. We hope this option becomes more widely available across the United states of america. If you're driving a rental automobile in New York country, there is a handy website that lets you pay your tolls instead of existence charged extra fees by the rental company. Taking advantage of this service is elementary. Just drive through an E-Z Laissez passer toll lane without stopping. If your rental vehicle is equipped with an E-Z Laissez passer transponder on the windshield, exist sure to keep the box closed so the tolls do not go directly to the rental visitor, which they will pay and and so charge you a "convenience fee."

Within 48 hours of traversing your first toll, head to the Tolls past Postal service website to enter in the license plate of your rental vehicle as well as the start and end dates/times of your rental along with your credit bill of fare information. It'due south a simple process. As long every bit y'all sign upwardly within the 48-hour window, the tolls should get charged to your credit card and allow you sidestep the rental car company'southward convenience fee.

We as well know of a similar pay-by-post option for Illinois and Pennsylvania.

How to Dispute an E-ZPass Toll Violations

Be forewarned that disputing an E-ZPass violation is a bureaucratic nightmare. It requires writing a letter sent to an Eastward-Z Customer Service Centre within 180 days of the disputed accuse. You may need to contact multiple agencies that handle Due east-ZPass on different roadways or bridges, and each will likely have a different collection agency.

Related:

  • Tin can You Use Your E-ZPass in a Rental Car?
  • Dos and Don'ts for Dealing With Rental Car Tolls