Illinois tolls charge your registered vehicle owner through the mail, not at a booth

Illinois toll roads use Pay by Plate, a system that photographs your license plate as you drive through a toll plaza and sends an invoice to whoever owns the vehicle. You do not stop at a booth, do not use a transponder, and do not pay at the moment you cross. The Illinois Tollway — the state agency that operates the toll roads — matches your plate to the vehicle registration records kept by the Illinois Secretary of State, then mails a bill to the registered owner's address.

This system applies to all toll plazas on the Illinois Tollway system, which includes the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90 north of Chicago), the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88 west of Chicago), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94 and I-80/90), and the Chicago Skyway. If you drive any of these roads without a prepaid account, you will receive a bill in the mail.

Key Takeaways

  • The Illinois Tollway photographs your plate and mails an invoice to the registered vehicle owner; you do not pay at the toll plaza.
  • A single toll crossing costs between $0.70 and $2.50 depending on the road and distance, plus a $1.00 administrative fee if you pay by mail.
  • You can set up an I-PASS account (a prepaid transponder) to avoid the $1.00 fee and receive a small discount on tolls.
  • If you receive a toll bill you believe is wrong, you can dispute it with the Illinois Tollway within 30 days of the invoice date.
  • Unpaid toll bills can result in vehicle registration holds and collection action, so responding to invoices is important even if you plan to dispute them.

How the billing process works after you drive through

When your vehicle passes through a toll plaza, overhead cameras photograph your license plate. The Illinois Tollway sends that image and plate number to the Secretary of State, which provides the registered owner's name and mailing address. Within 7 to 10 days, you receive an invoice at that address.

The invoice shows the toll amount, the date and time you crossed, which plaza you used, and the $1.00 administrative fee added because you did not have a prepaid account. You can pay by mail using the payment stub included with the invoice, by phone at 1-800-UC-TOLLS (1-800-825-8655), or online through the Illinois Tollway website. Payment is due within 14 days of the invoice date, though the Tollway typically allows payment up to 30 days without penalty.

I-PASS accounts and how they lower your cost

An I-PASS is a prepaid transponder — a small electronic device you mount on your windshield that communicates with toll plaza readers as you drive through. When you have an active I-PASS account, you do not receive a bill in the mail. The toll is deducted from your prepaid balance, and you receive a small discount (typically 10 to 15 percent) compared to the Pay by Plate rate.

You can open an I-PASS account online, by phone at 1-800-UC-TOLLS, or at a customer service center. You choose how much money to load onto the account — the minimum is $25 — and the account automatically replenishes when your balance drops below $10. There is no monthly fee, and you can use the same transponder on toll roads in other states that accept I-PASS, including Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

If you use a rental car or borrow someone else's vehicle, you will be charged the Pay by Plate rate for that trip unless you arrange a temporary I-PASS. The rental car company or vehicle owner is responsible for paying the bill, though some rental companies pass the cost to the driver.

Toll costs and what affects the amount you pay

A single toll crossing on Illinois toll roads ranges from $0.70 to $2.50 depending on which road you use and how far you travel. The Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) and the Tri-State Tollway typically charge between $1.00 and $2.50 per crossing. The Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) and the Chicago Skyway have their own rate structures. If you pay by mail, add $1.00 to the toll amount.

The Tollway charges based on distance traveled between entry and exit points, not on a flat fee per plaza. If you enter at one plaza and exit at another 10 miles away, you pay more than if you exit at the next plaza 2 miles away. The invoice shows which entry and exit points were used, so you can verify the distance.

Motorcycles, RVs, and vehicles with trailers may have different rates. Vehicles with more than two axles typically pay a higher toll. Check the Illinois Tollway website or call 1-800-UC-TOLLS to confirm the rate for your vehicle type before you drive.

What happens if you do not pay a toll bill

If you do not pay within 30 days, the Illinois Tollway sends a second notice. If you still do not pay after 60 days, the account is referred to a collection agency, and the Tollway may place a hold on your vehicle registration. When you try to renew your registration with the Secretary of State, the renewal will be denied until the toll debt is cleared.

Unpaid tolls can also result in a civil judgment against you, which allows the Tollway to garnish wages or place a lien on property. The longer the debt remains unpaid, the more collection fees and interest accumulate. Even if you believe a toll charge is incorrect, paying the bill and then disputing it is usually faster than ignoring it and dealing with registration holds.

How to dispute a toll charge you think is wrong

If you believe you were charged incorrectly — for example, if you were charged twice for the same crossing, or if the toll amount does not match the distance you traveled — you can dispute the charge. Contact the Illinois Tollway within 30 days of the invoice date by phone at 1-800-UC-TOLLS or through the online dispute form on their website.

When you dispute, have the invoice in front of you and be ready to explain why you think the charge is wrong. The Tollway will review the photographic evidence and the transaction record. If they find an error, they will issue a credit to your account or refund. If they find no error, they will explain the charge and you remain responsible for payment.

If you were charged because someone else used your vehicle without permission, you can report that to the Tollway as well, though you may still be responsible for the toll since the bill goes to the registered owner. If the vehicle was stolen, provide a police report number.

Pay by Plate versus I-PASS: which makes sense for you

Use Pay by Plate if you cross Illinois tolls infrequently — a few times a year or less. You pay a small administrative fee per crossing, but you avoid the upfront cost and account management of I-PASS. There is no commitment, and you do not have to set anything up in advance.

Switch to I-PASS if you cross tolls regularly — more than once a month. The 10 to 15 percent discount on each toll adds up quickly. For example, if you cross a $2.00 toll 40 times a year, I-PASS saves you roughly $12 to $18 annually, plus you avoid the $1.00 administrative fee on each crossing. I-PASS also works on toll roads in neighboring states, which is useful if you travel to Indiana or Ohio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different name or address on my I-PASS account than what is on my vehicle registration?

Yes. Your I-PASS account can be in any name and use any mailing address. The transponder is tied to your account, not to your vehicle registration, so the Tollway will not send a bill to the registered owner. This is useful if you want to keep toll charges separate from a vehicle you share with someone else.

What if I move and do not update my address with the Secretary of State?

Toll bills will be sent to the address on file with the Secretary of State. If you move, update your address with the Secretary of State as soon as possible. If a bill arrives at your old address and you do not receive it, you are still responsible for payment. The Tollway has no way to know you moved unless you update your registration.

Do I have to pay tolls if I am a resident of another state?

Yes. The Pay by Plate system works the same way for out-of-state vehicles. Your license plate is photographed, and the Tollway contacts the motor vehicle agency in your state to find the registered owner. You will receive a bill at your out-of-state address. If you cross Illinois tolls regularly, opening an I-PASS account may be worth the effort.

Can I get a refund if I paid a toll by mistake?

If you paid a toll that you believe you should not have been charged, contact the Tollway within 30 days with your invoice number and an explanation. They will review the transaction. Refunds are issued only if the Tollway finds an error in the charge or the transaction record.

What if my license plate was obscured or unreadable when I crossed?

If the camera could not read your plate clearly, the Tollway may not be able to match it to a vehicle. In that case, you typically do not receive a bill. However, if the Tollway later identifies your vehicle through other means, you may still be billed. If you intentionally obscure your plate to avoid tolls, you can be cited for a traffic violation in addition to owing the toll.