What Payment By Plate means on Illinois tolls

Payment By Plate is a system where the Illinois Tollway photographs your license plate as you drive through a toll plaza, then bills you by mail. You do not need a transponder, a toll tag, or an account set up in advance. The tollway identifies your vehicle from the plate image, looks up your vehicle registration, and sends an invoice to the address on file with the Illinois Secretary of State.

This is the default method if you drive a toll road without a transponder. The tollway does not stop you or ask for payment at the booth — the bill arrives later. The system works the same way whether you use a cash lane, a regular toll lane, or an I-PASS lane without an active I-PASS account.

Payment By Plate is slower and more expensive than using I-PASS, because the tollway charges a higher per-toll rate and you pay an administrative fee on top. But it requires no advance setup, no account balance, and no equipment in your car.

Key Takeaways

  • The tollway photographs your plate and mails an invoice to your vehicle registration address, so your address on file with the Secretary of State must be current.
  • Payment By Plate costs more per toll than I-PASS — the rate varies by toll plaza and vehicle type, but you also pay a $1.50 administrative fee per invoice.
  • You have 14 days from the invoice date to pay, and late payments trigger additional fees that increase over time.
  • If the tollway cannot match your plate to a registration, the toll remains unpaid and may be referred to a collection agency.

How the tollway identifies your vehicle and finds you

When you pass through a toll plaza without a transponder, high-speed cameras capture your license plate. The tollway's system reads the plate number and checks it against the Illinois Secretary of State vehicle registration database. If your vehicle is registered in Illinois, the system pulls the owner's address from that registration.

If your vehicle is registered out of state, the tollway uses a national database to locate the owner's address. The invoice is mailed to whichever address the system finds. This is why it matters that your address is current — if you moved and did not update your registration, the bill may go to your old address and you will not know you owe money.

If the plate is unreadable, obscured, or does not match any registration in the system, the toll remains unpaid. The tollway may send a notice asking you to contact them with your information, or the unpaid toll may eventually be referred to a collection agency.

Payment By Plate rates and fees

The cost per toll under Payment By Plate is higher than the I-PASS rate. The exact amount depends on which toll plaza you use and what type of vehicle you drive. Cars, motorcycles, and two-axle vehicles pay one rate; larger trucks and vehicles with more axles pay higher rates.

On top of the per-toll charge, you pay a $1.50 administrative fee each time an invoice is mailed to you. This fee appears on every bill, regardless of how many tolls are on that invoice. If you cross multiple tolls in one trip and they are billed together, you pay one $1.50 fee. If they are billed separately, you pay $1.50 for each invoice.

The tollway publishes current rates on its website, but rates change periodically. If you want to know the exact cost before you drive, the tollway website has a toll calculator where you can enter your vehicle type and route.

When and how to pay your invoice

The invoice arrives by mail within 7 to 10 days of when you crossed the toll. The envelope shows the toll amount, the administrative fee, and the total due. You have 14 days from the invoice date to pay without penalty.

You can pay by mail by sending a check or money order to the address on the invoice. You can also pay online through the Illinois Tollway website using a credit card, debit card, or bank account. The website has a "Pay a Toll" section where you can enter your invoice number and pay when ready. Paying online is faster and you avoid the risk of a check getting lost in the mail.

If you pay after the 14-day window, a late fee is added to your bill. The late fee structure increases: the first late notice adds a fee, and if you do not pay after that notice, additional fees accumulate. Unpaid tolls can eventually be referred to a collection agency, which damages your credit and may result in wage garnishment or a lawsuit.

Setting up an account to avoid Payment By Plate

If you use the Illinois Tollway regularly, opening an I-PASS account is cheaper and more convenient than paying by plate every time. With I-PASS, you get a transponder that you mount on your windshield. When you pass through a toll plaza, the transponder communicates with the reader and the toll is deducted from your account balance automatically.

I-PASS rates are lower than Payment By Plate rates — typically 30 to 50 percent less per toll, depending on the plaza. You do not pay an administrative fee. You set up automatic replenishment so your account refills when the balance drops below a certain amount, and you never have to think about it again.

You can open an I-PASS account online, by phone, or at a tollway customer service center. You need a valid driver's license, a current address, and a payment method (credit card, debit card, or bank account). The transponder costs $25 to $35 depending on the type, but that cost is credited toward your first toll balance.

What happens if you do not pay

If you ignore the initial invoice and do not pay within 14 days, the tollway sends a second notice with a late fee added. If you still do not pay, additional notices arrive with increasing fees. After several months of non-payment, the account is referred to a collection agency.

Once a debt is in collections, it appears on your credit report and damages your credit score. A collection agency may contact you by phone or mail to demand payment. If you do not respond, they may file a lawsuit against you, which can result in a judgment, wage garnishment, or a lien on your property.

If you received an invoice and believe it is wrong — for example, you think you already paid it or the toll amount is incorrect — contact the Illinois Tollway customer service line. They can look up your account and correct errors. Disputing a toll does not stop the clock on the 14-day payment window, so contact them quickly.

Updating your address so invoices reach you

The tollway relies on your address in the Illinois Secretary of State database. If you moved and have not updated your vehicle registration, invoices will go to your old address. You will not receive them, and the toll will be treated as unpaid even though you never got a bill.

Update your address with the Secretary of State as soon as you move. You can do this online through the Illinois Secretary of State website, by mail, or in person at a driver services facility. Once your registration is updated, future tolls will be billed to your new address. Old unpaid tolls may still be in the system — if you discover them, contact the tollway to arrange payment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pay a Payment By Plate toll online before I get the invoice in the mail?

Not directly — you need the invoice number to pay online. However, if you know you crossed a toll and want to pay right away, you can call the Illinois Tollway customer service line and they can look up the toll by your license plate and give you the amount. Then you can pay over the phone or online with that information.

What if my license plate is hard to read or partially obscured?

If the camera cannot read your plate clearly, the toll may not be matched to your vehicle. The tollway may send a notice asking you to contact them with your vehicle information. If you do not respond, the toll remains unpaid and can be referred to a collection agency. Keep your plate clean and visible to avoid this problem.

Do I have to use Payment By Plate, or can I choose a different method?

Payment By Plate is automatic if you do not have a transponder. To avoid it, you need to open an I-PASS account and use a transponder. There is no other option for paying tolls without a transponder — you cannot pay at a booth or in advance without an account.

If I move out of state, will the tollway still find me?

Yes. The tollway uses a national vehicle registration database, so even if your vehicle is registered in another state, the system will find your out-of-state address and mail the invoice there. You are responsible for paying tolls regardless of where you live.

Can I dispute a toll charge if I think I was billed twice for the same crossing?

Yes. Contact the Illinois Tollway customer service line with the dates and locations of the tolls you believe are duplicates. They can review the records and issue a refund if you were charged in error. Keep your invoices so you have the dates and amounts to reference.