If you drove through a New Jersey toll point without an E-ZPass and later got an invoice in the mail, that is how toll by mail in NJ works: cameras photograph your license plate, the tolling authority looks up the registered owner through the Motor Vehicle Commission, and a bill goes out at the full cash rate, which is always higher than what E-ZPass drivers pay. You generally have 30 days from the date on the invoice to pay before fees start piling on.
The system covers the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, the Atlantic City Expressway, and the Port Authority bridges and tunnels. Each authority runs its own billing, but payments for most of the roads flow through the single NJ E-ZPass site at ezpassnj.com.
How to Pay a Toll Bill
The fastest way is online. Go to the Pay Toll Bill section on ezpassnj.com and enter two things: the toll bill number printed on your invoice and the license plate number as it appears on the bill.1E-ZPass. E-ZPass New Jersey You do not need a zip code or state of registration. Pay by credit or debit card and the payment posts quickly.
An automated phone system is available around the clock for touch-tone payments and posts to your account the same way.
For check or money order, mail your payment to NJ E-ZPass, PO Box 4971, Trenton, NJ 08650, and include the coupon from the bottom of your invoice so the funds land on the right account.2Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Toll by Plate Mail takes longer to process, so send it well before the deadline.
If you never received a paper bill or lost it, you cannot use the online lookup, because it requires the bill number. In that case, contact NJ E-ZPass customer service directly.
What You’ll Pay Compared to E-ZPass
Toll-by-mail rates are always higher than E-ZPass rates, and on some crossings the gap is large. A standard passenger car crossing a Port Authority bridge or tunnel pays a flat $23.30 by mail, at any hour.3Port Authority of NY & NJ. Tolls E-ZPass drivers on those same crossings pay variable rates that drop during off-peak and overnight windows.4Port Authority of NY & NJ. New 2026 Tolls
That flat-rate structure applies across the board for toll-by-mail customers. Time-of-day pricing, commuter plans, and the 10% senior citizen and Green Pass discounts on the Turnpike and Parkway are only available to E-ZPass account holders.5New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Toll Calculator – New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway6Port Authority of NY & NJ. Toll Resources
Some authorities also add a per-bill surcharge. The South Jersey Transportation Authority, which runs the Atlantic City Expressway, tacks on a $7.50 toll bill fee on top of the actual tolls.7Cape May County, NJ – Official Website. FAQ On a short trip, that fee alone can double or triple the cost.
The Deadline and What Happens If You Miss It
Expect the paper invoice within about 30 days of your trip. On the Atlantic City Expressway, a bill is issued once 30 days have passed or once your accumulated tolls reach $50, whichever comes first.8South Jersey Transportation Authority. FAQ Other authorities follow similar timelines.
Once the bill is in your hands, you typically have 30 days to pay. The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission publishes an escalation schedule that reflects how most NJ toll authorities handle late payments:2Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Toll by Plate
- First toll bill: due within 30 days of issuance. Paying on time avoids any additional fees.
- Second toll bill: sent if the first goes unpaid, with another 30-day window.
- Violation status: if the second bill also goes unpaid, each overdue toll transaction becomes a formal violation with a $30 fee added per transaction.
- Two further 30-day notice cycles follow before the authority escalates again.
The math turns ugly quickly. A handful of forgotten $1.50 parkway tolls can grow into hundreds of dollars once the $30 violation fee attaches to every single crossing.
Beyond fees, continued non-payment can send your account to a collection agency, which may report the debt to credit bureaus. That entry can stay on your credit report for up to seven years from the original delinquency date, whether you eventually pay it or not.
The most serious step is vehicle registration suspension. New Jersey law allows tolling authorities to request suspension for chronic non-payment.8South Jersey Transportation Authority. FAQ Suspension is generally tied to owing $500 or more within a three-year period or accumulating six or more toll violations. Reinstating a suspended registration means paying every outstanding toll, every fee, and any reinstatement charge.
Check the Address on Your Registration
Because toll bills go to the address the MVC has on file, an outdated registration address is one of the most common reasons people end up with large toll debts they never knew existed. New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 39:3-36) requires you to report an address change to the MVC within one week.9NJ MVC. Address Change If you have moved recently and think you may have driven through a toll point, update your address and then call NJ E-ZPass to check for any bills sent to the old one.
Disputing a Bill You Don’t Owe
If the bill is for a trip you didn’t take or a vehicle you no longer own, you can dispute it through the NJ E-ZPass website under the Violations/Toll-by-Plate section. You’ll need your toll bill number and license plate number to start.
The most common reason for a wrong bill is a recently sold vehicle. If the title transfer hasn’t fully processed with the MVC, the bill goes to the previous owner. To resolve it, you’ll usually need proof of sale showing the transfer date came before the toll was recorded. Keep your bill of sale and title transfer confirmation for at least a year after selling a car in New Jersey, since bills can arrive weeks after the trip.
Misread plates happen occasionally, especially with out-of-state plates or plate frames that partially cover characters. Note the mismatch in your dispute and include a clear photo of your actual plate. Once the authority pulls the original camera image, these cases are usually resolved without much back and forth.
Rental Cars Are a Separate Trap
Toll by mail works differently when you’re driving a rental. Most major rental companies do not allow you to use your personal E-ZPass in their vehicles, because the transponder is tied to your plate, not the rental’s plate. Hertz states plainly that “short-term rentals cannot be added to personal EZ Pass accounts.”10Hertz. PlatePass
When a rental car goes through an electronic toll, the tolling authority bills the rental company, and the rental company bills you at the highest undiscounted rate plus its own administrative fee. Declining the optional PlatePass service at Hertz doesn’t protect you: you’ll still be billed for all tolls at the highest rate plus an administrative fee for each toll.10Hertz. PlatePass Enterprise, Avis, and Sixt follow the same model, typically charging a daily convenience fee of about $5 to $7 for each day tolls are used plus the full undiscounted toll amount, often capped near $35 per rental. On a week-long trip through NJ toll roads, those add-ons alone can run $35 to $50 above the actual tolls. If you plan to use toll roads in a rental, ask about the company’s toll program at the counter.
Switching to E-ZPass
The simplest way to stop paying toll-by-mail rates is to open an E-ZPass account at ezpassnj.com. You’ll set up automatic replenishment with a credit card or bank account and receive a transponder to mount on your windshield. Tolls are then deducted at the lower E-ZPass rate automatically. On many NJ crossings, toll-by-mail rates run 50% to 100% higher than E-ZPass rates, so a regular commuter recovers the account cost within a few trips.