Any driver that uses a toll road in New York is expected to pay the toll for that roadway. In New York, the tolls are set by the New York Thruway Authority.
See below for additional information about toll classes and paying violations.
Credit Card
If you did not have enough money for your toll, and your driver's license information was taken at the toll booth, and you received an unpaid toll slip from a toll collector, you may pay with your credit card online. You have seven (7) days to pay your toll when you receive an Unpaid Toll Slip.
Mail Payment
If you must mail your payment, either check, cashier's check or money order, send the payment to the following address:
NYSTA
PO Box 189
Albany, NY 12201-0189
Make your payment payable to NYS Thruway Authority. You must include your drive's license number on your check and your unpaid toll slip.
You may also present your Unpaid Toll Slip, along with a check or a cash, at any toll booth along the NYS Thruway.
If you do not have an Unpaid Toll Slip or must otherwise telephone the NYS Thruway Authority about a toll violation, please call 518-471-5051. Phone lines are active from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time US, Monday through Friday.
The E-ZPass Toll Violations number is 800-333-8655. If you are an E-ZPass account holder and have a toll violation notice, use this number, instead.
You may also contact the Violations Processing unit, directly, by writing to the following address:
E-ZPass Customer Service Center
P.O. Box 15186
Albany, NY 12212-5186
The cash payment system speaks for itself. When you pay by cash, you are responsible for having sufficient cash funds to pay for your tolls while driving on New York toll roads.
If you are unable to pay your toll, you will receive a ticket for the amount of the unpaid toll, plus an administrative fine, except in areas designated as toll-by-plate.
Cashless electronic tolling, often called toll-by-plate, is now part of the New York State Thruway system, starting with the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River. On April 23, 2016, tolls on the TZB became cashless electronic tolling or E-ZPass only. Cash is no longer be accepted. This will apply to the New NY Bridge, which is now under construction adjacent to the TZB, and will replace the old TZB in 2018.
If you do not have an E-ZPass account and use a road that accepts toll-by-plate, your vehicle's license plate will be photographed, and you will receive a bill at the end of each month. There will be an administrative fee included with your cashless tolling bill. The bill will be mailed to the address of the registered owner of the vehicle in question.
New York is on the E-ZPass electronic toll collection network, so any transponder that displays the E-ZPass or IPass logo (Illinois) will be accepted in New York.
If you have an E-ZPass issued in New York or another state, or an Illinois IPass, you may use E-ZPass lanes on all toll roads and bridges in New York. These include roads of the New York State Thruway, The Port Authority of NY&NJ, MTA Bridges And Tunnels, New York State Bridge Authority, and the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority.
E-ZPass and IPass holders will still get the discounted toll rates in New York. Holders of the New York and New Jersey E-ZPass will automatically get the off-peak E-ZPass discount rate when it applies.
The peak driving periods are from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. All day Saturday and Sunday are also considered peak periods. During this time, those using E-ZPass to pay tolls will be paying the peak rate.
Make certain you have sufficient funds on your E-ZPass account to pay for the toll charges you will incur; otherwise, it will count as a toll violation.
New York offers a Pay-Per-Trip plan whereby you may link your bank account to your E-ZPass account to pay your tolls when you use them. Each time you pass through a toll, the cost of the trip is deducted from your account. No money is required to be held on deposit with this kind of a plan. Learn more by reading the PPT FAQ page from the NYS Thruway Authority.
