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Most New Yorkers have a long list of favorite things about New York, like Times Square, Broadway, or your go-to pierogi place over in Williamsburg. But some parts about New York just plain grind their gears, like the harsh inevitability of traffic tickets. E-ZPass tickets are no exception to this rule.
What Is E-Zpass?
E-ZPass is a kind of electronic toll payment system that provides a great deal of discounts on roads, bridges, and tunnels in and around Manhattan and New Jersey. E-ZPasses typically come in the form of little stickers, which you attach to your windshield (unless you have an OMNI device, which sticks to your windshield via suction cups).
Advantages of E-Zpass
There are a few advantages of using an E-ZPass instead of paying manually or with some other kind of electronic pass. The main advantage is the discount you can receive when traveling over bridges, through tunnels, or across roadways in certain parts of the state (namely New York City’s five boroughs).
Another benefit is the amount of time you can save compared to having to stop and make manual cash transactions. Rather than pulling up to the toll booth, waiting in line, counting out your coins, and tossing them into the machine, you can simply slow to a reasonable pace and drive through the electronic sensor area.
E-ZPass License Agreement Terms & Conditions
If you do sign up for the E-ZPass system, you’ll notice there’s a small form that you have to fill out called “Individual Application Not for Business Accounts.” At the end of this application, you’ll see the terms and conditions, a couple pages of tiny print full of legalese. These terms and conditions outline the lawful way in which you will be expected to use your account.
Failure to comply with these terms and conditions can result in your account being deactivated and you being subject to a great deal of fines, fees, and other potential penalties.
Penalties for Violating E-Zpass Laws
The penalties for an E-ZPass violation can vary depending on the circumstances of the violation, such as which state the violation occurred in. These violations follow a three-strike system.
For the first violation of the E-ZPass terms and conditions, you can expect to receive an official warning letter from the E-ZPass Processing Unit. This warning letter will contain information regarding your 60-day probationary period, during which you will be on a watchlist of sorts and your account will be subject to greater scrutiny.
For the second violation of the E-ZPass terms and conditions, especially if you committed this violation while on your probation for the first violation, you can expect to have your E-ZPass account suspended for 60 days. This means that you cannot use it whatsoever for the next two months. During this period, you will lose access to the benefits associated with your E-ZPass account and will have to go back to paying by cash or via another electronic toll-payment system.
For the third violation of the E-ZPass terms and conditions, your suspension period will be extended. As an alternative penalty, you might lose your account altogether. In other words, commit a serious enough violation and your account can be revoked. This does not affect your driver license privileges. Your license will not be revoked; just your E-ZPass account. That is, unless you are also convicted of a violation that can result in such a penalty.
If you are caught using a suspended or revoked E-ZPass, an E-ZPass with a negative balance, or one in a vehicle of a different class than the one it was originally registered to, the E-ZPass Processing Unit might demand you pay a fine of $100. This fine is cumulative, applying each and every time that you commit one of these violations.
What if I Don’t Have an E-Zpass?
If you don’t have an E-ZPass account and you use an E-ZPass lane, you don’t necessarily need to worry about getting a ticket. In most cases, you will receive a pay-by-plate demand letter within the next four to six weeks. At that time, you can pay your toll by mail (depending on your county, there might be more ways to pay a pay-by-plate toll than just by mail).
If you do not pay one of these tolls in a timely manner, the E-ZPass Processing Unit might take additional action against you. Examples can include issuing a ticket for toll evasion, deactivating your E-ZPass account, and sending your balance to collections.
It’s important to understand the difference between a simple pay-by-plate toll and a serious toll evasion ticket. Pay-by-plate just means that the toll’s camera system registered your vehicle passing through the toll without paying. The authorities will typically send out these letters to ask you to remit payment as soon as possible without enforcing any legal penalties.
However, a ticket for toll evasion can be much more serious. Not only are traffic tickets significantly more expensive than E-ZPass tolls in New York, they can also wreak havoc on your driving record, your job, your insurance, and more.
If you’ve received a traffic ticket in New York, download the WinIt app and start talking to an attorney today. The lawyers on the WinIt app have years of experience fighting traffic tickets in your local area, saving people just like you thousands of dollars every week.
