Drove through a New York toll without an E-ZPass? Don’t panic. Whether you’re visiting from out of state, renting a car, or just forgot your transponder, you still have options. This guide walks you through exactly how to pay NY tolls without E-ZPass, what it’ll cost you, and how to dodge the fee traps that catch thousands of drivers every year.
How New York’s Cashless Tolling Actually Works
New York completely eliminated cash toll booths. Every major facility — the New York State Thruway, the MTA bridges and tunnels, the Port Authority crossings, and the NY State Bridge Authority spans — now uses all-electronic, open-road tolling.
Here’s what happens when you drive through without an E-ZPass:
- Overhead cameras photograph your front and rear license plates
- The system queries your state’s DMV to find your registered address
- You receive a Tolls by Mail invoice within 30–45 days
The whole process sounds simple. But miss that bill, and the fees spiral fast.
What Tolls by Mail Actually Costs You
This is where drivers get blindsided. Paying by mail isn’t just slower — it’s significantly more expensive.
New York’s tolling authorities deliberately price Tolls by Mail higher to push drivers toward E-ZPass. You also lose every discount and commuter plan available to transponder holders.
Congestion Pricing Zone Rates (Manhattan Below 60th St.)
| Vehicle Type | Peak E-ZPass Rate | Peak Tolls by Mail Rate | Overnight E-ZPass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger Cars, SUVs, Small Vans | $9.00 | $13.50 | $2.25 |
| Motorcycles | $4.50 | $6.75 | $1.05 |
| Small Trucks & Charter Buses | $14.40 | Standard Premium | $3.60 |
| Large Trucks & Tour Buses | $21.60 | Standard Premium | $5.40 |
2026 Central Business District Tolling Program rates
Port Authority Bridge and Tunnel Rates
| Facility (Eastbound Only) | Peak E-ZPass | Off-Peak E-ZPass | Tolls by Mail (All Hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington Bridge | $16.79 | $14.73 | $23.05 |
| Lincoln Tunnel | $16.79 | $14.73 | $23.05 |
| Holland Tunnel | $16.79 | $14.73 | $23.05 |
| Bayonne, Goethals, Outerbridge | $16.79 | $14.73 | $23.05 |
Notice that Tolls by Mail charges the same rate at midnight as during rush hour. E-ZPass users pay less off-peak. You don’t get that break without a transponder.
5 Ways to Pay NY Tolls Without E-ZPass
1. Pay Online at e-zpassny.com
The fastest option. Head to the Tolls by Mail section on e-zpassny.com and use the “search and pay” tool. Enter your invoice number or license plate to pull up your balance. The site accepts:
- Credit and debit cards
- Direct bank transfers
- Apple Pay and Google Pay
The old tollsbymailny.com domain now redirects here after a system upgrade that also added live chat support.
2. Use the Tolls NY Mobile App
Download the “Tolls NY” app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. You can scan the barcode on your paper invoice or search trips by license plate.
A few heads-up warnings from real users: the app sometimes ignores biometric login settings and forces manual password entry. It also uses obscure gantry codes instead of recognizable location names, which makes it hard to verify you’re paying the right charge.
3. Call the Automated Phone Line
Dial 1-800-333-8655 and follow the automated prompts. This works 24/7 for standard invoice payments. Have your invoice number or license plate ready.
4. Mail a Check or Money Order
Detach the payment coupon from your Toll Bill and mail it with a check or money order. This address matters — don’t mix them up:
| Payment Type | Mailing Address |
|---|---|
| Toll Bill Payments | Tolls by Mail Payment Center, PO Box 15183, Albany, NY 12212-5183 |
| Violation & Penalty Payments | E-ZPass NY Service Center, PO Box 15186, Albany, NY 12212-5186 |
| Disputes & Correspondence | E-ZPass NY Service Center, PO Box 15187, Albany, NY 12212-5187 |
| E-ZPass Replenishment | E-ZPass NY Service Center, PO Box 15185, Albany, NY 12212-5185 |
Sending a toll payment to the wrong PO Box causes processing delays and can trigger late fees even if you paid on time.
5. Pay Cash at a Retail Store
No bank account? No problem. The Tolls by Mail system integrates with VanillaDirect, a cash payment network available at major retailers.
Bring your physical Toll Bill (it has a VanillaDirect barcode). The cashier scans it, you pay cash, and the payment gets transmitted electronically to the tolling authority.
Participating retailers include:
- CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens
- Walmart customer service desks
- Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar
- 7-Eleven, Circle K, Speedway, Kwik Trip, Royal Farms
This option keeps cash-only drivers from falling through the cracks.
The Smarter Move: Set Up a Temporary Travel Account
Here’s something most drivers don’t know about. If you’re traveling through New York and don’t have an E-ZPass, you can set up a Temporary Travel Account before you drive.
How it works:
- Register your plate at e-zpassny.com
- Set your travel start and end dates (up to 6 months)
- Link a credit card
When cameras capture your plate, the system charges your card directly instead of mailing a bill to the registered owner. It skips the whole postal billing process.
Key timing rules:
- Set it up up to 20 days before your trip
- Or register it up to 48 hours after passing through a gantry
- After 48 hours, it drops into the standard Tolls by Mail queue
You can add up to two vehicles per account. This tool is especially critical if you’re driving a borrowed car or rental vehicle — more on that below.
Renting a Car in New York? Read This First
Rental cars are a toll billing minefield. When a rental vehicle passes a gantry without a transponder, the bill goes to the rental company — not you. Then the rental agency passes it back to you, plus their own fees.
Those rental agency administrative fees can cost more than the tolls themselves. Companies use third-party processors like ATS that charge daily convenience fees for every day a toll is incurred. In the Manhattan Congestion Relief Zone, where tolls hit multiple times a day, those fees stack up fast.
Your best options when renting:
- Use a personal E-ZPass mounted in the rental car — just don’t forget to take it when you return the vehicle
- Set up a Temporary Travel Account within 48 hours of your first toll to intercept the charge before it reaches the rental agency
- Opt into the rental agency’s toll plan if you’re driving heavily tolled routes daily (compare the flat daily rate vs. your expected actual toll costs first)
One more trap: if you’re using a Temporary Travel Account with an out-of-state plate, enter every character exactly right. Confusing the letter O with zero or I with 1 creates a mismatch — you think you’ve paid, but the camera logged a violation against a different plate number.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay
Ignoring a Tolls by Mail invoice isn’t a minor oversight. The penalties compound quickly, and the escalation protocol is aggressive.
The escalation timeline:
- Initial Toll Bill — Pay within 30 days, no penalty
- Second Toll Bill — $5 late fee added
- Notice of Violation — $50 penalty per unpaid toll or per violation notice, depending on the authority
- Debt Collection — Sent to agencies including Southwest Credit (1-877-391-0160), AllianceOne/PMT Solutions (1-866-505-2158), or Transworld Systems (1-866-246-0157)
- Vehicle Registration Suspension — Three or more unpaid Notices of Violation within five years triggers suspension under 15 NYCRR 127.14
A suspended registration means driving becomes a criminal offense, and your vehicle can be towed on the spot. Reinstatement requires paying every toll, every fee, every penalty — plus a separate DMV reinstatement fee.
A single cross-state Thruway trip can hit multiple gantries. Each one can carry its own $50 penalty. One overlooked bill can turn into hundreds of dollars fast.
Disputing a Toll Charge That Isn’t Yours
Sometimes the camera misreads a plate. If you received a bill for a vehicle you don’t own, or for dates when the car wasn’t in your possession, dispute it immediately.
Valid dispute reasons:
- Vehicle was stolen (provide a police report)
- Plates were surrendered to the DMV (provide the surrender receipt)
- Plate misread — a different car with a similar plate
To file a dispute, complete Section C on the back of your Toll Evasion Notice and mail it to:
PO Box 15186, Albany, NY 12212-5186
You can also fax documentation to 718-390-9772.
If customer service can’t resolve it, escalate to the Office of the Toll Payer Advocate. Each authority has its own:
- Thruway Authority Toll Payer Advocate
- Port Authority Toll Payer Advocate (GWB, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, and NJ crossings only)
Important: The Advocate can’t help you if your registration is already suspended. Address suspensions directly with the DMV.
Also note — each Advocate only handles their own authority. A Port Authority advocate can’t touch a Thruway charge. Submit your dispute to the right agency, or you’ll restart the process from scratch.
Should You Just Get an E-ZPass?
If you drive in New York more than once or twice a year, the math heavily favors getting an E-ZPass. You’ll pay less per toll, qualify for commuter discount plans, avoid administrative fees, and skip the 30–45 day billing lag entirely.
The Thruway Authority’s upcoming 2027 rate adjustment will push Tolls by Mail rates even higher — non-transponder users will pay nearly double the per-mile cost of local E-ZPass holders.
For occasional trips, a Temporary Travel Account is your cleanest solution. Set it up before you drive. Pay the standard rate. Move on.
For rental cars, manage your exposure by using a personal transponder or activating the account within 48 hours of your first toll. Don’t let the rental agency’s processing fees turn a $9 toll into a $40 headache.
The system is designed to collect from you one way or another. Paying promptly and proactively is always the cheaper option.
