1. Home
  2. FAQs
  3. Toll Violations FAQs

Toll Violations FAQs

TCA has an agreement with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to receive license plate information and authorize vehicle registration holds. TCA's authority stems from 1996 California state laws (the Streets and Highways Code and California Vehicle Code).

You can pay tolls via our online toll payment option within 5 days before or five days after driving The Toll Roads. It may be used as often as needed. You can also pay a toll using our free app for Apple and Android devices.

You can dispute a violation by filling out the "Contest of Notice" portion of your "Notice of Toll Evasion." This notice is typically mailed to you within two weeks of driving The Toll Roads without paying. Please include a written explanation for contesting the violation. We will investigate the circumstances and provide the results by mail.

If you are not satisfied with the results of the initial investigation, you can request an administrative review within 15 days of the postmark date of the results of the initial investigation. If you are not satisfied with the results of the second review, you can file an appeal with the municipal court. The procedures for administrative review and appeal are set forth in California Vehicle Code, Section 40255 and 40256.

You most likely received a violation because your transponder failed to read and your license plate is not on file with the your tolling agency. To resolve the violation, you should:

  • Contact the tolling agency that maintains your FasTrak account, update your vehicle information and check the status of your account.
  • Obtain a copy of your account Statement  for the dates of the violation. This statement essentially states that your FasTrak account was in good standing on the date the violation(s) occurred.
  • Email or fax the statement along with a copy of your Toll Roads violation notice to Customerservice@thetollroads.com / Fax: (949)727-4991.

Visit the Toll Violation section of our website or call (949) 727-4800. Please know your violation and reference numbers, which are located in the first column of your Notice of Toll Evasion. To prevent future violations, please:

  • Make sure your FasTrak/ExpressAccount is up-to-date. Check to see if your method of replenishment has sufficient funds. Update your account online with new payment information, add new vehicle license plates and more, or call (949) 727-4800. For online account access, you will need your account number and password.
  • If you've recently purchased a new car, make sure to add your new license plate number to your account. You will need your account number and password to access your account.
  • Make sure your transponder is properly mounted to your windshield for proper reading.

You can pay your violation on the Toll Violation page of our website or tear off the bottom portion of the notice and send a check for the amount due to: The Toll Roads Violations Dept., PO Box 50190, Irvine, CA 92619-0190.

If you previously disputed a violation and are not satisfied with the outcome, you may appeal the decision by completing a Request for Administrative Review.

If a driver uses The Toll Roads and does not use FasTrak®, an ExpressAccount® or pay a toll online, a violation will be processed for each transaction. A violation penalty will be assessed in addition to the toll, consistent with our current policy for non-payment.

To meet our obligation to collect tolls for every vehicle that uses The Toll Roads, a violation enforcement process is in place:

  • If a driver passes through a tolled location without paying using FasTrak, an ExpressAccount or paying the toll online, pictures of the vehicle are taken.
  • These pictures are reviewed and the plate information is sent to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The DMV provides the name and address of the registered owner. The registered owner will receive a violation notice in the mail (usually within two weeks).
  • Each violation transaction is assessed a $57.50 penalty in addition to the toll amount due. If the registered owner has no previous violations, the penalties will be waived. This is a courtesy for first time violators only.
  • If a driver fails to respond as outlined in the violation notice, an additional $42.50 penalty may be assessed and a hold may be placed on the vehicle's registration.
  • Violation notices are mailed to the address the DMV has on file for the vehicle at the time of the violation.

If you have questions, please call our Violations Department at (949) 727-4800.

Each violation is assessed a $57.50 penalty in addition to the toll amount due. For example, if you did not pay the required toll to pass through the 241 Toll Road's Windy Ridge Toll Point during the weekend, you would be required to pay $61.00 - a $57.50 penalty plus the $3.50 toll (weekend toll rate). 

If you fail to respond to the first violation notice, a second violation notice will be mailed to you with an additional $42.50 penalty. Failure to respond to the second notice could result in a DMV-hold being put on the vehicle's registration.

View All FAQs

Back to Top