Harsher Penalties for Toll Skippers on PA Turnpike Takes Effect This Summer

75 PA. C.S. § 1380 ("Section 1380") will be taking effect this summer and will allow the PA Transportation Department to suspend the vehicle registration of motorists who fail to pay six or more violations for evading tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The new law also applies to bridges operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Section 1380 was passed in an effort to recover the millions of dollars in unpaid tolls.

The problem started in recent years due to the increase in the use of electronic tolling. Motorists, mostly out-of-state drivers who do not have an E-ZPass account, drive through the unmanned E-ZPass lane without intending to pay. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission operates cameras that take pictures of license plates on vehicles moving through the E-ZPass lanes. The commission would then send out two letters to toll evaders, and if no payment is made the case is turned over to a collection agency. However, despite the collection agency's best efforts, the amount of written-off toll revenue has been increasing annually. The commission wrote off $5.4 million in unpaid tolls in fiscal year 2015-2016, an increase of $1.7 million from fiscal year 2014-2015. Around $766 million in E-ZPass revenue was collected in the fiscal year 2015-2016.

The transportation department will charge an $88 fee to restore the registration of any motor vehicle suspended under the law. In addition, the law allows the commission to enter reciprocal agreements with other toll agencies to pursue out-of-state violators. Section 1380 was floating around the legislation for several years, but interest sparked after a state auditor general's report, issued in September 2016, suggested that an increase in toll violations could create financial problems for the turnpike.  

For more information or similar articles, visit the Our Thoughts On blog or contact Schneider Downs.

You’ve heard our thoughts… We’d like to hear yours

The Schneider Downs Our Thoughts On blog exists to create a dialogue on issues that are important to organizations and individuals. While we enjoy sharing our ideas and insights, we’re especially interested in what you may have to say. If you have a question or a comment about this article – or any article from the Our Thoughts On blog – we hope you’ll share it with us. After all, a dialogue is an exchange of ideas, and we’d like to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].

Material discussed is meant for informational purposes only, and it is not to be construed as investment, tax, or legal advice. Please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, this information should be relied upon when coordinated with individual professional advice.

© 2024 Schneider Downs. All rights-reserved. All content on this site is property of Schneider Downs unless otherwise noted and should not be used without written permission.

our thoughts on
Auto Industry Value and Economic Indicators
Governor Shapiro's Proposed FY 2024-25 PA Budget
PA Tax Credit Aggregation
Diversifying Revenues in the Trucking Industry: Strategies for Growth
Automobile, Tax BY Steven Barber
Dealers Get an Extension for Time-of-Sale Reports for EVs
Automobile, Tax BY Steven Barber
Shocking! A Dealer Reporting EV Sales to the IRS is Confusing!
Register to receive our weekly newsletter with our most recent columns and insights.
Have a question? Ask us!

We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a note, and we’ll respond to you as quickly as possible.

Ask us
contact us
Pittsburgh

This site uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best user experience. Cookies assist in navigation, analyzing traffic and in our marketing efforts as described in our Privacy Policy.

×