What Pay By Plate is and how it charges your vehicle
Pay By Plate is Illinois Tollway's system for charging tolls to vehicles that do not have an I-PASS transponder. When you drive through a toll plaza without a transponder, overhead cameras photograph your license plate, and the tollway sends you an invoice by mail.
The tollway uses automatic license plate recognition to identify your vehicle and match it to your vehicle registration. The invoice arrives at the address on file with the Illinois Secretary of State. You then pay the toll amount plus a Pay By Plate processing fee, which varies depending on the toll amount and the number of times you use the tollway.
Pay By Plate is not a subscription or account you sign up for. It is a fallback system that activates automatically whenever your vehicle passes through a toll plaza without a valid transponder. You do not need to do anything in advance—the system identifies you through your license plate and registration.
Key Takeaways
- Pay By Plate invoices are mailed to the address on your vehicle registration with the Illinois Secretary of State, so you must keep that address current.
- Each Pay By Plate toll includes a processing fee on top of the base toll amount, making it more expensive than using an I-PASS transponder.
- If you receive a Pay By Plate invoice, you can pay it online through the Illinois Tollway website, by phone, or by mail within the payment important date.
- Repeated unpaid Pay By Plate invoices can result in vehicle registration suspension and collection action, so paying on time protects your ability to renew your registration.
How much Pay By Plate costs compared to I-PASS
The base toll amount is the same whether you use Pay By Plate or I-PASS. The difference is the processing fee. Illinois Tollway charges a Pay By Plate fee on every transaction—this fee is added to your invoice and varies by toll plaza and transaction type.
For example, a toll that costs $2.50 with I-PASS might cost $3.50 or more with Pay By Plate once the processing fee is included. If you use the tollway frequently, these fees accumulate quickly. Over a month of commuting, Pay By Plate can cost significantly more than an I-PASS account, which has no per-transaction fees.
I-PASS transponders are free to obtain and can be used on toll roads across Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. If you regularly use Illinois tollways, getting an I-PASS transponder eliminates the processing fees and is the more economical choice.
Where to pay your Pay By Plate invoice
When you receive a Pay By Plate invoice in the mail, you have three ways to pay: online, by phone, or by mail. The invoice itself will list all three payment methods and the important date for payment.
The fastest method is online through the Illinois Tollway website (illinoistollway.com). You can enter your invoice number and pay with a credit card or debit card. Payment by phone is also available by calling the Illinois Tollway customer service line—the phone number appears on your invoice. If you prefer to mail a check, include your invoice number with your payment and send it to the address printed on the invoice.
Payment important date are typically 30 days from the invoice date. Paying before the important date avoids late fees and prevents your account from being referred to a collection agency.
What happens if you do not pay a Pay By Plate invoice
If you do not pay by the important date, the Illinois Tollway adds a late fee to your balance and may send the account to a collection agency. More importantly, unpaid Pay By Plate invoices can affect your vehicle registration renewal.
The Illinois Secretary of State can suspend your vehicle registration if you have outstanding tolls owed to the Illinois Tollway. This means you will not be able to renew your registration until the tolls are paid. If you attempt to renew and have unpaid tolls on record, your renewal will be denied, and you will be notified of the toll debt.
If your registration is suspended due to unpaid tolls, you must pay the outstanding balance to the Illinois Tollway before you can restore your registration status. Contact the Illinois Tollway directly to arrange payment and obtain a clearance letter, which you can then present to the Secretary of State to reinstate your registration.
Updating your address so invoices reach you
Pay By Plate invoices are mailed to the address on file with the Illinois Secretary of State, not to any address you provide to the tollway. If you have moved and have not updated your vehicle registration address, your invoices will go to your old address and you may not receive them.
To update your address, you must file a change of address with the Illinois Secretary of State. You can do this online through their website, by mail, or in person at a Secretary of State facility. Once your registration address is updated, future Pay By Plate invoices will be sent to your new address.
If you have already moved and suspect invoices may have been sent to an old address, contact the Illinois Tollway customer service to verify your current address on file and ask whether any unpaid invoices exist under your vehicle registration.
Getting an I-PASS transponder to avoid Pay By Plate fees
If you use Illinois tollways regularly, obtaining an I-PASS transponder eliminates Pay By Plate processing fees and provides a lower toll rate. I-PASS transponders are free and can be ordered online, by phone, or at a customer service center.
To order an I-PASS, visit illinoistollway.com or call the I-PASS customer service line. You will need your vehicle registration information and a valid payment method to set up an account. The transponder is mailed to you within a few business days and mounts on your windshield. Once installed, it communicates with toll plaza readers and deducts tolls from your prepaid account balance.
I-PASS accounts can be used on toll roads in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. If you travel across state lines on toll roads, I-PASS works at those facilities as well. Setting up an I-PASS account takes less than 10 minutes online and saves money on every toll transaction.
Pay By Plate and vehicle registration renewal
Before you renew your vehicle registration with the Illinois Secretary of State, the system checks whether you have any outstanding tolls owed to the Illinois Tollway. If unpaid Pay By Plate invoices are on record under your vehicle registration, your renewal will be blocked.
You will receive a notice explaining that your registration cannot be renewed due to outstanding tolls. To proceed with renewal, you must first pay the tolls to the Illinois Tollway. Once paid, the tollway updates the Secretary of State's records, and you can then complete your registration renewal.
This connection between toll payment and registration renewal means that ignoring a Pay By Plate invoice does not make it go away—it will eventually prevent you from renewing your registration, which is required to legally operate your vehicle. Paying invoices promptly keeps your registration status clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I dispute a Pay By Plate invoice if I think the charge is wrong?
Yes. Contact the Illinois Tollway customer service with your invoice number and explain the issue. They can review the transaction and correct errors such as duplicate charges or incorrect toll amounts. Keep your invoice and any supporting documentation when you contact them.
What if I did not receive a Pay By Plate invoice in the mail?
Check that your address is current with the Illinois Secretary of State. If you have moved, invoices may have been sent to an old address. Contact the Illinois Tollway directly with your license plate number to ask whether invoices exist under your registration and to update your mailing address on file.
Do I need to register for Pay By Plate or can I just use it?
You do not need to register or sign up. Pay By Plate activates automatically when you drive through a toll plaza without an I-PASS transponder. The tollway identifies your vehicle through your license plate and sends an invoice to your registration address.
Will Pay By Plate affect my credit score if I do not pay?
If an unpaid invoice is sent to a collection agency, it may appear on your credit report and affect your credit score. Paying within the important date avoids this outcome. Even if it does not reach collections, unpaid tolls will block your vehicle registration renewal.
Can I use Pay By Plate on other toll roads outside Illinois?
No. Pay By Plate is specific to Illinois Tollway facilities. Other states and toll operators have their own systems. If you travel on toll roads in other states, you will need to use their payment systems or obtain an I-PASS, which works on toll roads in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.