Florida Toll Roads - Surprise bill in the mail
 

The last time we came to The Villages we rented a car and toured around Florida just to check the state out. We remember driving on a couple of toll roads that did not have a toll gate to stop at and pay the toll.

It seems the car rental company got the tolls (and an administration fee....) and forward them on to us for payment.

My question is..... How do you pay for tolls where there are no gates or coin baskets to pay the tolls? Do you register your car/license plate with the state?

Thanks

The rental car should have given you an option for fast pass. A lot of times it's already attached in a shielded box on the windshield, to use it you simply open the box. I'm sure there is a fee on top of the toll to use it. You can also purchase your own at Public's.

You need to get a Florida fast pass. Public's has removable and permanent ones.

Link to Florida Sun Pass. https://www.sunpass.com/index

There was a previous discussion about this a while back. I got two $51 fees from Dollar rent a car. I never saw the toll booths. They are there, it just looks like an exit that you do not want to take but in fact it is a toll booth, right outside the airport both ways it seems, as that is where I got it. I did not take out the pass as I was just staying at TV and in fact did not even drive the car around but once. Hard lesson to learn about toll booths!

If you always stay in the right-hand lane you will come upon the toll booth for cash paying drivers. If you stay in the left lane and proceed through the toll area (which is for sunpass vehicles only) that's where you will encounter the problem. If you think back to your travels try to remember if you were in the left hand lane. Probably difficult to recall but I'm sure that's where the problem for you exists. Also, when you get a detailed list of your violations, it will describe exactly which lane you were in when you went through the toll.

I normally rent from Enterprise and they will just add the tolls to your rental...no penalities. The toll booths take a photo of the license plate and sends to the owner (Enterprise), who then charges you the appropriate amount. Next time, ask your rental car company about the tolls.

Last time I rented a car, I was charged $5.00 additional for tolls...

Some of the more secluded exit toll booths are unmanned or should I say "unpersoned".

Joe is right. Some exits are marked that you must have Sunpass to exit there.

All the car rental agencies offer the Sunpass transponder at an additional fee. It is well worth taking it instead of having to pay a fine. Florida is kind of famous for it's toll roads and how to get the most money from tourists - especially around the airport.

If I understand the OP correctly, he says that "a couple of the toll roads did not have a toll gate to stop at and pay the toll". I understand that there are some obscure exits that are unmanned, however, they do have a "basket" to accept cash. Since he says that there was no toll gate, I'm still thinking that he was on a stretch of toll road that allows sunpass customers to stay in the left lane and proceed without having to stop (as was the case for many years before they modified the toll both areas). Vehicles that do not have a sunpass are directed to the right hand lanes to pay cash. I may be wrong, but I still think that was the original problem here.

There are several toll roads (many in the Orlando area) that do not have any toll booths (for cash or Sunpass). There are overhead structures that detect the Sunpass (or photograph vehicle license plates if the Sunpass transponder is not detected). Usually the entrance to these roads have signage indicating a Sunpass is required.

I bought my Sunpass at Publix for $4.99 and that $4.99 was credited to my Sunpass account once I set it up online.

Captain Jon is correct..... I had no way to pay and now I know.

Looks like I will have to go to Publix and purchase the correct equipment when I make TV my home on October 1st.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to my question.

In a related incident, last week we were in our own car leaving NY and entering the Garden State parkway southbound toward Atlantic City in commuter traffic. The GPS had been telling me for a few miles to stay left for Garden State Pky south. So I'm the leftmost lane when I see that about four left lanes are for EZPASS only. There's a fork in the road, and about six right lanes going to the toll booths. There were no booths for EZPASS, just overhead electronics and cameras. It will be interesting so see what kind of notification I get from New Jersey.

I just took a look at the Sunpass online location and see it's pretty easy to purchase one online. I think Florida has another type of prepaid toll arrangement. Am I going to need one of those also?

Colorado has the same system also. Main road out of the Airport to Boulder has unmanned toll booths. I mistakenly turned down the pass offered by Dollar, not realizing the booths were unmanned, and since I was only going to use the road once on arriving and once on leaving. Figured to pay as we go. Mistake. Billed by Dollar for the tolls, of course, but also billed a $25 administrative fee for each toll booth going and returning (4 total).
My understanding is that Florida is going to go to unmanned booths for tolls, either very soon, or 1st of year.

We just drove back up from the Keys and there were signs posted that toll charges would be charged based on the license platr. i took that to mean that in that area if people don't get a sun Pass then in order to keep traffic flowing they will take photo of plate and mail charges. if this is true the admin caost have to be huge????

Sorry but you are wrong.

There are many sun pass only toll roads and every year there are more. We are snowbirds and have had a sun pass for three years. Its free, and many bridges and airport parking are included.

When you activate and register your SUNPASS, you will list any of the cars and license plates that will be using it. Then, if any of those cars goes through the toll area without the pass on-board, the system (either automatically or manually by an operator) matches the vehicle to your account, and debits the toll.

Assuming that NJ has the same system as FL, I'd be expecting the same type of notification. Damn those GPS gadgets!!! Left lane if you have a pass-right lane for cash.

That's good to know. One reason I haven't gotten Sunpass is I figured it would be in the wrong car when I needed it! Sort of like my umbrella!

we have the one you can move to other cars

It is also important to realize that with the Sunpass you get a discount on many of the tolls. It turns out to be pretty significant if you take the FL Turnpike from TV to Miami and back.

The $4.99 pass is not able to be used in more than one car. It's affixed to the windshield with a pretty strong glue. It warns you in the instructions that if you try to remove it for some reason it will become inoperative.
If it's going to be moved from one vehicle to another, obtain the more expensive one that's designed for multi-use.

Why not just get a transponder for each car and affix it to the windshield. Transponders are cost neutral, as you get the purchase price back in toll credits.

When living in Chicago, we had I-Pass transponders in all our cars, linked to one account. In fact, we still have the Chicago transponders and use them for our periodic trips up north...

Since the OP now has the info regarding the unpaid tolls, I would be curious to know where and what toll roads were involved. It might help clear up some of the misinformation on this thread. I'm sure if the OP were billed then there would have to be some supporting documentation as to the details of the violations such as which road, the time and date of the violation, etc. I use Sunpass frequently and I can tell you that there is no detail left to the imagination!! Includes: Road, date, time (to the second), lane number and toll charge. I think the only info not posted is the weather conditions at the time of the toll?? OP-please help us clairify this for you.

A number of state tollway systems are tied in with each other. For example we can use our IL transponders in IN, WV etc., etc. and vice versa.

It's too bad FL isn't in this system, it would make travel more convenient for a lot motorists from other states.

True, but since my other "car" is a golf cart and I don't plan on driving it on any highways, the $4.99 pass works great for me!

I got a bill along with a picture of my rear plate in the mail the other day for running a 75 cent toll and a $2.50 admin charge. I have a Sunpass. I've been using it a lot lately. I noticed a low balance warning as I went through the toll. My account is set up for automatic replenish. I called Sunpass and was told that my car wasn't registered with them and if it was the bill would would have gone directly to Sunpass. I know I registered my car when I purchased the stick on Sunpass but whatever. Sunpass took care of the admin fee and charged 75 cents to my account for the toll. I increased the replenish amount to avoid this in the future.

Missed a toll in Orlando on my way to TV last month. Thrifty is supposed to bill my credit card $25 -- but I haven't received the notice yet. Thrifty wanted $6.00 per day while I rented the car for a temporary Sunpass, but I declined as I was only going to use the tollway the 2 days I was in Orlando traveling to and from the airport. I was also told by Thrifty that all tolls in Florida will be unmanned by Jan. 1, 2013. Not great for the tourists...or TV wannabees flying in and out of Orlando.