How to Pay for a Missed Tollway in Illinois

Illinois' Tollway system is not funded by state or federal tax dollars, but rather is paid for solely by the tolls collected at various points along the state's highways. The system's board of directors sets the price for each toll, and if you accidentally miss paying you need to remit payment as soon as possible. Fortunately, you won't have to put yourself in a potentially dangerous situation, like turning around, to correct your mistake. Illinois makes it easy to pay the missed toll online or by mail.

Jot down the location, name and number of the toll plaza, as well as the date and time that you passed through. Next, gather your license plate number and calculate how much you owe for the toll. If you aren't sure as to the exact amount, Illinois Tollway has a trip calculator on their website.

The quickest and easiest way to pay your toll is to use the Illinois Tollway website. Click the Pay Tolls/Violations button and review the eligibility criteria before continuing. For example, if you live outside of the United States, you'll have to mail your payment. Select the Calculate or Pay Unpaid Tolls button if it has been seven days or less since the violation occurred. If more than seven days has passed, select Search by Plate. Follow the prompts to enter your route, vehicle information and the date and time you went through the toll plaza. Then add your personal and payment details, and confirm the information is correct before submitting payment. All payments made within the seven-day grace period are exempt from additional fines.

To make a payment by mail download the Unpaid Toll Payment form from the Illinois Tollway website. Fill out as much of the information as you can, including the date and time of the missed toll, the plaza name and number, the registered vehicle owner's name, the license plate number and the total amount due. Mail the form and your payment to Illinois Tollway, P.O. Box 5382, Chicago, Illinois, 60680-5382 within seven days of the violation and you won't have to pay any additional fees.

To avoid missing tolls in the future, consider signing up for I-PASS. A small device is placed in your car and linked to an I-PASS account. Once you open and fund the I-PASS account, the required amount is automatically deducted when you pass through a toll plaza. There's no forgetting to pay a toll, so no need to worry about missed payments.