Driving on toll roads throughout Texas is not only a daily occurrence, but it’s part of the lifestyle.
While it’s difficult to pinpoint how many people in Texas use toll roads, according to data from the North Texas Tollway Authority, more than 14 million drivers in North Texas use the tollway.
In Austin, more than 180,000 cars and trucks travel on MoPac. By 2035, the Central Texas Mobility Authority estimates that this number will rise to over 220,000 vehicles daily.
And in Houston, the Harris County Constable Precinct 7 estimates that more than 60 million vehicles travel on toll roads annually. Driving on a toll road can feel like a requirement to get around in any major city in Texas. But moving on these roads costs money.
According to a commissioned study by NTTA, the company made $1.19 billion in toll revenue in 2024. And according to an online forum by Courier Texas, North Texans are paying $100 a month on toll bills.
So what happens to Texans who drive through the toll but skimp on the bill? Here is what to know.
What happens if I don’t pay my toll bill?
Texas doesn’t have a state tax, but some would argue it treats its tollways like a tax.
In 2014, Texas Senate Bill 1792 was passed, granting authorities the ability to enforce toll penalties against habitual violators, including blocking vehicle registrations. The bill sought to ensure fair toll payments from all users while also permitting toll project entities to establish payment agreements for individuals unable to pay in full at once.
What is a habitual violator?
SB 1792 defines habitual violators of toll roads as registered owners of vehicles who have been issued two notices of non-payment for an aggregate of 100 or more unpaid toll charges within a 12-month period.
Habitual violators who have repeatedly disregarded payment requests may face enforcement actions such as vehicle registration renewal blocks, bans from Mobility Authority toll roads, on-road enforcement involving citations and fines, and potential vehicle impoundment.
What are the steps to becoming a habitual violator in Texas?
A habitual offender is someone who has been convicted of four or more moving violations in one year or seven or more moving violations in two years.
The law considers a driver a habitual violator if they’ve neglected to pay their toll bill and do the following:
Unpaid toll charges – A driver accumulates 100 or more unpaid tolls within a year.
Non-payment notices – The toll authority issues two written notices informing the driver of their outstanding balance.
Final warning – The notices include a warning that failure to pay may result in enforcement actions.
No payment made – If the driver does not settle the tolls and fees, they are officially designated as a habitual violator.
Enforcement actions – Once classified, the driver may face penalties such as:
Vehicle registration renewal blocks
On-road enforcement, including citations and fines
Texas law defines a habitual violator as a registered owner of a vehicle who has been issued two notices of non-payment for an aggregate of 100 or more unpaid toll charges within a 12-month period.
Can I still use the toll road once my bill is paid?
According to the Habitual Violator Program, customers seeking to resolve their habitual violator status have the option of payment plans. However, vehicle bans will remain in effect until at least 75% of the outstanding balance has been paid. Once that portion of the balance is cleared, a driver can use the tollway again.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Unpaid tolls in Texas? How to avoid being a habitual violator