Learn How Illinois Tollway Pay By Plate Works

What Is Illinois Tollway Pay By Plate?

Illinois Tollway Pay By Plate is an automatic toll payment system that captures vehicle license plate images as cars pass through toll plazas or gantries. Instead of stopping at a booth or using a transponder device, the system photographs your license plate, matches it to your vehicle registration, and bills you for the toll charges. The Illinois Tollway, which operates the I-Pass system, introduced Pay By Plate as an option for drivers who do not have a transponder or who occasionally use Illinois toll roads.

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The system works across all Illinois Tollway facilities, including the Chicago Skyway and the Northern, Central, and Southern Tollways. When your vehicle passes through a tolled area, high-speed cameras capture clear images of your plate in all weather conditions and at any time of day. The technology uses optical character recognition (OCR) to read the plate number automatically. Within days, the Illinois Tollway matches that plate number to vehicle registration records maintained by the Illinois Secretary of State and determines the vehicle owner's address.

Pay By Plate differs from the I-Pass transponder system in several ways. An I-Pass is a small electronic device you mount on your windshield that communicates with toll readers as you approach a toll point. With I-Pass, you receive discounted toll rates. Pay By Plate charges the standard cash rate, which is higher than the I-Pass rate. For example, as of 2024, an I-Pass user might pay $1.50 for a toll that costs $2.50 through Pay By Plate.

The Illinois Tollway began rolling out all-electronic tolling (cashless toll collection) in 2020, which meant removing traditional toll booths where drivers could pay cash. Pay By Plate became the automatic billing method for drivers without transponders. According to Illinois Tollway data, roughly 30 percent of toll transactions now occur through Pay By Plate, with the remainder split between I-Pass users and commercial vehicles.

Practical Takeaway: Pay By Plate is an automatic system that bills you by mail based on your license plate. You do not need to take any action at a toll plaza—the system identifies your vehicle, records the toll, and sends you a bill to your registered address.

How the License Plate Capture and Billing Process Works

When your vehicle drives through an Illinois Tollway toll zone, multiple cameras positioned above or beside the roadway capture high-resolution images of your front and rear license plates. These cameras operate continuously, 24 hours a day, and function in rain, snow, fog, and darkness. The images are transmitted to processing centers where automated software reads the plate characters and records the toll transaction.

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The Illinois Tollway's toll collection system compares the captured plate number against the Illinois Secretary of State vehicle registration database. The system looks up the registered owner's name, address, and vehicle information. This matching process typically takes one to three business days. Once matched, the tollway generates a toll bill and mails it to the address on file with the Illinois Secretary of State, not to a P.O. box or alternate address.

Toll bills are usually mailed within 5 to 7 days of the toll transaction. A single bill may contain multiple tolls if you pass through several toll plazas within the same billing period. The bill includes the date and time of each toll transaction, the toll location, and the amount charged. You can also view your toll history online through the Illinois Tollway website by entering your license plate number (though you do not need to create an account to pay).

Payment for Pay By Plate tolls can be made through several methods: online using a credit card, debit card, or electronic check; by phone; or by mail. The Illinois Tollway does not require you to set up a payment plan in advance. Each bill is independent, and you pay when you receive it. Late payments result in additional fees. According to the Illinois Tollway's 2023 report, the average household receiving Pay By Plate bills pays between $8 and $45 per month, depending on toll road usage frequency.

If your vehicle's license plate is difficult to read due to damage, dirt, or unusual formatting, the toll system may have trouble matching it to your registration. The Illinois Tollway maintains a process to investigate unmatched plates. If a plate cannot be matched within 90 days, the tollway may send a notice to the vehicle owner requesting verification of ownership. Providing clear, current registration information helps ensure accurate and timely billing.

Practical Takeaway: Your bill arrives by mail within one to two weeks of passing through a toll zone. The bill shows each toll transaction separately and can be paid online, by phone, or by mail when you receive it.

Understanding the Cost Difference Between Pay By Plate and I-Pass

The Illinois Tollway charges different rates for Pay By Plate and I-Pass users. Pay By Plate rates are set at the standard cash rate, while I-Pass transponder rates are discounted. This pricing structure encourages drivers who frequently use toll roads to obtain an I-Pass, which reduces their overall toll expenses. As of 2024, the discount for I-Pass users ranges from 25 to 40 percent depending on the specific toll plaza and vehicle type.

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For example, on a typical Chicago Skyway toll, an I-Pass user with a standard passenger vehicle might pay $1.35, while a Pay By Plate user pays $2.50 for the same toll. Over a year, a commuter who crosses the Skyway 250 times annually would pay roughly $620 more using Pay By Plate compared to I-Pass. Multiplied across all Illinois Tollways, the annual difference for a regular commuter can exceed $1,000.

The Illinois Tollway justifies this pricing by pointing out that I-Pass transponders are supplied at no cost and allow the tolls to be collected electronically without manual processing. I-Pass users also receive account management options, the ability to pre-load funds, and transaction reporting tools. Pay By Plate, while convenient, requires staff to process bills and handle payments for each transaction, which the tollway reflects in higher per-toll charges.

Certain drivers may find Pay By Plate cost-effective despite the higher rate. Occasional users who cross a toll plaza only a few times per year may pay less overall than purchasing and maintaining an I-Pass account. Someone who crosses the Skyway five times annually would pay approximately $12.50 through Pay By Plate versus establishing an I-Pass account (which has no setup fee but requires account maintenance). However, this calculation changes quickly if usage increases even modestly.

Commercial vehicles and trucks using Illinois Tollways face different rate structures altogether. Class 2 vehicles (pick-up trucks and small commercial vehicles) typically pay approximately 25 percent more than standard passenger cars. Larger Class 3 and Class 4 commercial vehicles pay proportionally higher tolls. These rates apply whether the vehicle uses I-Pass or Pay By Plate, though I-Pass discounts are still available for commercial accounts.

Practical Takeaway: Pay By Plate costs 25 to 40 percent more per toll than I-Pass. If you use tolls regularly (more than 10 to 15 times per year), an I-Pass transponder will likely reduce your total toll expenses.

Managing Your Pay By Plate Account and Viewing Toll History

The Illinois Tollway offers an online portal where you can view toll transactions associated with your license plate without creating a formal account. Visit the Illinois Tollway website, navigate to the Pay By Plate section, and enter your license plate number to see recent tolls you have been charged. The system displays the date, time, location, and amount of each toll transaction. You can typically view the past 60 to 90 days of transaction history through this lookup tool.

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This viewing capability serves several purposes. You can verify that tolls you expected to pay have been recorded correctly. If you drove through a toll zone but do not see the toll listed, the system may still be processing the image, which can take up to three business days. You can also identify duplicate charges if you were billed twice for a single passage (a rare but possible issue). Additionally, you can check tolls before your physical bill arrives in the mail, allowing you to budget for upcoming payments.

If you notice an error—such as a toll appearing twice or a toll charged at the wrong location—you can file a dispute through the Illinois Tollway website