Frequently Asked Questions

We're always happy to answer questions and make sure Central Texans know the facts. Here are some of our most frequently asked questions. Feel free to contact us if we can provide you with information that is not available below.

What is TxTag and how does it work?

TxTag is an electronic sticker that mounts on the inside of a vehicle's windshield behind the rearview mirror. The sticker has a small transponder inside that communicates with an overhead antenna at toll facilities, allowing drivers to pay tolls electronically. The toll is deducted from a toll account that is set up ahead of time by the customer.

Many newer toll roads have TxTag lanes that allow drivers to pay tolls without slowing down or passing through an old-fashioned toll booth. The Mobility Authority offers a 25% discount to customers who use TxTag on 183A and other Mobility Authority toll roads. TxTag is accepted on toll roads throughout the state. Toll roads in Central Texas also accept toll tags from Dallas and Houston.

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What is a Toll Bill and why did I receive one?

Toll Bills are received by drivers who use Central Texas toll roads without having a TxTag, TollTag or EZ TAG account. If you received a Toll Bill, a vehicle registered in your name has recently traveled on a Central Texas toll road. Be aware that if you lease or loan your vehicle to someone else, Texas law dictates that the registered vehicle owner is responsible for paying any tolls incurred in that vehicle. Failure to pay a Toll Bill can result in additional fees and court fines.

Toll Bills are part of the Pay By Mail program. Equipment on the expressways take pictures of vehicle license plates and that information is used to identify the registered owner of the vehicle. A Toll Bill is then sent to the registered owner’s address.

Toll rates for Pay By Mail customers are higher than for drivers with a TxTag to offset the cost of processing license plate information and mailing the Toll Bill. In addition, each Toll Bill comes with a $1.00 processing charge. Depending on which toll roads you use, you may be issued separate Toll Bills.

Pay By Mail customers have 30 days to pay their bill either in person, via check, online or over the phone.

Click here to pay your Texas Toll Bill online.

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What is a Toll Violation and how do I resolve it?

Pay By Mail customers are given 30 days to pay their Toll Bill. In some situations honest customers may accidentally fail to pay their Toll Bill for a variety of reasons. In other cases, individuals intent on breaking the law may intentionally not pay their fair share. Here are the steps a Pay By Mail customer can expect if they fail to pay their bill:

  • Failure to pay a Toll Bill within 30 days will result in the vehicle owner receiving a Notice of Toll Violation. An additional $15 fee is added to the original Toll Bill.
  • Failure to pay a Notice of Toll Violation within 30 days will result in the vehicle owner receiving a Final Notice of Toll Violation. An additional $15 fee is added to the original Toll Bill.
  • Failure to remit payment within 30 days of receiving a Final Notice of Toll Violation will result in the vehicle owner being referred to a collections agency.
  • If the collection agency is unsuccessful in recovering the money that is due, the vehicle owner may be charged with a misdemeanor.

Click here to pay your Texas toll violation online

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Why can’t I pay cash on 183A?

More than 80% of customers now use TxTag and it no longer makes sense to staff cash toll booths 24 hours a day. Cashless toll collection is more cost effective, improves safety, speeds up traffic, reduces vehicle emissions, and conserves fuel by eliminating the need to stop and pay a toll. Thanks to improved technologies, the Mobility Authority can now offers a license plate based "Pay by Mail" program for customers who don't have a TxTag account but still wish to use the toll road.

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By building toll roads, aren't Central Texans being "double taxed?"

No, for two reasons:

  • Tolls are not a tax. Taxes are mandatory; everyone pays them, whether or not they use the services those taxes support. Everyone who drives pays gasoline taxes, regardless of what roads they drive on. Tolls are voluntary; they're paid only by people who choose to use specific toll roads and lanes. Tolls are no different than the user fees charged for public transit, public parks and public parking facilities.
  • There is no "double" tax. Every major road project in Central Texas is part of a regional transportation network that's built and maintained with local, state and federal funds. Regardless of how those funds are allocated to individual projects, this whole network is far from being "paid for." Tolls provide additional revenue to help the region build and maintain the road network it needs - and do so more quickly.
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Why aren't the funds raised by the gas tax paying for new road construction?

They are. But the gas tax, at current levels, doesn't raise nearly enough money to build and maintain the road network Central Texas needs.

  • The Federal government hasn't increased its gas tax since 1993, and Texas hasn't seen a state gas tax increase since 1991. With the impacts of inflation, the 20 cents per gallon gas tax is worth less than 15 cents a gallon today. Surveys have shown that voluntary tolls are more popular than mandatory taxes.
  • Texas is a "donor state" that gets less in funding than it pays in federal gas taxes. The state also does not use all its gas tax revenue directly on road projects. Right now, the Texas Department of Transportation spends as much each year on highway maintenance as it collects in gas tax revenue. As more roads are built, a greater share of available funding goes to maintenance, leaving less money to build new transportation facilities.
  • Gas tax revenues collected in Central Texas do not always return to the region. The Mobility Authority uses local dollars to meet local needs. All toll revenues generated in Central Texas will be used on projects here in the region.

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Why are toll roads being built now?

We need them now. The new toll roads and lanes in Central Texas are projects that have long been part of the region’s transportation plans. Today, Central Texans do much of their driving on roads that were built decades ago. We need to build the next generation of highway projects now to serve the region as it continues to grow.

Even though highways like I-35 and MoPac were built to serve Austin for generations, the region’s growth has been so fast that the road network hasn’t kept up. More recent projects, like U.S. 183 (Research Blvd.) and Texas 71 (Ben White Blvd.) have taken decades and still aren’t finished. We can build toll projects more quickly than under the traditional gas-tax-funded, pay-as-you-go system.

We also need to build those projects before it’s too late — before corridors get developed, while right-of-way is still affordable, before road projects would require displacing and disrupting large sections of the community.

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How will toll roads benefit Central Texas?

The current mobility crisis in Central Texas is bad for everyone — bad for the environment, for the economy, for public safety, and for quality of life.

New toll roads and lanes give drivers more choices and allow them to spend less time on the road. Traffic congestion causes air pollution, and a more efficient road network will help improve air quality. It will also reduce the threats to public safety now caused by crowded highways and cut-through traffic in neighborhoods.

New toll roads and lanes will also produce revenue to support other components of the regional transportation network — including mass transit service and bicycle lanes and trails.


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Will "free" roads be converted to toll roads?

No. Many of the new toll roads are to be constructed in existing highway corridors. The toll roads will be built in the middle of or alongside the existing toll-free facility. In many cases the non-tolled facility will be upgraded improving mobility for everyone including those who choose not to use the toll roads.

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Will the construction of toll roads pose a threat to our environment?

Building any road - whether toll or "free" - requires taking steps to protect the environment. As a local agency, the Mobility Authority staff recognizes the importance of protecting the natural resources that are unique to Central Texas.

Most of the Mobility Authority's projects are outside the most environmentally sensitive areas in Central Texas. These projects will help direct future growth away from the places where Central Texans don't want it. Any Mobility Authority projects in sensitive areas will be extensively studied and scrutinized. The Mobility Authority will work closely with environmental groups, neighborhood residents and all interested stakeholders to ensure projects are developed in a manner that is consistent with community needs and desires.

It is important to note that many of the roadway corridors where toll roads are planned have outdated environmental control systems. As the toll roads are constructed and the older non-tolled roads are upgraded, modern water retention facilities will be constructed, improving water quality and reducing the risk of flooding. Also, reducing congestion will result in less air pollution.

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