What happens if you were unable to give exact change at a toll booth?

Question

I was driving through New Jersey a few weeks ago and there were two series of tolls that required the exact change of 70 cents. I only had cash and pennies and nickels on me so I wasn't able to pay enough and there was no one around to make change. I felt pretty darn lame-o but there was nothing I could do.

Now I'm curious: Does anyone know if they will track me down and send me a bill for $1.40? Or does Jersey have bigger fish to fry? I don't understand why tolls require exact change sometimes, it seems like a lot of people don't really carry around change these days. This whole situation is kind of amusing to me.

Answer 1

I heard they give a couple free passes before they ticket you.

Answer 2

NJ is weird.  The toll system operates on an honor system, most of the time no one pays and the state really doesn't do anything about it, unless you drove through an E-ZPass lane.  Usually, if you do not have exact change, there is an Cash booth that gives change.  

I know this out of pure boredom, but if you miss a toll and are coming up to another toll, simply go into a Cash lane and tell the attendant that you missed a toll.  Some of the tolls that are on the exit ramps even have envelopes which you can take and mail them the toll.

Toll evasion carries up to a $200 fine plus the tolls missed.  Rarely happens, but there are cameras in the lanes, so it is trackable.  

I think NJ allows 3 missed tolls or somewhere in that vicinity.

Answer 3

I don't know.  They might send you a bill, or if you put in a few nickels or whatever you had and came out short then they might let it slide.