NTTA Clarifies ZipCash Media Story

A recent story on the local news incorrectly presented information regarding toll transactions and a claim that a car was tolled while sitting in a junkyard.  Though the NTTA is prohibited from discussing individual account information or providing customer information to the media or to anyone other than the registered owner of the vehicle, we believe it is important to provide our customers with additional information regarding this report.

The story described a scenario in which a customer claimed a car was in the junkyard at the time it was billed for traveling through a tolling point.  This scenario could only happen under the following circumstances: 

1. The license plate was stolen and/or placed on another vehicle without proper DMV documentation.
2. The registered owner of the vehicle did not remove the plates and/or file a vehicle transfer notification with the DMV when the vehicle was sold or the title transferred.

In any case, the NTTA only sends ZipCash invoices to the registered owner of the vehicle.  It is the responsibility of vehicle owners to ensure their Department of Motor Vehicles records are up to date especially if an owner sells or transfers ownership of a vehicle.  The law requires that when you transfer ownership of a vehicle or no longer own a vehicle, you must update your vehicle registration information with the DMV within 30 days.

To generate a ZipCash invoice, the NTTA takes a photo of a license plate traveling through a tolling point, and if that image is legible and not connected to a valid TollTag account, the license plate is matched to DMV records, and the owner is billed.  The NTTA does not send invoices until a vehicle/license plate accumulates at least five transactions.  Once a fifth transaction for a specific license plate is generated, all prior transactions for that vehicle, regardless of how old, are invoiced.

To un-assign tolls, the NTTA requires DMV proof that the owner did not own this license plate and/or the vehicle at the time of the transactions. 

If drivers choose to travel on North Texas toll roads, drivers must pay for the service with a TollTag or ZipCash, NTTA’s pay-by-mail billing process at a 50 percent higher toll rate.  NTTA understands that drivers have a choice when they travel, and hope they select NTTA toll roads because of the safe and efficient traveling experience.