WSDOT: Unpaid toll fees are due March 1, 2023 before penalties kick in
SEATTLE - All unpaid toll fees in Washington state must be paid by March 1 before late fees start kicking in.
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the nearly two-year grace period that followed the launch of the new ‘Good to Go!’ online payment system is coming to an end on Wednesday.
Here is what will happen if toll bills are left unpaid by March 1, 2023:
- First Notice: Travelers will receive a second bill with a $5 reprocessing fee.
- Second Notice: Travelers will receive a $40 civil penalty for each unpaid toll fee.
- Third Notice: WSDOT will request a hold on the vehicle's registration with the Department of Licensing.
When WSDOT launched their ‘Good to Go!’ system in July 2021, late fees, civil penalties and requesting registration holds were paused. WSDOT's vendor, who created the online payment portal, needed sufficient time to make changes to the system in order to resume late fees and penalties. This gave Good to Go! customers a grace period to adjust to the new toll billing system.
"Our goal is to collect the toll to pay for important transportation investments," WSDOT Toll Division Director Edward Barry said. "We want to work with customers to resolve unpaid bills, avoid fees and help them lower their bills in the process."
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In the first year of Good to Go!, WSDOT launched the Pay As You Go option, which made it possible for customers to open an account without requiring a pre-payment of tolls.
More than 270,000 people created Pay As You Go accounts in the first year.
Roughly 90% of customers are now paying their tolls on time, according to WSDOT.
Customers with unpaid toll bills can take these steps to resolve their unpaid tolls:
- Open an online account at no cost at MyGoodToGo.com. Setting up an account will save each customer $1.75 on each unpaid toll.
- Those who cannot find their bill should call Good to Go! customer service at 1-866-8246. A representative will help customers locate their bills if their name, address and license plate number are provided.
- Travelers who believe there is an error on their toll bill can file a dispute at MyGoodToGo.com.
How to get a toll bill on-time waiver:
- Customers with a civil penalty can call customer service to request a one-time waiver of fees and penalties.
- Those who had fees and penalties waived before June 2021 have another opportunity under the new system to receive a one-time waiver.
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At any point in this payment process, customers can contact Good to Go! to lower their bill if they pay the outstanding tolls.
WSDOT says their call center will likely be very busy on March 1, and are encouraging customers to instead use the new self-service tools that are available as part of the new Good to Go! system.