Ohio Turnpike Toll.com

Payment methods

How to pay Ohio Turnpike tolls

Three ways to pay: E-ZPass at the discounted rate, or cash or card in the lanes at the cash/credit rate. Unpaid tolls are invoiced to the registered owner at a higher rate.

Quick answer: E-ZPass = cheapest (Class 1: $0.073/mi). Cash and card both pay the cash/credit rate ($0.106/mi for Class 1). Driving through without paying triggers a mailed invoice at the unpaid-toll rate, the most expensive tier.

E-ZPass

Highway-speed gantry, lowest rate

Drive through the dedicated E-ZPass lane at the posted speed. The gantry reads your tag at entry and exit and bills your account at the discounted Ohio rate. Full E-ZPass guide.

Cash

Take a ticket on entry, pay on exit

In the ticketed section, pull a paper ticket on entry, drive to your exit, hand the ticket over and pay in cash. Change is given. The cash/credit rate applies; E-ZPass runs about 31% below it for Class 1.

Credit / debit card

Cashier lane only, same rate as cash

Visa, Mastercard, AmEx and Discover are accepted at staffed lanes. Contactless tap-to-pay works at most plazas. The toll is charged at the published cash rate.

Unpaid-toll invoice

Plate photographed, invoice mailed

If you pass a toll point without a tag and without paying, the camera captures your plate and the Turnpike bills the registered owner by mail at the unpaid-toll rate, the highest tier, plus a $5 administrative fee for in-lane unpaid tolls.

How the toll ticket works

In short: the middle of the Turnpike is a take-a-ticket section. Cash drivers pull a paper ticket on entry and pay the cashier on exit, based on the entry and exit interchanges printed on it. E-ZPass drivers skip the ticket and are read electronically at each gantry. The two ends use flat barrier tolls instead of tickets.

  1. 1Enter the ticketed section. Between Swanton (milepost 48.9) and Newton Falls (milepost 211.0), pull a paper ticket from the machine, or drive through the E-ZPass lane to be logged automatically.
  2. 2Keep the ticket until you exit. It records your entry interchange. The fare is set by how far you travel, so the cashier needs both your entry and exit points.
  3. 3Pay on exit. Hand the ticket to the cashier and pay cash or card at the cash/credit rate, or let your E-ZPass account settle at the discounted rate. Change is given for cash.
  4. 4Lose the ticket, pay the maximum. With no ticket to prove your entry point, you are billed the maximum toll for the ticketed section, as if you drove its full length. Keep it visible.

The two ends are flat barriers, not tickets: Westgate (milepost 4.6) tolls both directions; Eastgate (milepost 238.7) tolls westbound traffic only, at a round-trip rate. See the toll calculator for the exact fare between any two interchanges.

At the plaza, lane by lane

LaneWho uses itSpeedRate
E-ZPass dedicatedTag-equipped vehiclesHighway speed at modern plazas, 25 mph at older onesE-ZPass rate
Cashier (staffed)Cash, card, lost-ticket payersStop and payCash rate
Unpaid toll (billed by mail)No tag, no stopRoll past the toll pointUnpaid-toll rate, plus $5 fee

What happens if you don't pay

  1. 1First invoice arrives in the mail. Sent to the registered vehicle owner at the unpaid-toll rate, plus a $5 administrative fee for in-lane unpaid tolls.
  2. 2Pay by the due date. Pay online at ohioturnpike.org, by mail, or by phone.
  3. 3Late fee. A $5 fee is added if the first invoice is not paid by its due date; further penalties stack on continued non-payment.
  4. 4Registration hold. Persistent non-payment can result in your registration being held by the Ohio BMV. Some other states have reciprocity arrangements.

FAQ

How does the Ohio Turnpike toll ticket work?+
The middle of the Turnpike, between the Swanton plaza (milepost 48.9) and the Newton Falls plaza (milepost 211.0), is a ticketed section. Cash drivers pull a paper ticket from the machine on entry, keep it, and hand it to the cashier on exit; the fare is calculated from the entry and exit interchanges printed on the ticket. E-ZPass drivers skip the ticket entirely and are logged electronically at each gantry. The two ends of the road use flat barrier tolls instead of tickets: Westgate near the Indiana line and Eastgate near the Pennsylvania line.
What happens if I lose my Ohio Turnpike toll ticket?+
You are billed the maximum toll for the ticketed section, as if you had entered at its far end, regardless of where you actually got on. Bring it to the cashier and pay the cash/credit rate for that maximum distance. Losing the ticket is far more expensive than a short trip would otherwise cost, so keep it somewhere visible until you exit.
Can I pay Ohio Turnpike tolls with a credit card?+
Yes, in the lanes. The toll is charged at the published cash/credit card rate, the same rate as paying with cash. Contactless tap-to-pay is widely supported.
What happens if I drive through without paying?+
Cameras photograph your plate and the Ohio Turnpike mails an invoice to the registered owner at the unpaid-toll rate, which is higher than both the E-ZPass and cash rates. A $5 fee is added if the first invoice is not paid by its due date, and persistent non-payment can lead to a registration hold.
Does the Ohio Turnpike bill by plate?+
Yes, for unpaid in-lane tolls. Drivers who pass a toll point without an E-ZPass and without paying in the lane are billed by mail at the unpaid-toll rate, the highest tier in the Schedule of Tolls, plus a $5 administrative fee for in-lane unpaid tolls.
How do I dispute an Ohio Turnpike charge?+
Contact the Ohio Turnpike customer service department through ohioturnpike.org and reference the invoice number. Common dispute reasons include misread plate, sold vehicle, and incorrect class.