How to Pay a Missed Toll in Florida (2026 Guide): SunPass, E-PASS & LeeWay Payment Options

You just drove through a Florida toll gantry and realized you had no tag, no funds, or the wrong setup. Good news! You are not alone, and fixing it is easier than you think.

Florida runs one of the largest all-electronic tolling networks in the United States, covering over 734 miles of tolled roads. That is a lot of gantries, and a lot of opportunities to miss one. This guide walks you through exactly how to pay up, avoid penalties, and never get a registration hold because of a $2.50 toll.

Quick Reference: Who to Call and Where to Pay

What Actually Happens When You Miss a Toll?

Before you stress, it helps to understand the system. Florida’s tolling infrastructure does not rely on a booth attendant catching you. It relies on two layers of detection running simultaneously at every gantry.

First, an RFID sensor tries to handshake with your transponder at highway speed. Second, a high-speed camera reads your license plate from multiple angles. If the RFID check fails, the camera image gets routed to an image processing center, matched against Florida DHSMV records, and converted into a Toll Enforcement Invoice mailed to the registered owner.

The result? A bill shows up at your door, usually within a few weeks.

SunPass: How to Pay a Missed Toll on Florida’s Turnpike

Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) manages the mainline Florida’s Turnpike (SR 91), the Homestead Extension (SR 821), the Sawgrass Expressway, and several other corridors. If you missed a toll on any of those roads, SunPass is your resolution hub.

What You Will Owe

When FTE issues a Toll Enforcement Invoice, it includes:

• The base toll is calculated at the higher Toll-By-Plate (TBP) rate
• A $2.50 administrative fee for image processing and mailing

That $2.50 fee feels punitive for a $0.75 toll, right? The good news is that you can avoid it entirely.

Pay Before the Invoice Arrives (Pro Move)

SunPass offers a “Pay Without an Invoice” option on their website. If you suspect you missed a toll, you can check for outstanding transactions using just your license plate and zip code before a formal invoice is even generated. No invoice equals no $2.50 fee. This is genuinely one of the smarter features in the system. Use it.

Visit SunPass.com to check and pay right now.

Other Ways to Pay a SunPass Invoice

Once the invoice arrives, you have several options:

The online portal is the fastest option. The retail route is great if you prefer cash or do not have a card handy.

E-PASS: How to Pay a Missed Toll in Central Florida

Central Florida runs on a different authority. The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) manages around 125 miles of roads in and around Orlando, including SR 408, SR 417, SR 429, and SR 528. Their system is called E-PASS, and while it is fully interoperable with SunPass, it has its own invoicing rules.

The E-PASS Payment Timeline

CFX is strict about deadlines. Miss one and the penalties stack fast.

1. Days 1 to 30 — Initial invoice issued. Pay within 30 days.
2. Days 31 to 45 — Past-due notice generated. You get a 15-day grace window.
3. Day 46 and beyond — The account may be referred to the Florida DHSMV for a registration hold or escalated to a collection agency.

Pay quickly. Seriously. A registration hold means you cannot renew your plates until the full debt is cleared, and that is a headache nobody wants.

How to Pay an E-PASS Invoice

Visit CFXway.com or call 1-800-353-7277 to pay online or over the phone. You can also pay at any E-PASS customer service center.

Bonus: Open an E-PASS Account and Save Up to 40%

Here is a fact that most people miss: if you open a new E-PASS prepaid account through the mobile app while resolving a missed toll, CFX currently offers up to 40% off your outstanding Pay-By-Plate balance. That is a meaningful discount if you have racked up a few unpaid transactions.

E-PASS customers also pay roughly 50% less per toll than Pay-By-Plate users. If you drive CFX roads regularly and you are still paying by plate, you are essentially voluntarily paying double.

LeeWay: How to Pay Missed Tolls in Lee County

Lee County uses its own tolling brand called LeeWay, covering three crossings in Southwest Florida.

LeeWay Bridges

• Cape Coral Bridge
• Midpoint Memorial Bridge
• Sanibel Causeway

LeeWay Fee Structure

Note that LeeWay’s administrative fee is $3.00 per toll, which is slightly higher than FTE’s $2.50. Also worth knowing: unpaid tolls in Lee County trigger a registration stop after just 60 days of non-payment. That is a tighter window than most Florida authorities.

How to Pay a LeeWay Invoice

LeeWay built a “Quick Pay” feature specifically so drivers can check and pay without needing an account. Visit leegov.com/tolls and enter your license plate number. Simple, fast, and no login required.

You can also call LeeWay directly at 239-533-9297.

Other Regional Toll Authorities in Florida

Florida’s toll network is not just FTE, CFX, and LeeWay. A few other authorities manage key roads, and each has its own missed toll process.

Greater Miami Expressway Agency (GMX)

GMX, formerly MDX, manages five major Miami expressways, including the Dolphin (SR 836) and the Airport Expressway (SR 112). Here is the key detail: all GMX missed toll invoices are handled through the SunPass Customer Service Center, not a separate GMX portal.

If you get a toll invoice from Miami, resolve it at SunPass.com or call 1-888-TOLL-FLA. That’s it.

Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA)

THEA manages the Selmon Expressway (SR 618), which is fully cashless. Like GMX, THEA uses the SunPass backend for Toll-By-Plate invoicing. The SunPass Walk-In Center in Brandon, Tampa is a dedicated location for THEA-related billing issues and registration holds.

What If You Were Driving a Rental Car?

Rental car drivers account for a huge share of missed tolls in Florida, and the fees can get ugly fast. Here is why: when a toll gantry reads your rental plate, the invoice goes to the rental agency, not to you. The agency then passes the charge to your credit card, often with a hefty surcharge on top.

Rental Agency Toll Programs and Fees

Those daily fees add up shockingly fast on a week-long Florida trip.

How to Avoid Rental Car Toll Fees

The cleanest solution is to bring your own portable transponder:

• Use a SunPass PRO or an E-PASS Uni device
• Log into your account before the trip
• Add the rental car’s license plate and rental dates to your vehicle profile

This routes toll charges directly to your prepaid account at the lowest rate and completely bypasses the rental agency’s billing system.

One important warning: if the rental car already has an agency tag inside it, make sure it is in its shield box or deactivated before you use your own transponder. Running both simultaneously can result in double billing, and untangling that is genuinely not fun.

What Are the Real Consequences of Ignoring a Toll Invoice?

Some people think a small missed toll is no big deal. It is, unfortunately. Florida Statute 338.155 classifies failure to pay a toll as a non-criminal moving violation, but the enforcement mechanisms are real.

Two Things That Can Happen

1. Registration Hold If you ignore multiple invoices, the toll authority can request a hold on your vehicle’s registration through the Florida DHSMV. You cannot renew your plates or get a new sticker until the full debt is cleared. This catches a lot of people off guard at the DMV counter.

2. Uniform Traffic Citation (UTC) Ongoing non-compliance can result in a traffic ticket issued by the Florida Highway Patrol, carrying a fine of approximately $100 and potential points on your driver’s license.

Neither of those outcomes is worth it for a $2.00 toll. Pay the invoice the moment it arrives.

What About E-ZPass from Another State?

Good news for out-of-state visitors: Florida’s gantries fully recognize E-ZPass transponders from any of the 19-plus participating states. If your New York, Virginia, or Pennsylvania E-ZPass is active and funded, it should work on Florida toll roads without any extra setup.

However, if you receive a Florida TBP invoice and you know you had a valid E-ZPass at the time, it usually means your out-of-state account did not have a matching license plate for the vehicle you were driving.

Most Florida toll authorities will waive the administrative fee if you can demonstrate that you had a funded, compatible account at the time of the transaction. Call the relevant authority with your transponder account number and the date of travel.

Your Rights as a Florida Toll Payer

Florida has strengthened consumer protections around tolling in recent years. Two key developments worth knowing:

HB 967 (2026) requires every toll authority, including small bridge districts, to offer digital payment options. No more being told to mail a check to a tiny county office.

SB 956 allows toll authorities to waive portions of civil penalties even after a debt has gone to collections. If you had a documented medical emergency or the authority can confirm a system error on their end, the debt can potentially be recalled and reduced.

If you believe an invoice is wrong, document everything and contact the authority directly. Florida law gives you more negotiating room than most people realize.

Don’t Let a $2.50 Fee Turn Into a $100 Ticket

Missing a toll in Florida is genuinely easy to do, especially on an unfamiliar road or in a rental car. The important thing is acting quickly. Pay within the first 30 days, use the “Pay Without an Invoice” feature on SunPass if you are not sure, and consider getting a portable transponder if you drive Florida roads regularly.

The system is designed to catch everyone eventually. Working with it rather than against it will save you real money and a lot of unnecessary stress.

Pavithra Vinoth

Pavithra Vinoth is the founder of nytollsinfo.com, where she simplifies U.S. toll systems through expert insights and custom-built calculators. Her research-driven tools help drivers avoid costly mistakes and make smarter car decisions.