Do drivers still have to pay Maine Turnpike tolls if the booth is unattended?

Drivers on the Maine Turnpike still must pay if they pass through a toll booth that’s unattended — most likely late at night — and don’t have an E-ZPass transponder. License plate scanners record unpaid trips.

According to the MTA, the share of motorists paying cash tolls ranges from about 10% to 25%, depending on the toll plaza, with roughly 15% paying cash at the busiest plaza in York. The rest pay automatically using E-ZPass.

The Maine Turnpike Authority offers multiple ways to pay after the fact. Those with no violations for unpaid tolls can pay by mail, online at maineturnpike.com or by phone at 888-682-7277. Those with previous violations must pay by phone.

In October, the authority issued an alert about a scam involving fraudulent text messages that claim the recipient has unpaid tolls. The MTA stressed that it never attempts to collect toll payments via text message.