Why does veteran keep getting someone else's toll charges for his plates? | Ask the RI DMV
Q: I served in the U.S. Marine Corps and proudly have veteran plates on my vehicle. I also travel I-95 on a regular basis, so I have an E-ZPass transponder to pay my tolls.
Last year my account was charged several times using the same number as mine on regular Rhode Island plates. I contacted E-ZPass, and they told me I would have to contest these charges with each state. That’s six states. I ate the charges and told them to take the number plate off the account. They did, and that seems to work well.
However, a couple of weeks ago I had charges against my SunPass. I contacted them and went through the same exercise. I ate these charges and told them to take the plate number off the account.
It’s hard to believe that someone would continually be doing this, knowing that someone else is picking up the charges.
I don’t understand with 26 letters and an infinite amount of numbers why R.I. would have to make vanity plates with the same number as they use for your average R.I. plate.
Hopefully, my account won’t be charged with any more unauthorized charges. If I can help just one other person to avoid this issue, I will consider this email worth writing.
— Philip J. V.
A: We have a section on our website (dmv.ri.gov) regarding toll violations. It can be found in the “Registration, Plates & Titles” tab and “Toll Violations.” Here are the contents of that page:
Violation/Invoice FAQs
Why did I receive an invoice for a license plate that has the same plate number as mine, but is not me?
Rhode Island has over 40 different license plate types (i.e. Passenger, Commercial, Combination).
Due to the number of different plate types, sometimes the wrong plate type is identified.
I received a violation from another state, but I have an RITBA E-ZPass account? What should I do?
First, please contact the RITBA Customer Service Center at 1-877-743-9727 to review your account to determine why the violation occurred.
Or log in to your RITBA account to check the following:
– All your account information is current
– All your vehicles are listed on the account
– Your payment method is up to date
– You have a positive balance on the account
– The transponder you are using is listed on your account and has an ACTIVE status
Then, contact the agency you have received the violation from if you have further questions, or follow the payment instructions for payment of the violation.
Toll Dispute FAQs
What should I do if I receive a toll invoice in the mail that is not mine?
First, review the image on the invoice to ensure this is not your vehicle or license plate.
Identify the agency from which the invoice is issued. Then contact that agency and follow their dispute process.
Contact the RIDMV for assistance if it is not your vehicle pictured in the toll violation notice. Please scan and email your violation notice to DMV.Titles@dmv.ri.gov.
What should I do if I received a charge on my RITBA E-ZPass account for a license plate I no longer own?
Have you removed the plate from your vehicle list on your E-ZPass account?
Please note: If you have canceled your license plate and have not removed the vehicle from your account, a credit may not be possible. It is the account holder’s responsibility to make sure all vehicles are up to date and current on the account. Please refer to section 2J of the Terms and Conditions.
Important Information
Please note: If you are wishing to dispute license plate transactions on your RITBA account, the dispute time frame is 90 days from the transaction date.
If you are wishing to dispute a toll transaction on your RITBA account and the transaction is in the 90 days time frame, please provide a copy of your vehicle registration to the RITBA E-ZPass Customer Service Center. Please see the contact information below. A RITBA representative will contact you once a resolution has been reached. Phone number: 1-877-743-9727; email: ezpass@ritba.org; mailing address: PO BOX 437 Jamestown, RI 02835.
More: Getting refunds for bad E-ZPass charges is no picnic, some RI drivers find
Unfortunately, these errors in toll violations are happening more often as states, city and towns, and toll agencies get cameras to monitor their roads and bridges for violators. Other states or third-party tolling agencies do not have direct access into our database due to privacy reasons, and it appears they generally default to Passenger plates. If they looked closely at the picture they take as to what the plate type is or isn’t, we wouldn’t have this problem. You indicated you have a veteran plate, which looks different than the state plates. We now issue a new alphanumeric sequence to help eliminate duplicate registrations across different plate types, but it is the registrants with the old alphanumeric series who continue to be wrongly and incorrectly charged.
Rhode Island was one of a few states that reissued registrations over and over again, and we are one of a few states that have more than 40 different plate types. Realistically, we could have plate number 1000 on 40 different vehicles. This has caused problems over the years with people getting tickets, toll violations, speed camera tickets, and parking tickets for plates that they turned in years before. The toll and speed cameras can’t differentiate one plate type from another, especially when motorists have plate covers or other items on their plates that obstruct the plate type.
Best practice standards say this is not the best way to issue plates and registrations. Registrations should be unique, as VINs are unique. That is why the new numbering sequence was created, and it is the most common way registrations are issued across the United States. As plates are canceled or are expired over one year, they will never be reissued again, except those plates that fall under the Governor’s Preferred Plates. Even with the new numbering sequence, once they are canceled or expired for more than one year, they will never be reissued again. The new numbering sequence will allow millions of combinations.
If anyone should encounter this problem, they should follow the instructions above and submit copies of any citations or violation notices that they receive to the DMV’s Research Office, 600 New London Ave., Cranston, RI 02920, with a letter indicating the issue. We will research it and send letters to that agency and to you for their and your records.
Chuck Hollis is assistant administrator of the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles. Please email your questions to cars@providencejournal.com with “Ask the DMV” in the subject field.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Veteran gets someone else's toll charges for his plate | Ask the RI DMV
