BALTIMORE — Lawmakers in Annapolis are pushing a bill to help Maryland drivers buried in thousands of dollars of toll debt. The legislation would allow the Maryland Transportation Authority to waive some fees and penalties even after the debt is sent to Central Collections.
According to the MDTA, 34,228 accounts currently owe over $10,000. For some drivers, the debt resembles a mortgage.
"So they're saying that I owe over $100,000," Heather Gerry said.
"So currently I owe $48,521," said Erynn Colvin.
Both Colvin and Gerry say their toll debt goes back to the pandemic, when they were still commuting to work and the MDTA stopped processing toll transactions for seven months.
"I had a transponder and then they said it wasn't working correctly," Colvin said.
Gerry thought the state was not charging essential workers. Neither expected to get hit with a mountain of bills a year later.
"At this point, it's at least 1,000 sheets of paper in here," Colvin said. "This is just one of the boxes. They sent me another one like maybe two to three months later with even more."
While a video toll can be just $6, a civil penalty can add $25 per toll.
"Initially, it was about $12,000 worth of fees, and when I called they didn't want to remove any of the civil penalties. So it's like at that point, what can you do?" Colvin said.
At the time, MDTA did not offer payment plans. That only changed last year under a new law. When the agency offered a grace period in 2022, Colvin and Gerry said they did not have the money to pay the full balance.
"Having a roof over our head and food on the table takes priority over tolls," Gerry said.
Their debt went to Central Collections. When they asked for help, they were told MDTA could no longer remove the penalties once the debt reached the Central Collection Unit.
At a breaking point, Gerry reached out to State Senator J.B. Jennings, a Republican representing Baltimore and Harford counties. He, along with Senator Mary Dulany-James, a Democrat representing Harford County, introduced legislation that would give the Maryland Transportation Authority the power to recall fees and penalties already sent to collections.
Senate Bill 956 has been referred to the House Rules Committee after passing before the crossover deadline, and must be voted out before it can move to a full committee for further consideration this session.
"If the agency decides to change the amount, it allows them to notify CCU, the collections unit, to say, hey, we've updated the amount, collect on this amount instead of the other amount. That's all it does. It does not mandate anything," Jennings said.
MDTA did not take a position on the bill, but the agency asked lawmakers to remember that Maryland’s toll roads are funded by toll revenue. While MDTA may waive a civil penalty, it cannot waive the underlying toll.
Last fiscal year alone, the agency issued more than $257 million in civil penalties. When drivers do not pay, their registrations can be flagged. According to Motor Vehicle Administration records, more than 115,000 vehicles currently have toll flags. More than 34,000 of those flags are older than six months.
"I love my state. I'm proud of my state, but there's times that it frustrates me. When it does stuff like this, when it's, you know, you feel like you're trying to dig yourself out of the hole, but the state's shoveling dirt right back in the hole on you with stuff like this," Jennings said.
Gerry and Colvin said they are not asking for a free pass, but just want something practical.
"They say it with a straight face like, hey, can you just pay $10,000 down and then pay this $900 a month," Colvin said. "This is one of the reasons why people have Virginia tags now because they can't register their cars here because of these bills."
READ MORE: Maryland cracks down on drivers using Virginia license plates, sends 58,000 warning letters
Meanwhile, Gerry has fought for a fresh start.
"Because I was in active addiction for 15 years. I now have seven years clean," Gerry said.
She's close to earning her associate’s degree, works as an addictions counselor, and advocates for her autistic child. She said this debt threatens the life she has worked hard to rebuild.
"The one thing that could possibly destroy everything right now, financially destroy us, is by the state," Gerry said.
MDTA says it now offers installment payment plans for customers who owe at least $300 in toll debt, as long as that debt has not yet been sent to the Central Collection Unit. The agency also created a second payment warning notice, plans to award a contract for debt collection agency services by the end of the year, and is working with Pennsylvania on a toll enforcement agreement that could expand to other states.
The Department of Legislative Services says the bill likely won’t have a major impact on revenue, despite concerns from MDTA and the Central Collection Unit. Analysts say MDTA already has the authority to waive tolls and penalties, this bill just streamlines the process by letting them do it without pulling accounts out of collections first.
And while the impact on MDTA revenue is expected to be minimal, the change could make things more efficient and may even slightly increase revenue for collections and the state, since the Central Collection Unit typically collects a 17 percent fee on debt, and under this bill, that fee could still apply, even as balances are reduced.
MDTA is also projecting a toll increase that could take effect in early fiscal year 2028. The toll-setting process is expected to begin early next year.
For more information about the video toll process, and to check for any overdue tolls, click here.
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