Missed toll payment and toll payment notices
A toll payment notice is sent to the vehicle's registered person when a trip remains unpaid. NZTA's current page says the notice includes the toll plus a $4.90 administration fee and gives 28 days from issue to pay. If another person controlled the vehicle, the registered person can use the official statutory declaration process, providing the required identity and address information within that 28-day period. Use the notice-number payment route.
The toll-road guide distinguishes this formal notice from a recent unpaid trip. Once NZTA issues a toll payment notice, the debt is no longer just an ordinary trip waiting in the pay-as-you-go flow. Use the notice number and notice-payment service so the toll, administration fee and document are matched together.
Check the notice before paying
Verify the NZTA identity and domain, issue date, plate, road, direction, travel date and amount. The current official page states that the notice adds a $4.90 administration fee and must be paid within 28 days of issue. Save the payment confirmation against the notice number.
An email or text reminder can alert you, but it should not be the route by which you trust the payment page. Navigate independently to NZTA and enter the notice details there.
If another person had the vehicle
NZTA provides a statutory declaration route when the registered person was not the person in control or the vehicle was stolen. The declaration needs the required facts, including the other driver's full name and postal address where applicable, and must reach NZTA within 28 days of the issue date.
This is a sworn process, not a casual online nomination. Do not name someone merely to move the fee, and do not ignore the notice while waiting for an informal agreement with the driver.
The registered-person address needs to be current. NZTA states that not receiving the notice does not remove the responsibility. Update the vehicle record and contact the official toll service if you know a notice may be outstanding.
If the 28 days pass
NZTA says unpaid toll and fee debt may be referred for debt collection and can lead to further enforcement. Contact the official toll service promptly; do not pay a collection-looking text without verifying who now holds the debt.
For a rental, provide the rental company with the notice and receipt details before paying twice. The contract may allocate the toll, notice and its own administration fee differently.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to pay a toll notice?
What is the extra fee?
What if I was not driving?
What if the notice never arrived?
Sources and verification
- NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. Toll payment notices, checked 2026-08-12.
- NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi. Toll road terms and conditions, checked 2026-08-12.
Checked against the sources above. If something has changed, tell us.