Maryland Transportation Authority failed to collect $818.1 million in tolls, penalties

The agency that oversees the state’s toll roads and bridges has failed to collect more than $818 million in tolls and fees it was owed, according to a new  audit.

The audit released Tuesday finds the Maryland Transportation Authority failed to collect the tolls and fees and did not take steps to have other states help collect from out-of-state motorists. The amount owed to the agency is nearly equal to the agency’s fiscal 2025 operating expenses, which total more than $885 million, according to the Office of Legislative Audits.

The audit found that nearly $669 million in tolls and fees went uncollected for a year or more. More than half that — $386.3 million — had gone uncollected for more than three years.

“Our review disclosed that although MDTA sent the registered owner of the out-of-state vehicle a notice of the toll and assessed penalties when the tolls were unpaid, it did not take available action to collect the amounts due,” the auditors wrote.

“Specifically, as of February 2026, MDTA did not execute reciprocity agreements with other states as allowed by State law which could include provisions for these states to suspend the out-of-state motorists’ vehicle registration if the tolls are not paid,” they wrote.

Auditors also noted that the agency did not hire outside collection agencies to help collect the back tolls and fees, nor did it request approval from the state budget secretary to send the accounts to the state’s Central Collection Unit.

The audit showed that a little more than a quarter of the lost total was in tolls, but the bulk of the money owed was in uncollected penalties. Virginia drivers were the biggest scofflaws, owing a total of $234.7 million.

The report comes amid the possibility that the agency might raise tolls. Officials have told lawmakers for the last several years that it may need to raise tolls as soon as fiscal 2028, which starts next July.

— This story will be updated.