05/21/2026
Public service alert:
Did you know if you travel on 99 in Fortbend even with an EZtag you may have toll violations and not even know it? Fortbend can stop you and if you don’t pay on the spot they will seize your vehicle. Apparently there is some glitch in how HCTRA pays the tolls incurred in Fortbend but it falls on the driver to somehow know without any messages or notices. One of my employees just had to pay $2000 on the spot even though she has an EZtag on auto pay.
I went online to see if I have any violations but if you haven’t received a notice you can’t check. There is an 82 page document of “flagrant violators” that they keep watch for that you can check but by that point you owe some serious money!!!
I submitted this to channel 2 to do an investigation. The constable even told my employee about a poor 19 year old traveling from college who had her vehicle seized because they couldn’t get hold of her parents to pay the fine!!! This is obviously a known issue that needs fixing.
Here is what the clerk explained to my employee: Fortbend toll will charge the EZtag account. If it does not go through for whatever reason - expired card or some electronic glitch - it remains unpaid. No notification goes out. A mailed violation might go out but the clerk stated sometimes the system is backlogged and does not send out notice immediately. My employee has her account with EZtag which shows she has not had any outstanding tolls or failed charges within harris county. it is on autopay and has not failed or been expired. She asked if she could form an account with the toll authority or a sticker but was told "they don't do that."
For those that are skeptical: 1) The constable did not take the money, he waited as the person called the Fortbend toll authority to pay. 2) While the person on the spot called the number he gave her, her partner called from finding the ft bend toll number online. 3) This is happening to people that have working, active EZtags which is one of the tags honored by Fortbend toll authority. There is obviously an issue with HCTRA paying the tolls to Ft bend.
