Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 14-100.005 - Video Billing

(1) Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to establish the process of video billing on the Florida Turnpike System and other Department owned toll facilities and on toll facilities owned by a public or private entity for which the Department collects tolls pursuant to an agreement between the Department and the private or public entity authorized by Section 338.161(5), F.S.

(2) Definition. "TOLL-BY-PLATE" means an image-based video billing system using photographic images of a vehicle's license plate to identify the customer responsible for toll payment.

(3) Process. If a vehicle passes through a toll collection facility and the toll payment is not made by either using cash, a SunPass transponder account, or interoperable transponder-based pre-paid account, having sufficient funds to pay the applicable toll, a photographic image of the vehicle's license plate will be captured at the toll lane and the first-listed registered owner of that vehicle, except as provided below, will be considered the TOLL-BY-PLATE customer. The license plate numbers (LPN) are extracted from the image of the vehicle's license plate, and matched to the LPN for an existing TOLL-BY-PLATE account. If no TOLL-BY-PLATE account is found, the registered owner of the vehicle will be identified through a vehicle registration lookup process. The TOLL-BY-PLATE customer will have 10 days after using the toll facility to contact the Department by calling 1(888)TOLL-FLA (1(888)865-5352) or visiting www.sunpass.com to pay their toll or establish a pre-paid TOLL-BY-PLATE account as described in subsection (4). If the TOLL-BY-PLATE customer does not fully pay their tolls within that 10-day period, an invoice of the accumulated toll amounts and an administrative charge as described in subsection (7), applicable to the first 14 days of transactions, will be mailed to the TOLL-BY-PLATE customer for payment. All subsequent invoices will be governed by subsections (7) and (8). Any registered owner of a motor vehicle may be treated as the TOLL-BY-PLATE customer if for any reason the Department is unable to effectively invoice the first-listed registered owner.

(4) Establishment of accounts. TOLL-BY-PLATE accounts will be established by either the customer or the Department. Customers may establish a TOLL-BY-PLATE account by providing the motor vehicle LPN and specifying a pre-paid or post-paid account.

(a) Pre-Paid TOLL-BY-PLATE Accounts. TOLL-BY-PLATE customers have the option of establishing and maintaining a pre-paid toll account via credit or debit card, cash, check or money order deposits, from which applicable toll amounts will be debited. Pre-paid TOLL-BY-PLATE account customers whose balance is insufficient to cover the monthly accumulated toll amounts are subject to an invoice for the full toll amount and the administrative charge.

(b) Post-Paid TOLL-BY-PLATE Accounts. Customers will receive an invoice for post-payment of toll amounts and applicable administrative charges. Invoice payments by post-paid TOLL-BY-PLATE customers will be applied to the oldest toll transaction first or as specified by the account customer.

(c) If a TOLL-BY-PLATE account has not been established by a customer within the 10-day period after the first toll transaction use, the Department will establish a post-paid account. Identification of the vehicle will be by review of the LPN image taken at the tolling facility, supplemented as necessary by identifying the vehicle's characteristics and subsequent LPN lookup.

(5) TOLL-BY-PLATE Toll Rate. TOLL-BY-PLATE toll customers shall pay the TOLL-BY-PLATE toll rate established in Rule 14-15.0081, F.A.C., for each facility that offers TOLL-BY-PLATE toll collection. For a toll facility not part of the Florida Turnpike System or otherwise owned by the Department and subject to this rule, all applicable toll rates for the use of the toll facility shall be established by the applicable private or public entity owning or operating the the toll facility in accordance with the owner's governing laws, charters, ordinances, resolutions, rules, procedures, or other toll rate determination. The private or public entity shall be responsible for establishing toll rates on its own toll facilities.

(6) Administrative Charges. The Department will establish and collect amounts to recover the costs of administering video billing. This amount covers the additional administrative costs of the Department, such as reviewing photographic images of license plates captured at the toll collection facilities, generating and sending invoices, processing payments received, managing accounts, and other related costs. The administrative charge shall be $2.50 per invoice.

(7) TOLL-BY-PLATE Accounts and Toll Collection. TOLL-BY-PLATE customers with post-paid accounts will be sent an invoice that includes with the administrative charge added to the invoice, in addition to the unpaid toll amounts, as of the invoice date, based on the TOLL-BY-PLATE rate applicable to the tolling location, and any other unpaid amounts. For facilities that do not offer TOLL-BY-PLATE, the administrative charge will be added to each notice of unpaid toll, in addition to the unpaid toll amount based on the cash toll rate applicable to the location, and any other unpaid amounts.

(8) Unpaid Invoice. A TOLL-BY-PLATE customer has 20 days from the invoice date to pay the total toll amount and the administrative charge. If the invoice has not been paid in full within those 20 days, a second invoice with an additional administrative charge will be sent. If the total amount of unpaid tolls and administrative charges is not paid within 20 days after the invoice date on the second invoice, the Department will pursue the amounts owed to collection to include: issuance of a Uniform Traffic Citation for each individual unpaid toll transaction associated with the original invoice, initiation of a motor vehicle license plate or revalidation sticker registration hold or stop process pursuant to Section 316.1001(4), F.S., or referral of the total unpaid amounts owed to a collection agency or attorney for collection. All subsequent invoices will include all unpaid amounts and will be subject to the same enforcement procedures stated above, if not paid within 20 days from the invoice date.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 14-100.005

Rulemaking Authority 334.044(2), 338.155(1) FS. Law Implemented 316.1001, 334.044(16), 338.155, 338.2216, 338.231(3)(b) FS.

New 6-13-10, Amended 2-19-14, Amended by Florida Register Volume 43, Number 060, March 28, 2017 effective 4/10/2017.

New 6-13-10, Amended 2-19-14, 4-10-17.