Thousands Of Warrants Issued For Tollway Jumpers

Thousands of North Texans and visitors to North Texas are now fugitives from law, and many don't even know it.

The Collin County Sheriff's Department has been inundated with warrants for drivers who haven't paid tolls. The Collin County Observer says of the more than 30,000 outstanding warrants in the county, about a third of them for people who "Failed to Pay Toll."

Many tollbooths are now unmanned and use sensors to take a picture of a cars license plate if they don't pay. A bill is sent to the address of the last registered owner of the vehicle.

"I don't think it's reliable. Like if you change addresses and the mail may not get forwarded, you may have a warrant out for months and not even know it," said Derick Jefferson, who drives along the 121 Tollway everyday.

Those who don't pay are issued a civil fine, but when that fine is not paid, it turns into a criminal offense.

To see if you have a warrant, you can go to the Collin County Sheriff's Department website and click on active warrants. NBC5 spoke to several Frisco and Plano residents on the list who did not know there were warrants out for their arrest.

The North Texas Toll Authority says drivers are given several warnings before the unpaid fines are turned over to a judge.