(a) Penalty.--A person that violates a regulation of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission prohibiting fare evasion or attempted fare evasion commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine according to the classification by the commission of the vehicle driven by that person at the time of violation as follows:
(1) Class 1 through 2: $100.
(2) Class 3 through 6: $500.
(3) Class 7 and higher: $1,000.
(b) Affirmative action.--A person that intentionally or knowingly takes an affirmative action in an attempt to evade tolls incurred for travel upon the Pennsylvania turnpike or a road under its control commits a misdemeanor of the third degree and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to:
(1) pay a fine of $3,000 for a first offense; and
(2) pay a fine of $6,500 or to imprisonment of not more than six months, or both, for a second or subsequent offense.
(c) Construction.--Prosecution of a violation of this section shall not preclude prosecution under section 1332 (relating to display of registration plate), 1380 (relating to suspension of registration upon unpaid tolls), 7122 (relating to altered, forged or counterfeit documents and plates) or 7124 (relating to fraudulent use or removal of registration plate).
(d) Restitution.--In addition to the fines imposed under this section, restitution shall be made to the commission in an amount equal to the full fare, for the appropriate vehicle class, from the farthest point of entry on the turnpike to the actual point of exit.
(e) Deposit of fines.--Notwithstanding the provision of any other law, the fines collected under subsections (a) and (b) shall be deposited into the Motor License Fund.
(f) Definition.--As used in this section, the term "affirmative action" includes:
(1) operating a vehicle without a license plate and valid vehicle registration;
(2) operating a vehicle without a valid electronic toll collection device and installing a mechanism which rotates, changes, blocks or otherwise mechanically alters the ability of a license plate to be read by a toll collection system;
(3) installing a device upon a vehicle which serves the sole purpose of masking, hiding or manipulating the true weight of the vehicle as it appears to a mechanical scale;
(4) conspiring with an individual or group of individuals to alter, lower or evade payment of correct tolls;
(5) unauthorized use of a Pennsylvania Turnpike private gate access or otherwise unauthorized movement entering or exiting the turnpike other than at approved tolling points; and
(6) operating a vehicle without a valid electronic toll collection device and altering, obstructing, covering, distorting, manipulating or removing a license plate from a vehicle to impede electronic toll collection.
(Nov. 25, 2013, P.L.974, No.89, eff. 60 days; Nov. 3, 2022, P.L.1734, No.112, eff. 60 days)
2022 Amendment. Act 112 amended subsecs. (c) and (f).
2013 Amendment. Act 89 added section 6110.1. See the preamble to Act 89 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to legislative findings and declarations.
Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 61 - Powers of Department and Local Authorities
Section 6101 - Applicability and uniformity of title
Section 6102 - Powers and duties of department and local authorities
Section 6103 - Promulgation of rules and regulations by department
Section 6104 - Administrative duties of department
Section 6105 - Department to prescribe traffic and engineering investigations
Section 6105.1 - Designation of highway safety corridors
Section 6105.2 - Designation of litter enforcement corridors
Section 6106 - Designation of emergency vehicles by Pennsylvania State Police
Section 6107 - Designation of authorized vehicles by department
Section 6108 - Power of Governor during emergency
Section 6109 - Specific powers of department and local authorities
Section 6110 - Regulation of traffic on Pennsylvania Turnpike
Section 6111 - Regulation of traffic on bridges under authority of interstate commissions
Section 6112 - Removal of traffic hazards by property owner
Section 6113 - Control of public travel on private property by owner
Section 6114 - Limitation on sale, publication and disclosure of records
Section 6115 - Emergency telephones along Pennsylvania Turnpike
Section 6116 - Payment by credit or debit card
Section 6117 - Authority of qualified employees of department and Department of Revenue
Section 6118 - Municipal police officer education and training
Section 6119 - Removal of dead deer
Section 6121 - Uniform system of traffic-control devices
Section 6122 - Authority to erect traffic-control devices
Section 6123 - Erection of traffic-control devices while working
Section 6123.1 - Mandatory traffic-control devices in highway work zones
Section 6124 - Erection of traffic-control devices at intersections
Section 6125 - Display of unauthorized signs, signals or markings
Section 6126 - Interference with devices, signs or signals
Section 6127 - Dealing in nonconforming traffic-control devices
Section 6128 - Dealing in official traffic-control devices or bridge parts
Section 6129 - Maintenance of pedestrian crosswalks in school zones
Section 6141 - Declaration of policy
Section 6142 - Reciprocity agreements, arrangements and declarations authorized
Section 6143 - Benefits, privileges and exemptions from taxes and fees
Section 6144 - Vehicle registration and licensing
Section 6145 - Proportional registration of fleet vehicles
Section 6146 - Enforcement agreements
Section 6146.1 - Multijurisdictional permit agreement
Section 6147 - Declaration of reciprocity in absence of agreement
Section 6148 - Applicability to leased vehicles
Section 6149 - Automatic reciprocity
Section 6150 - Proportional registration not exclusive
Section 6151 - Suspension of reciprocity benefits
Section 6152 - Form, publication and distribution of documents