How much did that toll cost your E-ZPass? Your phone now has the answer.

For New Jersey drivers who use E-ZPass, the cost of the last toll they paid can be a mystery until they check their monthly statement.

Now, under a new law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy late Monday afternoon, the cost of that toll will be sent by a push notification to drivers’ smartphones 24 hours after paying the toll. The bill requires a push notification be sent to drivers who have the New Jersey E-ZPass app on their phones.

The function is available now for drivers who have the app and opt in to get notifications, officials said.

The new law covers tolls paid with E-Z Pass on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, Atlantic City Expressway and the Cape May County Bridge Commission’s toll bridges. It does not apply to Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Delaware River Port Authority or Delaware River Joint bridge Authority tolls, according to the bill.

Unlike drivers who pay with cash and see their toll cost displayed on an electronic sign in the toll lane, E-ZPass drivers just see a “toll paid” message at Turnpike toll plazas. Garden State Parkway toll plazas display the amount because it’s a uniform toll based on the vehicle type.

“Under current law, E-ZPass is not required to notify their customers electronically, which can make it difficult to keep track of tolls,” said State Senator Nellie Pou, D-Passaic, one of the bill’s sponsors. “This new law will provide that immediate confirmation and allow customers to stay up to speed on their toll usage.”

Lawmakers said the new rule is aimed at ending the end-of-the-month surprise about how much toll was paid for individual trips, who had to wait until then, unless they accessed their accounts online.

“E-ZPass customers deserve fast and timely notifications of charges incurred while traveling on our toll roads,” Murphy said in a statement. “Much like push notifications for other day-to-day transactions that we all receive, this legislation will promote financial transparency and keep New Jerseyans informed of their commuting costs.”

The bill allowed for notification by email, text message or through a mobile application. It was introduced on Feb. 13, 2020 and passed by both houses of the legislature on May 20.

In his bill signing statement, Murphy commended the bill’s 16 primary sponsors for working with the Turnpike Authority and South Jersey Transportation Authority on implementation of the requirement.

“The two authorities worked diligently,” Murphy said in his bill signing statement. “All required technical changes have been implemented. Any NJ E-ZPass customer who logs into their account on the NJ E-ZPass mobile application may now opt in to receive a ‘push’ notification alerting them that a toll charge has posted to their account.”

That notification is required to be delivered within 24 hours of going through the toll plaza. A charge typically posts to a customer’s account between one and 24 hours after the customer’s E-ZPass tag is read, depending on the toll plaza and time of day, Murphy said.

The New Jersey E-ZPass Consortium handles the electronic toll system for the various state toll agencies.

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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.