Earlier this month, numerous media reports covered a performance audit detailing Maryland’s lack of success to date in addressing Medicaid fraud, which state officials said has resulted in tens of millions of dollars in improper Medicaid payments.
The latest unwelcome news comes from the findings of the nonpartisan, independent Office of Legislative Audits on the performance of the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA).
These findings are much worse than those reported in the Medicaid fraud audit.
The MDTA audit results include:
• MDTA failed to collect unpaid E-ZPass tolls and penalty fees totaling more than $885 million.
• Nearly $669 million in tolls and fees went uncollected for a year or more.
• More than half of that amount, $386.3 million, had gone uncollected for more than three years.
• MDTA has not taken timely steps to pursue and collect unpaid E-ZPass tolls and penalties from out-of-state motorists.
• As of February 2026, MDTA had not executed any reciprocity agreements with other states, as allowed by state law. Such agreements could include provisions allowing those states to suspend vehicle registrations if tolls and penalties are not paid.
• Earlier this year, the Maryland Department of Legislative Services (DLS) reported that MDTA had failed to collect more than $730 million in tolls and penalties assessed against out-of-state drivers.
• The DLS report also identified more than $907 million in unpaid tolls and fees on vehicles registered in Maryland.
• MDTA has not sent those accounts to collections or taken steps for the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to suspend registrations and prevent drivers from renewing their Maryland vehicle registrations because of unpaid tolls and penalties.
• MDTA did not hire collection agencies to help recover unpaid tolls and fees.
• MDTA did not request approval from the state budget secretary to send the accounts to the state’s Central Collection Unit.
• The recent OLA audit comes two years after state lawmakers raised concerns about unpaid out-of-state tolls and penalties.
• In January 2025, MDTA said it believed it was close to entering into its first reciprocal payment and penalty agreement with other states. The pact was expected to include the ability to suspend out-of-state vehicle registrations for unpaid tolls. In July 2026, the agency said it was still working to finalize that agreement.