What Exactly Do Maine’s EZ Pass Cameras Capture?

If you’ve driven through one of Maine’s many EZ Pass toll lanes, you’ve probably noticed cameras mounted above or beside the road.

It may not be natural to wonder for you, but it definitely is for me: What exactly are these cameras capturing?

Well, every day as I drive through the EZ Pass, I smile and wave.

Sometimes, I do a funny face or throw up a peace sign. I know it's silly, but I've been doing it for years now. And have gotten my son, Bentley, into it as well.

Some people make a point to hide whatever they're doing in the car while driving, whether it's being naughty and texting on their phone or mowing on a burger. When they drive through the EZ Pass, they quickly try to cover it up.

But guys, just recently, it hit me, are these cameras even taking pictures of me, the driver? Or have I just been posing for a photo of my license plate?

Let’s dive into how the EZ Pass system works in Maine and clear up some of my confusion.

What Do EZ Pass Cameras Actually Capture?

In Maine, the cameras associated with the EZ Pass system are focused on taking images of your license plate, not you as the driver. I feel dumb.

According to Maine Legislature, the cameras are part of a system designed to make sure that tolls are collected the right way. The EZ Pass transponder in your car allows for the tolling, but if for any reason the system can’t read your transponder, the camera steps in to take a photo.

Fosters Daily Document says, “State law prevents, and the cameras do not take, an image of the persons in the vehicle. Only the license plate area is captured,” he said. “State law maintains confidentiality of the data captured by the E-ZPass equipment and limits its use for the 'sole purpose of administering the electronic toll collection system.'”

So while it seemed to me that many security cameras record me, the cameras used in Maine’s EZ Pass toll lanes are still just cameras, not video cameras.

These cameras capture high-res images of your car's license plate as it passes through the toll. These images are then processed by the toll system for billing purposes.

So, I guess all those fancy poses I’ve been striking for the “toll video” were really just for All these years of posing, down the drain. At least my car’s got a better chance at fame than I do.