Driving in Austria without a vignette: substitute toll and fines
What happens if you drive in Austria without a vignette?
Toll enforcement can require you to pay a substitute toll (Ersatzmaut). Paying it in full and on time avoids an administrative penalty; not paying it can lead to a fine of up to €3,000.
The substitute toll comes first
Austria's system is designed to settle the matter without a court penalty. If toll supervision finds a vehicle without valid toll payment, it charges a substitute toll. Pay it in full and within the deadline and the administrative penalty procedure does not follow.
Payment deadlines depend on how you are notified
ASFINAG applies different deadlines depending on how the demand reaches you:
- Stopped in person by toll supervision: payable immediately, on the spot.
- Written demand left on the vehicle: two weeks.
- Demand delivered by post: four weeks from the date the notice was issued.
If the substitute toll is not paid
The case moves to an administrative penalty procedure, where the penalty can reach €3,000. Tampering with a vignette is treated more seriously than simply not having one.
Enforcement is automated and camera-based, and it applies to foreign-registered vehicles in the same way as Austrian ones.