Q: I do not own a car, but I rent quite frequently. Can I obtain an EZPass, so when traveling I can avail myself of the benefit of not having to wait on line to pay tolls?

A: “You can probably do that, but you’re not supposed to,” a spokeswoman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Tiffany Townsend, said. She directed The New York Sun to the E-ZPass consortium, based in Washington, D.C., whose spokeswoman, Cara Ross, said opening an account without a license plate is doable but, she added, you are “encouraged to add a license plate.”

E-ZPass has EZ installation. The tag is attached by Velcro to the vehicle’s windshield, and it’s simply a radio transmitter linked to an account that is debited with every toll and replenished, usually automatically by credit card.

There are two important considerations. The first is that tolls change according to the classification of your vehicle, with multi-axle commercial vehicles paying more than your average motorist driving a car – one reason EZPass officials want you to register your car. The other consideration is that whether you sign up for the tags by paying cash or by using a credit card, you are responsible for the toll. If your tag corresponds to a license plate, the thinking goes, it’s easier to prove if your tag was stolen or misused.