How to Get Toll Fees Waived in 2026

Toll fees can absolutely be waived, and far more drivers qualify than you’d ever expect. Whether you’re a veteran, a low-income commuter, or someone staring at a violation notice in total confusion, real programs exist specifically to help you.

The bad news? You have to ask. These programs don’t find you; you have to find them.

Why Toll Costs Are Out of Control Right Now

Understanding why tolls keep climbing is the first step to understanding the leverage you actually have as a driver. It also explains why waiver programs exist in the first place.

The Gas Tax Collapse

The traditional motor fuel tax that funded U.S. highways for decades is losing ground fast. Battery electric vehicles and fuel-efficient cars have gutted state gas tax revenue faster than legislators can respond.

So instead of raising gas taxes (a political nightmare), state DOTs and turnpike authorities are turning to electronic tolling, dynamic pricing, and managed express lanes to cover infrastructure costs. The result is more tolls, more often, in more places.

The Equity Problem Agencies Won’t Publicize

The Federal Highway Administration tracks U.S. toll revenue well past $20 billion annually, and the pending 2026 Surface Transportation Reauthorization could push that number even higher. Flat tolls are regressive by nature; they take a proportionally larger chunk of income from low-wage commuters than from wealthier drivers.

That’s exactly why waiver programs exist. Agencies aren’t offering relief out of goodwill; they’re under genuine legislative pressure to provide it. Knowing that is your first piece of leverage.

Who Qualifies to Get Toll Fees Waived?

The waiver landscape breaks into four main categories. Figure out which one applies to your situation before you do anything else.

Military Veterans and Active-Duty Service Members

Veterans have access to some of the most powerful toll waivers in the country. However, there is no single federal exemption that covers all 50 states; what exists is a highly specific patchwork of state statutes.

California: AB 2949 and FasTrak Integration

California’s framework under Assembly Bill 2949 is among the most comprehensive veteran programs nationally. It grants free passage on all California toll bridges, including all seven Bay Area bridges and the Golden Gate Bridge, to veterans who display qualifying DMV specialty plates.

Qualifying California DMV plate designations include:

• Disabled Veteran
• Congressional Medal of Honor
• Purple Heart
• Ex-Prisoner of War
• Legion of Valor
• Pearl Harbor Survivor

The catch that trips people up constantly: you cannot just drive through an electronic gantry and assume the camera recognizes your plate as exempt. You must actively link your qualifying plate to a FasTrak account before driving any toll facility.

SANDAG’s Veterans Toll Exemption Program on the SR 125 Toll Road, for example, requires veterans to contact customer service, submit vehicle registration documentation, and use their SANDAG FasTrak transponder. Drive without a properly configured account and a violation notice arrives regardless of the plate on your bumper.

Two additional California updates worth knowing:

1. Orange County backend exemption (2025): The Toll Roads of Orange County (SR 73, 133, 241, and 261) now allow FasTrak holders who qualify for the California DMV Disabled Veteran Registration Fee Exemption to drive toll-free without physically displaying the veteran plate. The discount is applied invisibly in the backend accounting system.
2. Active-duty Military Program: If a service member inadvertently drives SR 73, 133, 241, or 261 without a transponder and receives a Notice of Toll Evasion, they can submit proof of active-duty status and have all civil penalties waived, paying only the original base toll.

Important note: AB 2949 exemptions explicitly exclude High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes and Express Lanes, where variable pricing manages congestion rather than generating baseline revenue.

Texas: TxDOT Veterans Discount Program

The TxDOT Veterans Discount Program covers major highway corridors across the state. Eligible veterans drive these routes completely free of charge.

Covered TxDOT corridors include:

• Central Texas Turnpike System around Austin (SH 130, SH 45 North, SH 45 Southeast, Loop 1)
• SH 99 Grand Parkway around Houston
• SH 249 Project
• Specific TEXpress Lanes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area

Qualifying Texas plate designations include:

• Congressional Medal of Honor
• Navy Cross
• Air Force Cross
• Distinguished Service Cross
• Purple Heart
• Disabled Veteran

CTRMA: Qualified Service Member Program

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) adds its own layer through the Qualified Service Member Program. It covers commuter routes including 183A Toll, 290 Toll, 71 Toll Lane, 45SW Toll, and 183 Toll.

CTRMA compliance rules you must meet:

• Vehicle holds standard Texas registration
• Vehicle is registered in the qualifying veteran’s name
• The specialty plate is properly affixed to the vehicle
• Zero outstanding violations with the Mobility Authority
• Maximum of one vehicle per qualified person (second vehicle requires a hardship petition)

Florida: The Beverly Chapman Act’s Strict Limits

Florida’s approach is the most restrictive of all major states, and veterans’ advocacy groups have been fighting it loudly for years. The Beverly Chapman Act (Section 338.155, Florida Statutes) dates to 1988 and was designed for a very specific scenario: people who physically couldn’t reach a coin basket at a manned toll booth.

The 2026 qualifying criterion remains strictly defined:

• Applicant must have a severe and permanent upper limb mobility or dexterity impairment
• The vehicle must be specially equipped with adaptive modifications (wheelchair ramps, mechanical lifts, or hand controls)
• A licensed Florida physician or VA Adjudication Office must sign a statement confirming the specific upper limb impairment
• Paid invoices proving vehicle modification must be submitted

A veteran rated 100% disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for PTSD, traumatic brain injury, or bilateral lower-limb amputations does not automatically qualify. Because they theoretically retain upper-body dexterity, the Beverly Chapman Act excludes them.

Bills HB 445 and SB 532 in the 2025-2026 Florida legislature attempted to extend waivers to all 100% service-connected disabled veterans. Both died in appropriations committees because mandatory statewide waivers would threaten the bond revenue underwriting Florida’s expressway system.

If you do qualify, here’s what you receive:

New York: Streamlined and Sensible

The New York State Thruway Authority’s program takes a notably cleaner approach than Florida’s. Per the NY Department of Veterans’ Services, if you’ve obtained a fee-exempt vehicle registration from the NYS DMV, you’re automatically eligible for the E-ZPass Disabled Veterans Non-Revenue Program.

The Thruway Authority doesn’t independently parse your VA disability percentage or specific combat medals. It defers entirely to the DMV’s determination, which is exactly how it should work.

New Jersey: Pending Legislation

Assembly Bill 3509 and companion Senate Bill S1153 are actively moving through the 2026 New Jersey legislative session. The bills would extend E-ZPass waivers to commercial vehicles owned by disabled veteran businesses, defined as at least 51% veteran-owned, with a VA disability rating of 10% or higher, and a minimum of $2,500 in annual revenue. Not law yet, but worth monitoring closely.

Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts

Low-Income Drivers: The Most Underused Programs

This is where some of the most generous and least publicized programs live. They don’t advertise themselves, which is kind of the whole problem.

California: Bay Area Toll Payment Plan

Following AB 2594, the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) launched a structured relief program for households earning up to 200% of the federal poverty level.

2026 California Toll Assistance Income Thresholds:

Accepted proof of income documents:

• Medi-Cal card
• CalFresh or EBT benefits card
• Muni Lifeline card
• Recent federal tax return

Once verified, all accumulated violation penalties are completely wiped. You owe only the original base tolls. To restore your vehicle registration, make a first payment of $100 or 50% of remaining base tolls (whichever is lower), then spread the balance over a payment plan of up to two years through the Bay Area Toll Payment Plan portal.

California: Express Lanes START and LA Metro

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission runs the Express Lanes START program on the I-880 and I-80 Express Lanes. Eligible households (same 200% FPL threshold) receive a 50% discount applied automatically through their FasTrak account on every tolled trip, no visible action required at the gantry.

In Southern California, LA Metro ExpressLanes offers two benefits:

• A one-time $25 credit upon opening a new FasTrak account
• Permanent waiver of the standard $1 monthly account maintenance fee

Important: LA Metro applications cannot be completed fully online. You must present your EBT, Medi-Cal, or tax return documents in person at a Metro ExpressLanes Service Center in Torrance.

Illinois: I-PASS Assist Program

The I-PASS Assist program is one of the most thoughtfully engineered low-income tolling programs in the country. Households earning under 250% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines qualify.

2026 I-PASS Assist Income Thresholds:

What makes this program stand out:

The Illinois Tollway partnered with the Illinois Department of Revenue to automate income verification. Applicants simply enter their Social Security Number into a secure web portal, and the system cross-references state tax records in real time. No mailing documents, no waiting weeks.

Benefits upon enrollment:

• Battery-less RFID sticker tag with zero deposit required
• Open your account with as little as $4
• Per-trip toll rate drops 50% compared to the punitive Pay-By-Plate rate
• Outstanding historical penalties may be completely dismissed for a clean slate

New York: Congestion Pricing Low-Income Discount Plan

The MTA’s Central Business District Low-Income Discount Plan (LIDP) covers registered vehicle owners entering Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone.

Eligibility criteria (either condition qualifies):

• Federal adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less on the prior year’s tax return
• Active enrollment in SNAP, TANF, or WIC

How the discount works:

The LIDP does not apply from your very first trip. The 50% discount activates only after you complete 10 peak-period trips into the zone within a single calendar month. This intentional design targets workers who genuinely depend on driving for employment, not occasional visitors.

Additionally, zone residents with a NYS adjusted gross income under $60,000 can claim a New York State tax credit that effectively refunds tolls paid throughout the fiscal year.

E-ZPass Interoperable Commuter Plans

The E-ZPass Group operates across 19 states in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest. Transponders work across state lines, but discount programs are strictly localized.

Select state transponder costs and commuter plans:

Regional commuter programs worth knowing:

• NY Thruway: The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Commuter Plan saves roughly $8.34 per trip, but requires a minimum of 20 trips per month or unused trips are billed at the full rate.
• Port Authority (PANYNJ): The Staten Island Bridges Plan gives non-commercial vehicles a 50% discount with at least 3 trips per month on the Bayonne, Goethals, or Outerbridge Crossing.
• New Jersey Turnpike Authority: Senior Citizens Discount Plan for drivers aged 65 and over, applied to off-peak tolls on the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.
• Delaware River Port Authority: Senior Discount Plan for drivers 65+ crossing the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Betsy Ross, and Commodore Barry bridges, with vehicle registration in NJ, PA, or DE required.

First-Time Violators: The Easiest Waiver to Get

If this is your first toll violation, you’re in the best possible position. Most agencies offer a one-time courtesy waiver on the penalty portion, no questions asked, as long as you act quickly.

How to get a first-time violation penalty waived:

1. Pay the original base toll amount
2. Contact the agency by phone and identify yourself as a first-time violator
3. Request that the administrative penalty be waived
4. Confirm the outcome in writing

The Illinois Tollway’s Violation Cure Program is the clearest example: pay the base toll, the fine disappears. Act before your response deadline, stay calm, and your odds are high.

Medical Hardship and Disability Waivers

Maryland: Cancer Treatment Exemption

Maryland’s House Bill 1200, active in the 2026 legislative session, establishes a formal waiver for registered vehicle owners undergoing scheduled cancer treatments. Submit documentation from a licensed healthcare provider to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), and they are statutorily required to waive tolls incurred during transit for oncological care.

New York MTA: Individual and Organizational Disability Plans

The MTA provides two formal disability exemption plans for the Congestion Relief Zone:

Washington State: Tribal and Emergency Vehicle Exemptions

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) provides automatic toll exemptions for a broad range of vehicle types.

Vehicles exempt from Washington State tolls:

• Authorized on-duty emergency vehicles and highway maintenance fleets
• Publicly owned transit buses
• Privately owned buses on fixed scheduled routes
• School buses with a capacity of 16 or more passengers
• Registered rideshare (vanpool) vehicles with Rideshare plates
• Enrolled members of the Yakama and Nez Perce tribes (treaty preemptions)

How to Request a Toll Fee Waiver: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Don’t Ignore the Notice

Every violation notice includes a response deadline. Miss it and your fees compound fast. A $5 missed toll can spiral into $50 or more in administrative penalties, and eventually into a vehicle registration hold.

Open the notice immediately. Mark the deadline in your calendar before doing anything else.

Step 2: Gather Your Documentation

Organized documentation is the single biggest factor in whether a waiver gets approved. Missing one document can delay or kill your appeal entirely.

Documents to gather before contacting anyone:

Step 3: Contact the Toll Agency Directly

Call before you fill out any form online. A direct conversation often resolves things faster, and a supervisor on the phone can sometimes approve waivers on the spot.

Major toll agency contacts:

If the first representative says no, ask to speak with a supervisor. That single escalation step makes a meaningful difference more often than you’d think.

Step 4: Submit a Formal Written Appeal

If the phone call doesn’t resolve things, submit a written appeal before the deadline. Every major toll agency has a formal dispute or appeal form on its website.

Your written appeal must include:

1. Full legal name and account or violation number
2. A concise, factual explanation of what happened
3. Your specific request, such as a waiver of the penalty portion
4. All supporting documents are attached and clearly labeled
5. Your preferred contact method for the agency’s response

Keep the tone respectful and factual. You’re not fighting the agency; you’re requesting reasonable consideration, and that framing genuinely affects how your case gets reviewed.

Step 5: Follow Up and Document Everything

After 7 to 10 business days, follow up by phone or email to confirm receipt and check status. Write down the date, time, and full name of every person you speak with.

That habit prevents the extremely common “we have no record of your submission” problem from derailing your appeal at the finish line.

Rental Cars, Misidentified Plates, and Transponder Failures

Rented Vehicles

Rental companies process tolls through third-party billing services that stack administrative fees on top of the original toll. You can easily end up paying two or three times the actual toll amount in processing charges alone.

How to avoid rental car toll overcharges:

• Bring your own E-ZPass or SunPass transponder (works in dozens of states)
• Check whether the rental agency’s toll program has a daily cap on fees
• Ask your rental agency if short-term plate registration is available to bypass third-party billing

Misidentified Vehicles

License plate recognition cameras make errors, and the mistake lands in your mailbox as a violation notice. If you received a notice for a toll that happened somewhere you weren’t, dispute it immediately.

Evidence to submit for a misidentification dispute:

• Clear photos of your vehicle showing the full license plate
• GPS records or transponder transaction history showing your actual location at the time
• Any other documentation placing you away from the toll facility

Most agencies resolve verified misidentification claims within two to four weeks.

Transponder Malfunctions

A malfunctioning transponder is not your fault, but it will still generate a violation notice if it fails to register at a gantry. Contact your transponder provider first and obtain official documentation of the malfunction.

Documentation to request from your transponder provider:

• Written confirmation of the malfunction or device fault
• Replacement records or support ticket numbers
• Account logs showing the transaction was attempted

Attach all of this to a waiver request submitted to the toll authority. Agencies deal with equipment failures regularly and treat well-documented malfunction claims with appropriate understanding.

When a Debt Collector Gets Involved

If violations sat too long and a collections agency is now calling, stop and slow down before taking any action.

Validate the Debt First

Send a written debt validation letter within 30 days of initial contact. Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the collector must prove the debt is valid and that they hold the legal right to collect it.

Toll debts in collections frequently contain errors, including wrong amounts, already-paid balances, or completely mismatched account information. Validation protects you from paying something inaccurate or paying twice.

Negotiate a Settlement

If the debt is confirmed valid, a lump-sum settlement offer of 40 to 60% of the total balance is a reasonable starting point. Collectors purchase debts at a fraction of face value and have room to negotiate.

Non-negotiable rule: Get any settlement agreement in writing before you pay a single dollar. A verbal agreement with a debt collector carries no legal weight.

Contact the Original Toll Authority

Even after a debt goes to collections, it’s worth contacting the original toll agency directly. Some agencies will recall the debt and offer you a direct payment plan, especially for a first significant delinquency. It doesn’t always work, but it costs nothing to try.

The EV Toll Waiver Era Is Effectively Over

If you’re driving an electric vehicle and still assuming you get free HOV lane access in 2026, prepare for an unpleasant surprise. The federal allowance for single-occupant Alternative Fuel Vehicles in HOV lanes under the FAST Act expired on September 30, 2025.

What Changed State by State

Georgia: Single-occupant EVs on the I-85 HOT Express Lanes now pay dynamic toll rates exactly like any other vehicle. To travel toll-free, you need three or more occupants and must use the Peach Pass Verify app to certify HOV-3 status in real time.

Virginia: The 90-mile Express Lanes network on I-95, I-495, and I-66 requires three-plus occupants and you must physically flip your E-ZPass Flex transponder into “HOV ON” mode. Simply driving an EV is no longer enough.

The New Financial Reality for EV Owners

States are actively increasing financial obligations for EV owners to recapture lost gas tax revenue. Here’s where things stand in 2026:

The Tax Foundation’s 2026 EV fee tracker covers state-by-state EV surcharges in detail. The era of the free-riding EV is definitely over, and this trend is accelerating, not slowing down.

What’s Coming Next: Mileage-Based User Fees

Here’s the big-picture development every driver should know about. States are actively piloting Mileage-Based User Fees (MBUF), also called Road Usage Charging (RUC), which replaces the gas tax with a flat charge per mile driven regardless of fuel type.

States Already Running MBUF Programs

The Bipartisan Policy Center tracks federal MBUF pilot funding through the Strategic Innovation for Revenue Collection program. The National Conference of State Legislatures monitors state-level legislation as it evolves.

Why This Matters for Waiver-Seekers

The current exemption system is micro-locational by design; it applies to a specific bridge, a specific lane, or a specific turnpike segment. An MBUF system taxes every mile on every public road, and applying veteran or low-income exemptions to that framework raises questions legislators haven’t fully answered yet.

Serious public privacy concerns about continuous GPS tracking also remain a significant barrier to implementation. The programs available today may look very different in three to five years, so use them while the current system is still the system.

Mistakes That Kill Waiver Requests

Avoid these and your chances of success improve dramatically.

Quick Waiver Checklist Before You Submit

Run through this before sending anything to an agency.

• [ ] Collected the violation notice with the violation number and the response deadline
• [ ] Identified which waiver category applies to your situation
• [ ] Gathered all supporting documentation listed above
• [ ] Checked income eligibility against current program thresholds if applicable
• [ ] Called the toll agency directly before submitting any written appeal
• [ ] Asked to speak with a supervisor if the first representative said no
• [ ] Drafted a clear, respectful written appeal with all documents labeled and attached
• [ ] Confirmed receipt of the appeal with a follow-up call
• [ ] Documented every communication, including date, time, and the name of the person you spoke with

Your Toll Fees Are Not Final: Go Get That Waiver

The toll waiver system isn’t a secret, but it operates like one because agencies don’t advertise it. Veterans with qualifying plates who haven’t linked their FasTrak accounts are leaving real money on the table every single week.

Low-income drivers unaware that their household income falls under California’s 200% FPL threshold are paying penalties they’re legally not required to pay. First-time violators who just mail in the full amount never learn that the penalty could have been erased for free. These programs exist, they work, and the only thing standing between most eligible drivers and relief is knowing to ask.

Get organized. Know your deadline. Call before you write. Escalate if the first answer is no. And if you’re a veteran in California, New York, or Texas, please link your qualifying plate to your transponder account today before the next gantry catches you off guard.

Your money is worth the phone call.

Sources and Further Reading

Federal and Government Sources

• Federal Highway Administration: Toll Facilities in the United States
• Federal Highway Administration: Federal Highway Tolling Programs Fact Sheets
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Emergency Declarations and Waivers
• FTC: Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Disability Ratings
• ADA.gov: Americans with Disabilities Act
• House Committee on Transportation: 2026 Surface Transportation Reauthorization

State Toll Authority Sources

• Bay Area FasTrak: Payment Assistance Programs
• Bay Area Toll Payment Plan Portal
• Metropolitan Transportation Commission: Express Lanes START
• LA Metro ExpressLanes: Low-Income Assistance Plan
• SANDAG: Veterans Toll Exemption Program
• Illinois Tollway: I-PASS Assist Program
• MTA New York: Congestion Pricing Discounts and Exemptions
• NY Thruway Authority: E-ZPass Discount Plans
• NY Department of Veterans’ Services: E-ZPass for Disabled Veterans
• Port Authority of NY and NJ: E-ZPass Plans
• TxDOT: Veterans Discount Program
• CTRMA: Qualified Service Member Program
• FDOT: Disabled Toll Permit (Beverly Chapman Act)
• Maryland Transportation Authority
• Maryland HB 1200 Fiscal Note (2026)
• Massachusetts HERO Act
• WSDOT: Toll Exemptions and Discounts
• Georgia DOT: Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Peach Pass
• E-ZPass Virginia

Policy and Research Sources

• NCSL: States Look to Mileage-Based Fees to Replace Gas Tax Revenue
• Bipartisan Policy Center: Mileage-Based User Fee Pilot Programs and the IIJA
• Tax Foundation: Electric Vehicle EV Taxes by State 2026
• Pennsylvania DOT: Road User Charge
• New York State Department of Taxation and Finance

Pavithra Vinoth

Pavithra Vinoth is the founder of nytollsinfo.com, where she simplifies U.S. toll systems through expert insights and custom-built calculators. Her research-driven tools help drivers avoid costly mistakes and make smarter car decisions.