Most disabled veterans do not pay tolls in Texas. If you have a service-connected disability rating of at least 50 percent (or 40 percent for lower-extremity amputation), register your vehicle in Texas, and display a qualifying specialty plate, state law requires every public toll authority in Texas to let you through for free or at a discount. The catch is that the exemption is not automatic on every road, and a few privately operated toll lanes are outside the program entirely.
The requirement comes from Section 372.053 of the Texas Transportation Code, which directs each toll authority in the state to run a veteran discount program.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 372.053 – Veteran Discount Program Each authority runs its own enrollment, so being signed up with one does not sign you up with the others.
Who Qualifies
The exemption covers veterans with a service-connected disability rating of at least 50 percent as certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans with a 40 percent service-connected disability rating because of amputation of a lower extremity also qualify.2Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT Veterans Discount Program
The exemption attaches to the license plate, not to you as a driver. Your vehicle must be registered in Texas and display one of these specialty plates:
- Disabled Veteran plate, for veterans meeting the disability thresholds above
- Purple Heart plate, for Purple Heart recipients
- Legion of Valor plate, for recipients of the Medal of Honor, Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Cross (Army), or Navy Cross
These are the plates named in the statute through Sections 504.202 and 504.315(f) and (g).1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 372.053 – Veteran Discount Program A disabled veteran plate issued by another state will not trigger the Texas exemption, so veterans who move to Texas or regularly drive Texas toll roads need to obtain Texas plates through TxDMV.2Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT Veterans Discount Program
Because the exemption follows the plate, anyone else driving your plated vehicle also passes toll-free. The reverse is also true: drive a different vehicle without qualifying plates and you pay full freight regardless of your disability rating.
Which Texas Toll Roads Are Covered
Each Texas toll authority runs its own version of the exemption. The practical effect is the same, but a handful of privately managed lanes sit outside the program.
TxDOT Toll Roads and Managed Lanes
TxDOT’s program covers the toll roads and managed lanes it operates directly. In Houston, that includes the SH 288 Managed Lanes. In Dallas-Fort Worth, it covers TxDOT-managed TEXpress Lanes on SH 183, Loop 12, SH 114, I-635E, I-30, and I-35E.2Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT Veterans Discount Program
Three sets of DFW-area TEXpress lanes are not covered because private concessionaires run them: the LBJ TEXpress lanes, the North Tarrant Express (NTE) TEXpress lanes, and the NTE 35W TEXpress lanes. Veterans are charged standard tolls on those lanes regardless of plate type.2Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT Veterans Discount Program The branding and signage look the same as the covered lanes, which trips people up.
Harris County Toll Road Authority
HCTRA waives tolls for disabled veterans with qualifying plates under its Disabled Veteran Discount Toll Program. HCTRA identifies qualifying plates by cross-referencing toll traffic against a database of DV plate patterns provided by TxDMV.3Harris County Toll Road Authority. HCTRA Salutes Our Veterans
Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority
CTRMA covers Austin-area toll roads through its Qualified Service Member Program. Enrollment is not automatic. You confirm you have a qualifying plate and an electronic tag with no outstanding charges, then submit a registration form with your vehicle information, plate number, and full tag ID.4Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. Qualified Service Member Program
How to Turn the Exemption On
Step one is getting the specialty plate on your vehicle through TxDMV, which requires proof of your VA disability certification. Step two is making sure each toll authority whose roads you use actually knows about your plate. This is where veterans most often get billed by mistake.
Some authorities, like HCTRA, match plates against the TxDMV database and process the exemption without you doing anything else. Others, like CTRMA, require you to register the plate against an electronic toll tag account.4Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. Qualified Service Member Program Do not assume the exemption is live just because the plate is on the car. If you drive toll roads run by more than one authority, confirm enrollment with each one.
One more wrinkle: as of November 9, 2024, HCTRA took over toll billing and customer service for TxDOT toll roads in the Austin and Houston regions. Existing TxTag accounts were migrated to EZ TAG accounts managed through HCTRA.org.5Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT Teams Up With HCTRA to Enhance Toll Operations If your exemption was tied to a TxTag account, check that it carried through the migration.
If You Get Billed by Mistake
Billing errors are common right after you get new plates, switch vehicles, or around the HCTRA transition. If the system does not recognize the exemption at the time of travel, you will be billed like any other driver, and unpaid toll invoices accrue administrative fees that can quickly dwarf the toll itself. CTRMA, for example, escalates unpaid invoices past $500 in added fees within 120 days.
Contact the relevant toll authority as soon as an unexpected charge shows up. For HCTRA-managed roads, including TxDOT roads in Austin and Houston now billed by HCTRA, call 281-875-3279 or email eztagstore@hctra.org.3Harris County Toll Road Authority. HCTRA Salutes Our Veterans For CTRMA, use the contact information on its website. Have your license plate number and any electronic tag ID ready. The exemption covers the toll itself; administrative fees already assessed may not be reversed automatically if the exemption was not registered at the time of travel.
Transponder Limits
The statute allows a toll authority to cap how many transponders a veteran can use with the exemption, but the cap cannot be lower than two. An authority that uses the two-transponder cap must also allow a third transponder on a showing of hardship, as determined by the authority.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 372.053 – Veteran Discount Program For most households covering a primary and a second vehicle, this is not a practical constraint.
If You Don’t Meet the 50 Percent Threshold
Veterans below the 50 percent rating do not get the Texas toll exemption, but a separate federal program can reimburse toll costs for medical travel. The VA’s Beneficiary Travel program reimburses eligible veterans for mileage, parking, and tolls incurred getting to VA medical appointments or VA-approved community care.6Veterans Affairs. File and Manage Travel Reimbursement Claims
To qualify, you must be traveling for VA or VA-approved care, and at least one of the following must apply:
- A 30 percent or higher disability rating
- Travel for treatment of a service-connected condition, even with a rating below 30 percent
- Receiving a VA pension
- Income below the maximum VA pension rate
- Inability to afford travel costs under VA guidelines
- Travel for a C&P exam, service dog, or VA-approved transplant care
Claims must be filed within 30 days of the appointment, and late claims are usually denied.6Veterans Affairs. File and Manage Travel Reimbursement Claims Veterans who already qualify for the Texas toll exemption will have no toll charges to reimburse, but a veteran rated between 30 and 49 percent can recover toll costs for medical travel this way.