Every toll road, bridge, and tunnel in New York is cashless, so how tolls work in New York comes down to two options: pay the lower rate automatically through an E-ZPass account, or let overhead cameras photograph your license plate and mail a higher bill to the vehicle’s registered owner. There are no booths, no coin baskets, and no way to hand over cash. Traffic moves at highway speed under gantries that read transponders or capture plates, and the invoice or account debit follows later.
Three separate agencies run the state’s tolled crossings, and each sets its own rates and discount rules. The New York State Thruway Authority operates the 570-mile Thruway and the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. MTA Bridges and Tunnels runs seven bridges and two tunnels in New York City. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey handles the George Washington Bridge, the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, and the three Staten Island crossings.1Port Authority. Toll Resources A single trip can produce bills from more than one of them.
Paying With E-ZPass
An E-ZPass account is the cheapest way to pay. Sign up with your license plate number, vehicle details, and a payment method, choosing either a personal account or a business account for a commercial fleet.2E-ZPass New York. E-ZPass – Individual Account Each vehicle gets a small transponder tag that the gantry reads as you drive under it, and the toll comes out of your account at the E-ZPass rate.
The standard plan keeps a prepaid balance of at least $25, refilled automatically from a linked credit card or bank account whenever it drops below a threshold.3The State of New York. Get E-ZPass If you’d rather not prepay, the Pay-Per-Trip plan links a checking account and debits each day’s tolls at the end of the day, with the option to add a backup credit card in case the withdrawal fails.4E-ZPass New York. E-ZPass Plans
Mounting the Tag
Where you place the transponder matters. The tag goes on the inside of the windshield, at least one inch to the right of the rearview mirror’s center support and at least one inch below any tinted band at the top of the glass, with the label facing you and the arrows pointing up.5New York State Thruway Authority. E-ZPass Tag Mounting Instructions A misread tag means the gantry falls back on your plate and bills you the higher Tolls by Mail rate.
Paying by Mail
If you cross without a working E-ZPass, cameras capture your rear plate, the system matches it to state registration records, and an invoice is mailed to the registered owner. Bills usually arrive 30 to 45 days after the trip.6Thruway Authority. About Tolls By Mail You pay online at the Tolls by Mail site by invoice number or plate lookup, or by phone.
The mailed rate is higher than the E-ZPass rate for the same crossing. At Port Authority crossings, a passenger car pays $19.55 by mail regardless of time of day, versus $16.79 at peak and $14.79 off-peak with E-ZPass.7Port Authority. 2026 Tolls The gap is wider at MTA crossings: the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is $6.94 with E-ZPass and $11.19 by mail.8Cornell Law School. NY Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 21 1021.1 – Toll Rates
Not receiving the paper bill doesn’t erase the debt. If you’ve recently driven a tolled route, check the online portal instead of waiting for mail. An outdated address in DMV records is one of the most common reasons drivers end up hit with violation fees.
What Determines Your Rate
Three factors drive what you pay at any crossing: your vehicle’s classification, the time of day, and whether you pay by E-ZPass or by mail.
Classification is based mainly on axle count and maximum gross weight, not vehicle type. A two-axle passenger car under 7,000 pounds pays the lowest rate; multi-axle trucks pay progressively more.8Cornell Law School. NY Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 21 1021.1 – Toll Rates Gantry sensors verify axles in real time, so towing a trailer bumps you into a higher class even if your E-ZPass profile still lists just the car.
Time of day matters at Port Authority and MTA crossings, but the peak windows differ by agency. Port Authority defines peak as weekdays 6–10 a.m. and 4–8 p.m., plus weekends 11 a.m.–9 p.m.7Port Authority. 2026 Tolls The Manhattan Congestion Relief Zone uses a different clock. If your route touches both, each applies its own schedule.
The Manhattan Congestion Relief Zone
Since January 2025, vehicles entering Manhattan at or south of 60th Street pay a congestion toll on top of any bridge or tunnel toll for the same trip. Peak hours run 5 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekends. A passenger car with E-ZPass pays $9 at peak and $2.25 overnight.9MTA. Congestion Relief Zone Tolling You’re charged only once per day no matter how many times you enter.
If you enter through the Lincoln, Holland, Queens-Midtown, or Hugh L. Carey Tunnel at peak hours with a valid E-ZPass, you get a credit of up to $3 against the congestion toll, effectively cutting a passenger car’s peak charge to $6. No credit applies overnight.9MTA. Congestion Relief Zone Tolling Vehicles that stay on the FDR Drive, West Street, the West Side Highway, or the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connections to West Street aren’t charged, since those routes skirt the zone.10MTA. FAQs
Emergency vehicles, contracted NYC school buses, licensed commuter vans, and scheduled public commuter buses are exempt. Drivers whose disability prevents them from using transit can apply for the Individual Disability Exemption Plan, and organizations that transport people with disabilities can apply under the Organizational Disability Exemption Plan.11MTA. Congestion Relief Zone Toll – Discounts and Exemptions
Discounts Worth Checking
Several plans can reduce what you pay beyond the standard E-ZPass rate. Plug-in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles qualify for a 10% Thruway Green Discount, as well as a separate Green Discount at Port Authority crossings. The Thruway Green Discount cannot be combined with commuter plans.4E-ZPass New York. E-ZPass Plans
Heavy short-trip commuters can look at the Thruway Annual Permit. The fee starts at $88 in January and is prorated down to $8 by December, and it covers the toll for the first 30 miles or less of each Thruway trip.4E-ZPass New York. E-ZPass Plans
Drivers with a federal adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less, or who receive SNAP, WIC, or TANF, can enroll in the Low-Income Discount Plan for the Congestion Relief Zone. It cuts the peak toll in half, but only after your first 10 peak trips in a calendar month; those first 10 are charged at full price.12MTA. Low Income Discount Plan
Every discount plan, along with the low-income plan and the disability exemptions, requires a New York-issued E-ZPass account. Out-of-state transponders don’t qualify.13MTA. What to Know About E-ZPass and Congestion Relief Zone Tolling
Out-of-State E-ZPass
A New York E-ZPass works on toll roads across 19 states, from Maine to Florida to Minnesota.14E-ZPass New York. Participating Toll Facilities The reverse works too: an E-ZPass issued by New Jersey or another member state is read at New York gantries and charged the standard E-ZPass rate. What it won’t do is unlock any of the New York-only discounts. If you regularly drive into New York from a neighboring state, a second, New York-issued account is worth considering purely for discount eligibility.
What Happens if You Don’t Pay
Ignoring a toll bill gets expensive fast. At MTA crossings, an unpaid bill picks up a $5 late fee after 30 days, and a $50 violation fee is added for each unpaid crossing once the bill is 60 days past due.15MTA. How to Avoid Toll Violation Fees A single day’s trip across two bridges can generate $100 in violation fees on top of the original tolls.
Under Section 510(3)(d) of the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law, the DMV can suspend your vehicle’s registration if you rack up three or more unpaid toll violations within a five-year period, or if your unpaid toll debt reaches $200 or more within five years.16NY DMV. Registration Suspensions for Failure to Pay Tolls A few missed Tolls by Mail invoices can cross that line before you notice.
Driving on a suspended registration is a misdemeanor that can bring a fine, jail time, or both, and the vehicle can be impounded if you’re pulled over.16NY DMV. Registration Suspensions for Failure to Pay Tolls Getting the registration back means paying every outstanding toll and violation fee plus a reinstatement fee to the DMV.
Debts left unpaid long enough are sent to private collection agencies, and the tolling authority can also pursue a civil judgment. A collections entry on your credit report can drag your score down for years after you finally settle. If you’re already behind, contact the tolling authority directly. Each of the three agencies has a Toll Payer Advocate office that handles disputes and may resolve the balance before it escalates.1Port Authority. Toll Resources