Louisiana tolls apply at two bridge crossings and a handful of ferry routes: the LA 1 Bridge at Leeville, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, three state-run ferries, and the Plaquemines Parish ferry. The Crescent City Connection over the Mississippi in New Orleans went toll-free in 2013 and no longer charges vehicles.
Where You’ll Pay and How Much
The LA 1 Bridge connects Port Fourchon and Grand Isle to the mainland and is the state’s main toll road. A standard two-axle vehicle pays $4.50 per trip, whether the toll is billed to a GeauxPass account or a mailed invoice.1Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development. GeauxPass Toll Rates Increase Beginning January 1, 2023 Rates rise with axle count. Drivers who make at least 20 trips within 60 days qualify for a commuter rate of $2.70 per trip, applied automatically through their GeauxPass account once the threshold is hit.2La DOTD. GeauxPass – FAQs
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway runs nearly 24 miles between Metairie and Mandeville and is operated by the Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission, not DOTD.3La DOTD. Tolling Operations Tolls are collected only at the Mandeville end, so southbound trips into Metairie are free. Rates depend on axle count and whether the vehicle is taller or shorter than seven feet. Passenger cars pay the lowest fare; multi-axle commercial vehicles over seven feet can pay $26 or more.4The U.S. Causeway. Toll Tags
DOTD runs three ferry crossings: the Calcasieu River ferry at Cameron, the Mississippi River ferry between Plaquemine and Sunshine, and the Ouachita River ferry at Duty/Enterprise. Each charges $1 per car westbound and nothing eastbound. Pedestrians pay $0.50 westbound.5La DOTD. Ferries Plaquemines Parish operates its ferries separately and charges $2 per vehicle regardless of axle count, with 20-ticket books available for $40.6Plaquemines Parish, LA. Ferry Tolls
How to Pay
The LA 1 Bridge uses all-electronic tolling. There are no booths. Overhead equipment either reads a GeauxPass barcode sticker on your windshield or photographs your plate for a Toll-by-Plate invoice sent to the vehicle’s registered address.3La DOTD. Tolling Operations
GeauxPass is Louisiana’s statewide electronic toll account. You prepay a $20 balance, receive a barcode sticker for the inside of your windshield, and the toll comes out of the balance each time you pass a reader. Auto-replenishment charges $20 to your card whenever the balance drops below $10.2La DOTD. GeauxPass – FAQs If your account is empty, cameras capture your plate and you get a Toll-by-Plate invoice instead, and only account holders with a valid tag can earn the LA 1 commuter discount.
The Causeway is easier for visitors. It has staffed lanes that take cash and credit cards, with a 3% processing fee on card payments.4The U.S. Causeway. Toll Tags The Causeway has its own toll tag, and GeauxPass holders can link their tag to a Causeway account by calling the commission. The Causeway tag also works on the LA 1 Bridge, so a driver who uses both crossings needs only one device.
Rental cars complicate the LA 1 Bridge. Because the vehicle is registered to the rental company, the Toll-by-Plate invoice goes to them, and most agencies pass it along with an administrative fee of their own. If you know you’ll be crossing in a rental, calling GeauxPass customer service at 866-662-8987 ahead of time can help you sort out payment.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay
A small toll grows quickly once it goes unpaid. On the LA 1 Bridge, an unpaid captured-plate crossing triggers a violation notice with the toll plus a $25 administrative fee. GeauxPass account holders with a valid tag are not charged the $25 fee. Failing to pay or appeal within 30 days adds a $5 late charge, and after 60 days of silence the state blocks your driver’s license renewal until the balance is cleared.7Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 47-820.5.4 – LA 1 Project Toll Violations
The Causeway also adds a $25 administrative fee to an unpaid toll, but waives it if you pay within 72 hours. If the toll still isn’t paid after notice, you can be cited under Louisiana criminal law and fined between $50 and $100 per violation upon conviction.8Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 47-820.5.1 – Greater New Orleans Expressway Toll Violations Both facilities can send unpaid debts to collections, which may report the balance to credit bureaus and pursue civil or criminal action.7Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 47-820.5.4 – LA 1 Project Toll Violations
Disputing a Toll Charge
You have 30 calendar days from the date a violation notice is issued to either pay or appeal. Missing that window counts as an admission of liability, so don’t sit on a notice you disagree with.7Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 47-820.5.4 – LA 1 Project Toll Violations
For LA 1 violations, there are two appeal paths. You can request a written review by sending a signed statement and supporting evidence, such as payment receipts or proof the vehicle wasn’t in the area; a violation clerk issues a written decision within 60 days. Or you can request an informal in-person hearing before an agent designated by the Louisiana Toll Authority, who has authority to waive administrative fees for good cause. Judicial review is available after that, though it usually means hiring an attorney.7Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 47-820.5.4 – LA 1 Project Toll Violations
If the notice arrived because a reader missed your tag, because your plate wasn’t linked to your account, or because your balance was too low, you can often clear it up without a formal appeal by contacting GeauxPass customer service at 866-662-8987 or emailing customerservice@geauxpass.com.2La DOTD. GeauxPass – FAQs