There are three ways to pay Virginia tolls: an E-ZPass transponder, Pay by Plate (an invoice mailed to the registered owner after cameras capture your plate), or the Go-Toll mobile app for a limited set of facilities. E-ZPass is the cheapest and works on every tolled road, bridge, and tunnel in the state. Pay by Plate happens automatically if you drive through without a transponder, but it costs more per trip and turns expensive fast if you ignore the bill.
E-ZPass: The Default Choice
An E-ZPass transponder gets you the lowest posted rate at every Virginia toll facility, and it’s the only way to use the Express Lanes on I-66, I-95, I-395, I-495, and I-64 at all.1Toll Roads in Virginia. FAQS
The quickest way to get one is an E-ZPass “On-the-Go” kit at a Virginia DMV office or participating retailer. The kit costs $35 and comes preloaded with $15 in toll credit that works immediately.2Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. E-ZPass at DMV You still have to register the kit online or by phone afterward so you can use it outside Virginia and link a payment method. You can also order a transponder directly from E-ZPass Virginia.
Registration asks for your contact information, the license plate of every vehicle that will use the transponder, and a credit card or bank account for replenishment. E-ZPass Virginia requires every vehicle on the account so the system can match your plate if the transponder doesn’t read cleanly at the gantry.3E-ZPass® Virginia. FAQ
Mounting the Transponder
Stick the transponder to the inside of your windshield near the rearview mirror, arrows pointing up. A transponder behind a sun visor or loose on the dashboard often won’t read at highway speed, and a missed read gets you billed at the higher Pay by Plate rate.
Keeping the Account Funded
The account runs on a prepaid balance. When it drops to $10 or less per transponder, the system charges your linked payment method automatically. The replenishment amount is either your average monthly toll usage or $35 per transponder, whichever is greater.4E-ZPass® Virginia. Virginia E-ZPass Customer Agreement Manual replenishment by check or money order is allowed, but you’ll be responsible for watching the balance.
E-ZPass Flex for Carpoolers
If you carpool on the Express Lanes, ask for an E-ZPass Flex instead of a standard transponder. Flex has a three-position switch. Flip it to “HOV ON” with enough passengers in the vehicle and you ride toll-free.5E-ZPass® Virginia. About E-ZPass
The passenger minimum depends on the corridor. I-495, I-95, and I-395 require HOV-3 (three or more occupants).6Virginia Department of Transportation. HOV Lanes I-66 inside the Beltway requires HOV-3 during peak hours. I-64 rules vary by segment, so check signage or the E-ZPass Virginia site before you go.
Change the switch while parked, not while driving.5E-ZPass® Virginia. About E-ZPass Setting it to HOV without the required passengers is a violation.
Pay by Plate
If you drive through a toll without a working transponder, cameras photograph your plate and an invoice goes to the registered vehicle owner. It happens automatically. You don’t need to sign up for anything.
The trade-off is the rate. Pay by Plate always costs more than E-ZPass. On the Dulles Toll Road, every Pay by Plate transaction adds $1.60 to the toll to cover invoice processing.7Dulles Toll Road. Electronic Payments and Pay By Plate Once the invoice arrives, you can pay online through the toll operator’s website, by phone, or by mailing a check or money order using the invoice and plate numbers on the bill. Pay before the due date; late invoices are where administrative fees start.
The Go-Toll App
Go-Toll is a pay-as-you-go option for drivers who use Virginia toll roads occasionally. You link a payment method in the app, drive normally, and get a notification with the toll amount after your trip. No prepaid balance, no transponder.
It only covers 12 Transurban-operated facilities in Virginia.8Transurban. New Mobile Tolling App Launches for Virginia Drivers Facilities run by other operators, like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and the Dulles Toll Road, aren’t in the app. For anyone driving multiple corridors regularly, E-ZPass is still cheaper and covers everything.
Paying Tolls in a Rental Car
Rental cars are where costs quietly spiral. National rental agencies enroll their vehicles in their own toll-payment programs automatically, and any triggered toll gets billed back to you along with a daily convenience fee. On a week of daily toll use, those fees alone can outrun the tolls.
Two ways around it. If you already have an E-ZPass Virginia account, log in and temporarily add the rental car’s plate with start and end dates matching your rental period. If your transponder is a portable hard-case unit (not sticker-mounted), you can move it into the rental. Either way, the tolls run through your personal account at the standard rate. Remove the rental plate from your account when you return the car.
What Happens If You Miss a Toll
If you realize you went through a gantry without a working payment method, pay it before the invoice goes out. Most Virginia toll operators let you pay a missed toll online within six days of travel, which prevents a formal violation notice. You’ll need your plate number and the date of travel. In that window, you pay only the toll.9Toll Roads in Virginia. Find Missed Toll
After that, the numbers climb. An administrative fee gets added to the unpaid toll, capped at $25 if you pay within 60 days of being notified. Past 60 days, that fee can reach $100 per violation.10Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Title 46.2 Chapter 8 – Section 46.2-819.3 Use of Toll Facility Without Payment of Toll; Enforcement; Penalty
If the case reaches court, civil penalties stack on top of the toll and administrative fees:
- First offense: $50
- Second offense within one year: $100
- Third offense within two years of the second: $250
- Fourth and later offenses within three years of the second: $500
Each penalty is on top of the original toll, all accrued administrative fees, and court costs.10Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Title 46.2 Chapter 8 – Section 46.2-819.3 Use of Toll Facility Without Payment of Toll; Enforcement; Penalty
The consequence that catches most people off guard comes after a court finds two or more unpaid tolls and you still don’t pay. The court or toll operator notifies the Virginia DMV Commissioner, who will refuse to issue or renew the registration for the vehicle involved. The hold stays until the court confirms everything has been paid in full.11Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Title 46.2 Chapter 8 – Section 46.2-819.3:1 Vehicles registered in a state with a reciprocal agreement with Virginia can see the same notice go to that state’s DMV. A forgotten $4 toll can eventually keep you from legally driving your car.