How to Pay West Virginia Tolls: E-ZPass, Plaza, and Pay-by-Plate

There are three ways to pay tolls on the West Virginia Turnpike: with an E-ZPass transponder (the cheapest), with cash or a credit or debit card at a staffed lane, or by mail through the Pay-by-Plate system after cameras capture your license plate. A standard passenger car pays $4.50 in cash or $2.93 with a West Virginia E-ZPass at each of the three mainline toll plazas, so a full-length trip runs $13.50 in cash versus $8.79 with a WV E-ZPass.¹

Paying With E-ZPass

E-ZPass is a small transponder that mounts inside your windshield. As you drive through a designated lane, the toll is deducted automatically from a prepaid account, and you don’t stop.

A West Virginia E-ZPass transponder costs $25 as a one-time, non-refundable purchase.¹ You can apply online (the quickest way), in person at the Parkways Authority Customer Service Center in Charleston, by mail, or by fax. Phone applications aren’t accepted, but customer service at 1-800-206-6222 will answer questions.²

Once your account is active, the system replenishes your prepaid balance automatically from the payment method on file when it drops below $10 on an individual account. Commercial accounts default to a $100 replenishment threshold, adjustable to a custom amount.³ You can manage the account online or by calling 1-800-206-6222.⁴

Paying Cash or Card at the Toll Plaza

The turnpike has three mainline toll plazas — Chelyan (Milepost 83), Pax (Milepost 56), and Ghent (Milepost 30) — plus a side toll at the North Beckley Exit (Exit 48).⁵ Each plaza has two types of lanes:

Full Service lanes are staffed around the clock and take cash, credit cards, debit cards, and E-ZPass.
E-ZPass Only lanes are electronic; drive through at the posted speed without stopping.

Checks, money orders, and foreign currency aren’t accepted at the plazas.³ Cash and card both pay the standard rate, which is higher than the E-ZPass rate.

Pay-by-Plate After the Fact

If you drive through without paying by any accepted method, cameras capture your plate and a bill goes to the registered vehicle owner. Pay-by-Plate is a fallback collection method, not a discount option, and administrative fees are added to the toll.⁶

You can pay an unpaid cash toll online before a formal notice arrives by entering your license plate at the Parkways Authority website. If a Toll Violation Notice has already been issued, you’ll need both the notice number and your plate number to look up the balance.⁴ Payments can also be made by phone at 1-800-206-6222 or by mailing a check or money order payable to the West Virginia Parkways Authority at P.O. Box 1469, Charleston, WV 25325.

If a toll collector hands you an Unpaid Toll Slip, you have 15 days to pay before the Parkways Authority mails a Toll Violation Notice with additional fees.³

What You’ll Pay by Vehicle Class

Toll rates depend on vehicle height, weight, and axle count. Rates below are per plaza and effective January 1, 2025; a full-length trip crosses all three, so multiply by three.¹

Passenger car, pickup, motorcycle, or van (under 7’6″, 2 axles): $4.50 cash / $2.93 WV E-ZPass
Passenger vehicle with trailer (under 7’6″, 3+ axles): $5.50 cash / $3.58 WV E-ZPass
Motor home (2–3 axles): $5.50 cash / $3.58 WV E-ZPass
Motor home with trailer (3+ axles): $7.00 cash / $4.55 WV E-ZPass
2-axle truck: $7.00 cash / $5.60 WV E-ZPass
3-axle truck: $10.00 cash / $8.00 WV E-ZPass
4-axle truck: $14.00 cash / $11.20 WV E-ZPass

For a passenger car, choosing WV E-ZPass over cash saves about 35% on a full-length trip.⁷

The Annual Unlimited Plan for Frequent Drivers

If you use the turnpike often, the Single Fee Discount Plan is usually the cheapest option. You pay a flat annual fee and drive as many times as you want for one year from the date of purchase. The plan is limited to Class 1 vehicles: under 7’6″ tall, 8,000 pounds or less, no more than two axles, and non-commercial.⁸

The annual fee was $27.50 as of January 1, 2025, with the statute allowing increases of up to 5% every three years. New enrollees pay a separate one-time $13 transponder fee. You can renew online, by phone at 1-800-206-6222, or by mailing a check or money order to the Parkways Authority.⁹

Out-of-State E-ZPass and Rental Cars

A West Virginia E-ZPass works on toll roads across roughly 20 states in the E-ZPass network, and E-ZPass transponders issued by any of those states work on the West Virginia Turnpike. Out-of-state E-ZPass holders don’t get the same rate as WV account holders: a passenger car with a WV E-ZPass pays $2.93 per plaza, while a non-WV E-ZPass pays $1.76 per plaza at the published rate, reflecting different discount structures.¹

You can technically use a personal E-ZPass in a rental car, but the Parkways Authority advises against it because of installation issues with the transponder. If you do use it, register the rental’s license plate to your E-ZPass account first. Skipping that step can cause failed transactions and leave you owing the full cash rate plus violation fees on any E-ZPass road you use, not just in West Virginia.³ For most rental trips, paying cash or card at Full Service lanes is simpler. Some rental companies offer their own toll programs, so check with the agency before you drive.

If You Don’t Pay

A toll violation is issued when a vehicle passes through without paying, when an Unpaid Toll Slip goes unpaid past the 15-day window, or when an E-ZPass transaction fails due to insufficient funds, an expired account, or a malfunctioning transponder. The registered owner receives a Toll Violation Notice by mail that includes the unpaid toll plus administrative fees.³

Under West Virginia law, knowingly evading tolls is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $50 per violation. Deliberately damaging or obstructing a toll collection system, or making a license plate unreadable to avoid tolls, is a separate misdemeanor with fines up to $500 per incident plus liability for repair costs.¹⁰

The practical consequence often hits harder than the fine. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles can refuse to register or renew the registration of any vehicle owned or co-owned by the violator until the Parkways Authority notifies the Commissioner that all fees, penalties, and costs are paid. The Commissioner can also suspend a registration if the owner neither pays nor contests the violation by the deadline in the citation.¹¹

To resolve a violation, pay online, call 1-800-206-6222, or mail payment to P.O. Box 1469, Charleston, WV 25325. If you think the notice is wrong, call the Customer Service Center at the same number between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, to start a dispute. You’ll receive the outcome by mail.³

Watch Out for Text Message Scams

The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles has warned about text scams impersonating the DMV or Parkways Authority and demanding immediate payment for alleged toll violations. These messages threaten registration suspension, credit damage, or criminal charges and push a payment link with an urgent deadline. They’re fraudulent.¹² The WV DMV never texts anyone for payment, legitimate violation notices come by postal mail, and the DMV does not collect turnpike tolls. Don’t click the link or enter payment details.

1
West Virginia Parkways Authority. Toll Rates 2025
2
West Virginia Parkways Authority. Instructions to Create an E-ZPass Account
3
WV Department of Transportation. E-ZPass FAQs
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West Virginia Parkways Authority. Welcome to the West Virginia Parkways E-ZPass
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WV Department of Transportation. Turnpike Physical Description
6
West Virginia Parkways Authority. Toll Information and Account Management
7
WV Department of Transportation. West Virginia Turnpike – Toll Rates 2025
8
West Virginia Legislature. Performance Review – Parkways Authority January 2026
9
West Virginia Parkways Authority. Single Fee Discount Plan FAQs
10
West Virginia Legislature. HB2969 S GOV AM 1 Adopted
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West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 17-16D-11
12
WV Department of Transportation. DMV Warns of New Text Scam