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Glossary termTolls, E-ZPass & congestion pricing

Cashless Tolling: What It Means for TLC Drivers

Cashless tolling means no toll booths: gantries read your E-ZPass tag or photograph your plate. How it works at MTA, Port Authority and Thruway crossings.

  • Reviewed
  • 2 min read
  • 4 official sources

Definition

Cashless tolling

Toll collection with no booths: overhead equipment reads an E-ZPass tag or photographs the plate, and the toll is charged to the account or billed to the registered owner.

On this page (6)
  1. How it works
  2. Why it matters to TLC drivers
  3. Where you will see this term
  4. Common mix-ups
  5. FAQ
  6. Sources

Cashless tolling means there is no toll booth and no place to pay cash. You drive under overhead equipment at normal speed. If your car has an E-ZPass tag, the toll is charged to that account. If not, a camera photographs your license plate and a Toll Bill is mailed to the vehicle's registered owner. Every MTA bridge and tunnel, every Port Authority bridge and tunnel, and the entire New York State Thruway work this way.

How it works

  1. You pass under the gantry

    The Thruway describes vehicles that "simply drive under a tolling gantry." The Port Authority says the booths "have been replaced with overhead equipment that eliminates the need to stop."

  2. The tag is read

    With a working, properly mounted E-ZPass tag, the toll comes out of the account behind that tag.

  3. Or the plate is photographed

    "Cameras capture an image of the license plate as the vehicle travels through a toll point (gantry)" (Thruway).

  4. A bill goes to the registered owner

    With no account to charge, a "Toll Bill is sent to the vehicle's registered owner using DMV records" (Thruway), at the higher Tolls by Mail rate.

MTA's own wording is short: "All MTA Bridges and Tunnels tolling facilities use cashless tolling" (MTA).

Why it matters to TLC drivers

  • No cash fallback. Without booths, the only ways to pay are E-ZPass or a mailed bill. That's one reason TLC requires a tag: drivers must not drive a taxi, FHV or green cab for hire without an E-ZPass tag, and must use it at MTA crossings (rule 80-15(d)).
  • The bill goes to the registered owner. In a leased or rented TLC car, that's the owner or fleet, who may then pass it to you. See Tolls by Mail.
  • A plate read costs more. At MTA crossings, a NY account charged by plate instead of a properly mounted tag pays Mid-Tier; with no account, the mail rate applies. For a car at the six major MTA crossings: $7.46 E-ZPass, $9.79 Mid-Tier, $12.03 by mail (rates effective January 4, 2026).
  • About 1 in 7 crossings at MTA facilities in 2025 were read as Tolls by Mail. See E-ZPass vs Tolls by Mail.

Where you will see this term

On agency websites, signs near crossings, Toll Bills, and Thruway invoices. The Thruway's sample Tolls by Mail invoice shows each gantry as its own line, "in addition to a $2.00 administrative surcharge per billing statement."

Common mix-ups

More terms and guides: tolls hub.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay a New York bridge or tunnel toll in cash at the crossing?

No. All MTA bridges and tunnels, all Port Authority crossings and the whole Thruway use cashless tolling. You pay by E-ZPass or by a mailed Toll Bill.

What happens if I cross without E-ZPass?

A camera captures the license plate and a Toll Bill is sent to the vehicle's registered owner using DMV records, at the Tolls by Mail rate.

Is cashless tolling the same as open road tolling?

People use both names for tolling with overhead equipment and no stop. The MTA, Port Authority and Thruway pages we used call it cashless tolling.

Can I still pay my E-ZPass account with cash?

Yes, at retailers. MTA says E-ZPass uses the VanillaDirect retailer network for cash payments, with the barcode from your statement.

Sources

Last reviewed against the official sources on .

  1. NYS Thruway Authority: About cashless tolling thruway.ny.gov
  2. MTA: How to pay tolls (updated Apr 23, 2025) mta.info
  3. Port Authority of NY & NJ: E-ZPass panynj.gov
  4. TLC Rule Book, Chapter 80 (updated June 6, 2025): §80-15(d) nyc.gov

Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the official source.

TLC Help is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission or OATH. Explanations on this site are general information, not legal advice. Legal representation is provided by independent attorneys and OATH-registered representatives in our network.

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