Congestion Pricing in Your Own Car After Your Shift

In short: Your personal car (not TLC-licensed) pays the regular congestion toll, the same as any New Yorker's car. With E-ZPass that is $9 in the peak period and $2.25 overnight; by mail it is $13.50 and $3.30. You pay at most once per day, at the rate of your first entry. Tunnel credits, a Low-Income Discount Plan and a state tax credit for zone residents can lower the cost. Rates as of October 12, 2026 (TBTA toll schedule).

Your TLC license doesn't change this. The per-trip charge plan covers TLC vehicles on trips for enrolled bases and meter companies, not the driver as a person.

Phase 1 private-car rates

Peak is 5 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekends. Overnight is the rest. The MTA says overnight rates are 75% lower than peak. A low- or zero-emission car is not exempt: "Vehicles, regardless of their emissions levels, contribute to traffic congestion" (MTA FAQ).

Once per day: the first entry sets the price

The MTA's day runs 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. If you enter more than once in that day, you pay once, at the rate "in effect the first time they enter" (MTA FAQ). Two examples:

• Enter at 4:30 a.m. (overnight, $2.25), leave, come back at 10 a.m.: you pay $2.25 for the day.
• Enter at 10 a.m. ($9), come back at 10 p.m.: still $9, not $9 + $2.25.

Also from the FAQ: you are not charged for days when the car stays parked inside the zone, or when all your trips stay inside it. More examples: charged twice in one day?

E-ZPass or mail: why the plate matters

Cameras read every plate. If the plate is linked to an E-ZPass account, the E-ZPass is charged. If not, the registered owner gets a Tolls by Mail bill at the higher rate (MTA FAQ).

• New car or new plates? Add the plate to your E-ZPass account before you drive in.
• Borrowed or rented car with your tag? If your account isn't linked to that plate, the owner gets a mail bill.
• Out-of-state E-ZPass? For the congestion toll, the MTA says you pay the E-ZPass rate "as long as your vehicle's license plate is registered on your E-ZPass account". (Bridge and tunnel tolls at MTA crossings work differently for non-New York tags; see crossing credits.)
• Scam texts. The MTA warns about texts from "NY Toll Services" and similar names. Real E-ZPass New York messages point only to the E-ZPass NY website.

Crossing credits: E-ZPass, peak only

Enter through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel and the toll drops by $3.00; through the Queens-Midtown or Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, by $1.50, to a maximum of $5.00 a day. Credits apply only with E-ZPass and only in the peak period. Details and examples: congestion pricing crossing credits.

Low-Income Discount Plan: 50% after 10 trips a month

The MTA's Low-Income Discount Plan gives 50% off the peak toll for passenger vehicles, starting after the first 10 trips in a calendar month. In Phase 1 that makes the 11th and later peak trips $4.50.

• Who qualifies: vehicle owners with a prior-year federal adjusted gross income of no more than $50,000, or enrolled in SNAP, WIC or TANF.
• Proof: IRS Form 1040 or a tax return transcript with W-2s, or proof of SNAP/WIC/TANF enrollment. Your home address must match on all documents.
• E-ZPass NY account required, with the current plate.
• Recertify every year. Recertification opens about 90 days before the plan expires.
• Apply online on the MTA site, or call E-ZPass at 800-333-8655.

More: low-income discount for drivers.

Resident tax credit (AGI under $60,000)

New York State offers a refundable tax credit equal to the congestion tolls you paid if (NYS Tax):

• your primary residence is in the zone;
• your New York adjusted gross income is less than $60,000 for the year; and
• the tolls were not business expenses.

You claim it on Form IT-268 with your state return and keep your E-ZPass statements or toll bills (look for CBDTP in the Agency column). The MTA's documentation guide says per-trip charges you paid as a taxi or app passenger count too, so keep those receipts. This is general information, not tax advice; ask a tax preparer about your own return, especially if you also deduct work tolls.

If you are charged by mistake

The MTA FAQ explains disputes. E-ZPass customers can dispute a congestion toll from the last 180 days in writing to E-ZPass Customer Account Correspondence, PO Box 15187, Albany, NY 12212-5187. For a Tolls by Mail bill, send the coupon from the bottom of the bill's first page with proof: a sales agreement if you sold the car, a police report if it was stolen, a plate surrender receipt if you surrendered the plate, or other documents that support your reason. For a replacement bill, call 800-333-8655. Don't ignore a bill while you dispute it; late bills add fees. More: disputing a toll bill.

Will I pay? Quick check

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Step by step for a driver with a personal car

1. Link your plate to an E-ZPass NY account (opening an account can start at $25, which goes to your tolls, per the MTA FAQ).
2. Plan the time. If you can arrive before 5 a.m. on a weekday, the day's toll is $2.25.
3. Use a tunnel if you are paying a tunnel toll anyway, to get the credit at peak.
4. Check if you qualify for the Low-Income Discount Plan or the resident tax credit, and keep statements.
5. Don't use your personal car for TLC trips. It needs TLC licensing first; see can I use my personal car for Uber in NYC?

Your TLC vehicle is a different case: do I pay when driving in empty?. Highways: is congestion pricing charged on the FDR?. All rates: Congestion Relief Zone toll. Overview: congestion pricing for TLC drivers and the tolls hub.