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In short
Every TLC vehicle must have an E-ZPass, and you must use it at every MTA crossing. The vehicle owner keeps an E-ZPass New York account with MTA Bridges and Tunnels. You may use your own tag instead. On a trip, the passenger pays the toll, but only the actual amount charged to the E-ZPass. The money then goes to whoever holds the tag.
Four common causes of E-ZPass trouble are a plate not linked, a tag not mounted, a balance below $0, or a tag from the wrong agency. This guide follows the whole system from opening an account to escalating a dispute. It links to a detailed page for each step.
The whole system on one page
Facts in this flow come from NY.gov, MTA and the Port Authority. The pages for each step: open an account, pay without a credit card, Mid-Tier and mounting, Tolls by Mail, dispute a bill.
The TLC layer: who must do what
TLC rules add duties on top of the E-ZPass agreement. They are different for owners, drivers and app companies.
Your tag or the owner's tag
- Your own tag (58-27(c), 59A-24(c)): you keep the toll money the passenger pays in cash, or you are reimbursed when the passenger pays by card.
- The owner's tag (58-27(d)(1), 59A-24(d)(1)): toll money belongs to the owner. Cash goes to the owner at the end of your shift or lease. Card tolls stay with the owner. The owner may also make you keep a replenishment account: up to $10 per 12-hour shift, $100 at most, returned within 30 days after the lease ends. The details and examples are in E-ZPass replenishment accounts.
- For a leased taxi, the only toll charge allowed above the lease cap is "the discount toll amount for use of the Owner's EZ-Pass" (58-21(c)(5)(iii)).
A shift with the owner's tag: an example
Say you drive a leased cab with the owner's tag and cross the RFK Bridge twice with passengers. The NY E-ZPass rate there is $7.46 per crossing (MTA rates effective January 4, 2026). One passenger pays cash and one pays by card. The owner's account pays both tolls. The card toll already goes to the owner. You owe the owner the $7.46 in cash from the first trip, at the end of the shift or lease. If you also crossed without a passenger, for example driving back empty, the owner's account paid that too. Rule 58-26(f)(4) says the driver must reimburse the tag holder for "all toll charges incurred, including toll charges for which there is no passenger reimbursement." That is what the replenishment account is for.
App drivers
On Uber and Lyft trips, TLC Rule 59D-17(c) says the company "must remit to the Driver the entirety of any toll paid by the Driver during a dispatched trip". The penalty is a $500 fine plus restitution. Rule 59D-18(a) says the company must not dispatch a vehicle that is not in the E-ZPass program. Keep your own E-ZPass statement so you can match each toll to a trip on your pay statement. In TLC's trip records, tolls are a separate field from driver pay, so look for tolls as their own line, not inside your pay.
What the passenger pays
The rules say passengers pay the toll but "only the actual amount (often a discounted toll) charged to the EZ-Pass" (58-26(e)(3), 59A-23(a)(3)). Charging more is an overcharge under Rule 80-17. Inside the city there are direction rules for the Verrazzano and the Rockaway bridges. Those are explained in who pays tolls on taxi trips. For app trips, see who pays tolls on Uber and Lyft trips.
Rates differ by tag issuer and by crossing
The same crossing can cost very different amounts. MTA's rate table says: "E-ZPass rates apply to NYCSC E-ZPass customers only. Non-NYCSC customers pay Tolls by Mail rates" (MTA). NYCSC is the E-ZPass New York Customer Service Center. So a tag from another state's E-ZPass agency pays the mail rate at MTA bridges. At Port Authority crossings, discounts go only to New York and New Jersey E-ZPass accounts (Port Authority).
Compare tag issuers in NY vs NJ E-ZPass. To check which agency issued your tag, look at the first three digits of the tag ID: 008 or 086 is MTA Bridges and Tunnels, 004 the Thruway, 005 the Port Authority, 022 New Jersey (Port Authority).
Phone numbers and P.O. boxes
- E-ZPass and Tolls by Mail customer service: 800-333-8655. Replacement toll bills: 844-826-8400. Replacement violation notices: 718-313-9414.
- E-ZPass charge disputes (within 180 days): E-ZPass Customer Account Correspondence, PO Box 15187, Albany, NY 12212-5187.
- Violation disputes: E-ZPass Violation Payments and Inquiries, P.O. Box 15186, Albany, NY 12212-5186; fax 718-390-9772 (MTA).
- Registration suspended for tolls: MTA (718) 313-9424, Port Authority (718) 313-9425, Thruway (718) 313-9414 (DMV).
Before your first shift in a new TLC vehicle
Ask three questions before you drive. First, whose tag is in the car, and is it mounted on the windshield? Second, is this car's plate on that tag's account? The Port Authority says plates must be "correctly registered to an active NY/NJ E-ZPass account in good standing" to avoid Tolls by Mail invoices. Third, if it is the owner's tag, how much replenishment money does the owner want, and how will you get it back? If you plan to use your own tag, add the vehicle's plate to your account first. Then agree with the owner where their tag will be kept, so it is clear which account pays each toll.
Mistakes that cost drivers money
Estimate your crossings
Where to get help
- Call 800-333-8655 or use the Tolls NY app for account problems.
- For a wrong bill, follow how to dispute a toll bill.
- If the service center fails, use the agency's Toll Payer Advocate.
- If an owner or garage keeps your deposit, see garage won't return my E-ZPass deposit.
- For a TLC summons about tolls or overcharging, consider a lawyer.
Also useful: can I use my own E-ZPass in a leased car? and the tolls topic hub.
Frequently asked questions
Does a TLC vehicle have to have E-ZPass?
Yes. Taxi, FHV and street hail livery owners must keep an E-ZPass New York account with MTA Bridges and Tunnels and have at least one MTA B&T tag for each medallion, FHV license or SHL (Rules 58-27, 59A-24, 82-27). Drivers must not drive for hire without an E-ZPass tag (Rule 80-15(d)(1)).
Can I use my own E-ZPass tag in a TLC car?
Yes. Rule 80-15(d)(3) lets drivers use a personal tag, and the owner rules let the owner allow it. If you use your own tag, you keep the toll money the passenger pays, or are reimbursed if the passenger paid by card.
Who gets the toll money when the owner's tag is used?
The owner. If the passenger pays cash, you forward the toll money to the owner at the end of your shift or lease. If the passenger pays by card, the owner keeps the toll amount (Rules 58-27(d)(1) and 59A-24(d)(1)).
Do Uber and Lyft have to pay back my tolls?
TLC Rule 59D-17(c) says a high-volume for-hire service must remit to the driver the entire toll the driver paid during a dispatched trip. The fine is $500 plus restitution of unreimbursed tolls.
Which websites are real for E-ZPass and toll bills?
The Port Authority says to use only EZPassNY.com, TollsByMailNY.com or the Tolls NY app. It warns of a text scam using the name 'NY Toll Services'.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- MTA: How to pay tolls (updated Apr 23, 2025) mta.info
- MTA: Tolls by vehicle type (rates effective Jan 4, 2026) mta.info
- Port Authority: E-ZPass plans and discounts panynj.gov
- Port Authority: Bridge and tunnel tolls panynj.gov
- NY.gov: Get E-ZPass ny.gov
- MTA: How to avoid toll violation fees mta.info
- NY DMV: Registration suspensions for failure to pay tolls dmv.ny.gov
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 58 (Medallion Taxicab Service) nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 59 (For-Hire Vehicles, Bases, High-Volume) nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 80 (Drivers) nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 82 (Street Hail Livery) 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.