Do I Pay the Congestion Toll Twice in One Day?

No, not in your own car. A passenger car or motorcycle pays the congestion toll once per day. The day runs from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., and you pay the rate that was in effect the first time you entered that day (MTA FAQ).

The cap is for the vehicle's daily toll. It does not apply to TLC per-trip charges. Every taxi or FHV trip that touches the zone carries its own charge, paid by the passenger.

How the daily cap works

The toll schedule says: "Daily toll cap of once per day for Class 1 and Class 5 vehicles" (TBTA schedule). Class 1 is passenger vehicles (sedans, SUVs, vans without a raised roof). Class 5 is motorcycles. The line appears on both the E-ZPass page and the Tolls by Mail page of the schedule.

The MTA FAQ adds the timing rule: "Passenger vehicles and motorcycles making more than one entry between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. are charged the toll that is in effect the first time they enter."

Here is what that means on real days (E-ZPass, Phase 1 rates as of October 12, 2026):

Without E-ZPass, the same rules apply at Tolls by Mail rates: $13.50 peak, $3.30 overnight. Being inside the zone is free. The MTA says you are "not charged for days when your vehicle is parked or on days when all trips made are entirely within" the zone.

Not for TLC per-trip charges

TLC trips don't have a daily cap. Under the MTA's per-trip plan, the passenger pays on each trip that goes to, from, within or through the zone: $0.75 on a taxi, green cab or regular FHV trip and $1.50 on an Uber or Lyft trip. Twenty zone trips in a shift means twenty charges, all paid by riders.

There is one case where a TLC vehicle gets the once-a-day treatment. If the base or the taxi's technology company has not joined the per-trip plan, TLC says the vehicle "may be charged a $9 toll up to once per day paid by the vehicle owner" (TLC Industry Notice #24-10). Then the owner pays, and the passenger does not. More in do I pay driving in empty?

What to do next

1. Read your E-ZPass statement by date. E-ZPass NY tolls post within 3 days, and crossing credits post 2 to 4 days after that. Out-of-state E-ZPass tolls can take 4 to 6 days (MTA FAQ). Wait about a week before you decide something is wrong.
2. Check the plate. Two congestion tolls on one day for one plate look wrong. Two tolls for two plates are normal.
3. Dispute in writing within 180 days: E-ZPass Customer Account Correspondence, PO Box 15187, Albany, NY 12212-5187. Tolls by Mail bills are disputed with the coupon on page 1 of the bill.
4. Estimate a day first with the congestion fee calculator.

Related rules and exceptions

• Peak and overnight hours decide which rate your first entry gets: congestion pricing peak hours.
• Driving only on the FDR Drive or West Side Highway doesn't count as an entry: is the FDR charged?
• Lincoln Tunnel and other crossings charge their own toll for each crossing, separate from the congestion toll (Lincoln Tunnel).
• Full rules for your personal car: congestion pricing in your own car. Every rate: Congestion Relief Zone toll. Overview: congestion pricing for TLC drivers. More in the tolls hub.