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In short: The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge costs a car $7.46 with a New York E-ZPass in each direction (rates as of October 12, 2026). On a TLC trip from Brooklyn to Staten Island, the passenger pays two times the toll ($14.92 with that tag), because you have to pay again to get back. On a trip from Staten Island to Brooklyn, the passenger pays no Verrazzano toll. These direction rules started on November 29, 2023.
Verrazzano rates (Class 1 car)
- $7.46 is for E-ZPass tags from the New York Customer Service Center only. Tags from other states pay the Tolls by Mail rate, $12.03 (MTA vehicle types).
- $9.79 Mid-Tier is for NYCSC customers whose tag was not read and the crossing was charged by plate.
- Staten Island Resident E-ZPass: an effective $2.75 under the rebate program, or $4.19 if rebate funding runs out. The vehicle must be registered to a Staten Island address, and "vehicles used for commercial purposes are not eligible for residency plans" (MTA resident programs). The MTA does not say how it treats TLC-plated vehicles. Ask E-ZPass New York (800-333-8655) before you count on it, and see Staten Island resident discount on a TLC car.
Why the direction matters
From 1986 the bridge was tolled only going into Staten Island. Since December 1, 2020 the MTA has charged a toll in each direction, called split tolling (MTA). The MTA's crossings data shows the change: Brooklyn-bound crossings appear from December 2020 (chart below).
TLC's old rule made passengers pay only tolls "driving to the passenger's destination". After split tolling, a driver who took a passenger to Staten Island paid the return toll alone. TLC changed the rule: the passenger now pays two times the toll going in, and nothing coming out. TLC's statement of basis explains: "There is no way to return from Staten Island to the other four boroughs without again crossing the Verrazzano" (TLC promulgation). The same logic covers the Rockaway bridges; see the return toll rule guide.
Who pays: pick your trip
Green cabs: the 2023 promulgation also amends §82-26(g). The chapter 82 PDF online on October 12, 2026 still shows the old wording, so if anyone questions it, show them the promulgation.
Worked example
A taxi passenger in Bay Ridge asks for St. George, Staten Island. You cross on an NYCSC E-ZPass: $7.46 charged. At the end of the trip you add $14.92 to the fare. You drive back empty: another $7.46 charged. The passenger's $14.92 covers both crossings. If someone in St. George then asks for Bay Ridge, you charge $0 for the bridge, and you pay $7.46.
Charging more than the actual E-ZPass amount, for example 2 × $12.03, is an overcharge (§58-26(f)(3)).
When it goes wrong
- The passenger says "I only pay one toll". Many riders still remember the old rule. Tell them before you cross that TLC rules since November 2023 charge two times the toll for Brooklyn to Staten Island. The TLC's own taxi fare page lists Verrazzano trips among those where passengers pay tolls to and from.
- Your tag was not read. The crossing may be billed at Mid-Tier ($9.79) or by mail. Mount the tag correctly: Mid-Tier is $2.33 more than the E-ZPass price on every crossing.
- An app trip shows no toll. Use the company's missing-toll process first. If it is not fixed, TLC can fine a company $500 plus restitution for tolls not passed back (§59D-17(c)). See who pays tolls on Uber and Lyft trips.
- You drive someone else's car. Forward the passengers' toll money to the tag holder at the end of your shift or lease (§80-15(d)(4)).
Traffic on the bridge
In 2025 the bridge had 81,160,067 recorded crossings, the most of any MTA facility, and 88.8% were paid by E-ZPass (our sums of ebfx-2m7v, fetched October 12, 2026). Rates at every crossing: NYC toll rates compared.
Other Staten Island crossings are Port Authority bridges to New Jersey: Goethals, Bayonne and Outerbridge, plus the George Washington Bridge further north. Rockaway trips: Cross Bay and Marine Parkway. Also: Throgs Neck, Mario Cuomo Bridge, RFK. Borough guides: Brooklyn, Staten Island. More: tolls hub.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Verrazzano toll in 2026?
For a car: $7.46 with a New York (NYCSC) E-ZPass, $9.79 Mid-Tier and $12.03 by mail, in each direction, at MTA rates effective January 4, 2026.
Who pays the Verrazzano toll on a taxi trip from Brooklyn to Staten Island?
The passenger pays two times the toll: the toll going over and your toll to come back. With an NYCSC E-ZPass that is 2 × $7.46 = $14.92. This TLC rule took effect November 29, 2023.
Who pays on a trip from Staten Island to Brooklyn?
The passenger pays no Verrazzano toll on that trip. TLC lists it as an exception, because the passenger who went to Staten Island already paid your return toll.
Can a TLC vehicle get the Staten Island resident rate?
The MTA says vehicles used for commercial purposes are not eligible for resident plans. It does not say how it treats TLC-plated vehicles, so ask E-ZPass New York (800-333-8655) before you apply.
Since when is the Verrazzano tolled both ways?
Since December 1, 2020. From 1986 to 2020 only the Staten Island-bound direction was tolled.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- MTA Bridges & Tunnels: Tolls by vehicle type mta.info
- MTA: Split tolling at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge mta.info
- MTA: Resident programs mta.info
- TLC Notice of Promulgation: Payment of Round-Trip Tolls (2023) nyc.gov
- NYC Rules: Payment of Round-Trip Tolls (effective November 29, 2023) rules.cityofnewyork.us
- TLC Rules, Chapter 58 (§58-26(f)) nyc.gov
- TLC Rules, Chapter 59 (§59A-23(b), §59D-17(c)) nyc.gov
- NY Open Data: MTA Bridges and Tunnels Hourly Crossings (ebfx-2m7v) data.ny.gov
- NYC TLC: Taxi Fare nyc.gov
- TLC Rules, Chapter 80 (§80-15(d)) nyc.gov
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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.