Driving on toll roads: What you need to know

What you pay to take a toll road partly depends on the number of axles on your vehicle, so an RV can cost you two or three times as much as a car.

On some roads, tolls depend on the time of day. They may for example be higher during peak hours.

Not all toll roads accept all methods of payment. Some you can take only if you have a transponder, while others will send you a bill. And some give you a choice of how to pay.

Warning: When you drive up to a toll station, make sure you’re in the correct lane for the method of payment you’re going to use:

  • CASH ($): payment in US$ (exact change) or to the cashier in some tollbooths.

  • Transponder: if you have a transponder they accept (E-ZPass, Uni, or SunPass PRO, for instance).

  • Important: If you use the transponder lane and don’t have a transponder, you’ll have to pay a fine as well as your toll.

Payment methods

Different toll roads use different payment methods:

  • Cash or bank card

  • Toll-by-Plate, which invoices your licence plate

  • Transponder

How does Toll-by-Plate work?

  • Some U.S. toll roads have an electronic billing system that takes a picture of your licence plate. Roads that use Toll-by-Plate don’t accept cash.

  • Instead, they mail you a bill for your toll charges plus an administration fee to the address where the vehicle is registered. Payment terms vary, but bills are generally sent out once a month. Payment deadlines also vary, but penalty charges will apply if you don’t pay on time. Payment is online or by mail in US$.

  • If you take a Toll-by-Plate road, you can also pay online before your bill arrives in the mail. This is a good idea, especially if you’re away from home for a long time. (Attention, snowbirds!) You can generally look up your bill on the toll road website using your licence plate number and the postal code of the address on file.

Transponders

Some toll roads give you the option of using a transponder. A transponder is a small electronic device for paying tolls that attaches to the inside of your windshield near the rear-view mirror.
Some transponders let you pay tolls in more than one state.
Pros:

  • Avoid queues

  • No complete stop at toll stations

  • Possible reduced toll

Cons:

  • Variable deposit fees

  • Minimum balance requirements

Here are some transponders that work in more than one U.S. state:

  • Uni

  • Sun Pass PRO

  • E-Z Pass

Ontario

Highway 407

  • Tolls on the 407 Express Toll Route are based on the time of day, distance, and vehicle type.
  • A camera charge is added for vehicles that don’t have a transponder.
  • Vehicles that take the 407 get a bill for their toll and additional transponder fees in the mail.

Quebec

Autoroute 30

  • The section of Autoroute 30 Express (Serge Marcil Bridge) near Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and Les Cèdres is part of the Montréal bypass route.
  • Tolls are based on vehicle type and payable at the toll station by debit or credit card. Cash isn’t accepted.

Autoroute 25

  • Part of Autoroute 25 (Olivier Charbonneau Bridge) between the islands of Montréal and Laval is a toll road.
  • Toll charges depend on the time of day and the type of vehicle.
  • The best way to pay is by transponder.
  • Additional fees are charged to vehicles without a transponder. There’s no tollbooth, so users are billed by mail.