Bay Area Tolling
Can I use the Bay Area Express Lanes if I’m not from the Bay Area?
Yes. To use Bay Area Express Lanes, you must have a FasTrak account and a valid FasTrak Flex toll tag. Anyone with a mailing address in the United States can sign up for a FasTrak account. Simply get a toll tag at a local retail store and activate it through the new account enrollment process, or create a username and password and order your tag online. It is free to open and maintain a FasTrak account; you only pay for your tolls unless you commit a violation. A security deposit may be required for the toll tag, but it will be fully refunded to you if you return the tag to FasTrak.
Even for short visits to the Bay Area, signing up for a FasTrak account has benefits. FasTrak allows you to use express lanes and qualify for carpool and bridge toll discounts.
Your FasTrak toll tag can be used anywhere you see the FasTrak logo displayed, including several toll roads in Southern California.
To view methods of paying tolls in the Bay Area, view the Ways to Pay page.
Can I use FasTrak with my motorcycle?
Yes. Motorcyclists can use FasTrak to pay tolls by
- Place the toll tag in your front pocket as it can be read through the material.
- Place the toll tag inside a cycle net (somewhere on top) that drapes over the gas tank.
For more information on how to properly mount your toll tag, please visit the FasTrak Toll Tag Guide.
Can I receive a discount as a veteran?
As of January 1, 2023, a new California law - Assembly Bill 2949 - grants eligible veterans of the U.S. armed forces free tolls on California toll bridges. Veterans with eligible license plates on their vehicles are exempt from paying tolls to cross the Golden Gate Bridge as well as the seven state-owned bridges (Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, San Francisco-Oakland Bay, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward). The free-passage benefit does not apply to Bay Area Express Lanes.
To be eligible for the toll exemption program, veterans must have a license plate with one of the following designations on their registered vehicle:
- Congressional Medal of Honor
- Disabled Veteran
- Legion of Valor
- Pearl Harbor Survivor
- Ex-Prisoner of War or
- Purple Heart
Eligible veterans do not currently need to have a FasTrak account, but enrollment will be required in the future.. To avoid being charged a toll, veterans who already are FasTrak customers must place their FasTrak toll tag in a Mylar bag provided by FasTrak so they will not be charged when traveling through bridge toll plazas. You can order a mylar bag for free by logging into your FasTrak account and selecting Vehicles and Tags then Request Toll Tag Supplies or by calling the FasTrak Customer Service Center at 877-BAY-TOLL (877-229-8655).