How to Pay Tolls in a California Rental Car (2026 Guide)
Tolls in California are almost all electronic, which is easy for residents with a transponder and confusing for anyone in a rental car. This guide covers which roads and bridges charge, the four ways to pay, what the big rental companies charge for their toll programs, and what happens if a toll goes unpaid, using the toll agencies’ own rental pages and the California Vehicle Code.
Short answer: you can use the rental company’s toll program (convenient, with a daily fee), add the rental plate to your own FasTrak account, set up a short-term plate account for Bay Area bridges, or pay The Toll Roads online within 5 days before or after driving. Decide before you leave the rental lot, because the options depend on which road you drive. Fees and rates below are as published in October 2026 and can change, so confirm them on the pages named.
Understanding California’s Toll System
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California has no single toll network. Each road or bridge belongs to its own agency, with its own payment rules, and a rental car can cross several of them in one day. The main areas a visitor meets are:
- Bay Area toll bridges: FasTrak lists the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael, San Francisco-Oakland Bay and San Mateo-Hayward bridges, plus the Golden Gate Bridge.
- Bay Area express lanes: FasTrak lists I-580, SR-237, I-680 Sunol, I-680 Contra Costa, I-80, I-880, 101 San Mateo and 101/State Route 85 Santa Clara express lanes. These need a FasTrak toll tag.
- Orange County toll roads: The Toll Roads serves State Routes 73, 133, 241 and 261.
- San Diego County: the 10-mile South Bay Expressway (SR 125) begins at SR 905 in Otay Mesa, per SANDAG FasTrak.
Two details trip up renters. The Golden Gate Bridge charges southbound only and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge charges westbound only, per FasTrak, and the Golden Gate’s rates differ from the state-owned bridges. Cash is not an option on the Golden Gate: Enterprise says the bridge has no toll plaza and does not accept cash.
Why Paying Tolls in a Rental Car Is Different
When you drive your own car, the bill goes to you. When you drive a rental, the bill goes to the registered owner, which is the rental company, and the company then passes it on to you under your rental agreement. California law backs that chain: under Vehicle Code section 40250, the registered owner, driver, rentee or lessee of a cited vehicle can be held jointly and severally liable for a toll evasion penalty, and anyone who pays has the right to recover it from the driver or rentee.
That is why rental companies sell toll programs. They take the toll data, charge your card, and add a fee for the service. The fee is where the real cost hides: Enterprise’s California pages state a TollPass convenience charge of $4.95 per rental day, capped at $34.65 per rental, charged only on days you actually use a toll road. Avis says its standard e-Toll service starts at $6.95 per day plus the tolls, and the toll information on that Avis page was marked current as of June 2024. Hertz describes PlatePass as an all-inclusive daily-rate service but does not publish a dollar amount on its PlatePass page.
Options for Paying Tolls in a California Rental Car
You have four realistic choices. The right one depends on how many tolls you expect and where.
Use the Rental Company’s Toll Service
Most large rental companies offer an opt-in program. FasTrak names Pass24, TollPass, e-Toll and PlatePass as the services that let renters pay Bay Area bridge tolls automatically. The Toll Roads lists Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt and Thrifty as companies that can charge tolls through the rental agreement, with the toll plus the convenience fee in the agreement. The trade-off is the daily fee, and some programs leave gaps: FasTrak says rental plans can pay bridge tolls but may not cover express lanes, and that PlatePass is the only rental service that can be used in Bay Area express lanes.
Pay Tolls Directly Online
For Orange County, The Toll Roads says tolls are collected electronically and must be paid online 5 days before or after driving. Without a FasTrak account you can register the rental plate and have the tolls charged to your credit card for all or part of the rental period. Registering covers only the 73, 133, 241 and 261 toll roads. The Toll Roads also warns that some rental companies require you to pre-register before you drive, and that any trip made before you register may be charged through the rental company after you return the car.
Use Your Own FasTrak Account
If you already hold a FasTrak account with any California tolling agency, you can add the rental plate temporarily. FasTrak’s steps for Bay Area rentals are: log in and add the plate to your registered vehicles, set the start and end dates for the rental, and mount the toll tag on the rental’s windshield. The Toll Roads asks for the same start and end dates if your account is with them. Remove the plate when you return the car so you are not billed for the next driver.
Set Up a Short-Term License Plate Account
For Bay Area bridges without a toll tag or a rental company program, FasTrak offers a Short-Term License Plate Account. It can pay bridge crossings made up to 48 hours before the account was set up, or future trips up to 30 days ahead. FasTrak states these accounts cannot be used for Bay Area express lanes and do not receive bridge discounts.
| Method | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Rental company toll program | Travelers who want no setup and expect several tolls | Daily fee; may not cover express lanes (Enterprise lists the 10, 110, 91, 15, 580 and 680 as not covered) |
| Pay The Toll Roads online | Orange County SR 73, 133, 241, 261 | Must pay within 5 days before or after driving; registering covers only those four roads |
| Your own FasTrak account | Residents or frequent visitors with a tag | Add and remove the plate with correct dates; the FasTrak chart lists the Flex tag for rentals, not an exterior tag |
| Short-Term License Plate Account | Bay Area bridges only | No express lanes, no bridge discounts; up to 48 hours back or 30 days ahead |
Tolls You’ll Encounter in California
Bridge rates matter if you plan several crossings. FasTrak publishes these passenger-car figures, which can change, so check the agency page before you go:
| Crossing | Direction charged | Solo driver rate (per FasTrak) |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Gate Bridge | Southbound | $10.25 with FasTrak, $10.50 license plate account, $11.25 toll invoice |
| San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge | Westbound | $8.50 (carpool of 3+ with a valid tag: $4.25) |
The spread on the Golden Gate shows why method matters. A toll invoice costs $1.00 more than a FasTrak crossing on the same bridge, per FasTrak. Enterprise adds that you can avoid its TollPass charge on the Golden Gate by paying the toll before, or within 48 hours after, crossing southbound, using the Bay Area FasTrak site or its phone line.
In Southern California, Avis says the Orange County toll roads charge a rate that varies with distance traveled. The South Bay Expressway takes cash or credit at its toll machine; if you cannot pay there, SANDAG says to use Pay-by-Plate and pay the toll plus a $2 processing fee within four days.
How to Avoid Extra Fees
- Ask before you drive: find out whether the car has a transponder, which program the company uses, and the daily fee. The fee is in your agreement.
- Pay inside the window: 5 days before or after for Orange County, 48 hours after for a Golden Gate one-time payment (per Enterprise), four days for the South Bay Expressway pay-by-plate.
- Count the days, not the tolls: with Enterprise’s figures, a $2 toll on a toll-using day costs $6.95 in total.
- Ask about FasTrak-equipped cars: The Toll Roads says some Avis and Budget locations in California have vehicles with FasTrak transponders that work on any tolled facility in the state for a nominal fee.
For wider rental-cost context, see our car rental guide to costs, rules and insurance and best car rental companies for road trips. For how individual companies set up their programs, see how car rentals handle California tolls.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay Tolls?
If a toll goes unpaid, the toll agency bills the registered owner. For Bay Area bridges, FasTrak says that if you cross in a rental without a rental program or FasTrak account, the rental company receives an invoice listing the tolls due and processes the charges under the rental agreement. Express lanes are stricter: without a tag or a rental plan, you are charged the toll plus penalties, and the notice goes to the address the rental company has on file.
| Notice stage | State-owned bridges | Golden Gate Bridge | Express lanes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial toll invoice | Toll only (within 21 days of receipt) | Toll only (within 21 days of receipt) | Not applicable |
| First violation notice | Toll + $5 per crossing | Toll + $25 per crossing | Toll + $10 (within 21 days of receipt) |
| Second violation notice | Toll + $15 per crossing | Toll + $50 per crossing, reduced to $25 if paid within 15 days | Toll + $30, reduced to $10 if paid within 15 days |
These are FasTrak’s published rental-vehicle figures, and your rental company may add its own administrative fee. Hertz states that if you decline PlatePass but still use electronic tolls, you are liable for an administrative fee plus the tolls at the tolling authority’s highest undiscounted rate.
What California Law Says About Rental Tolls
This is general information, not legal advice. The relevant Vehicle Code sections are short and worth knowing if you receive a notice:
- Section 23302: it is unlawful to fail to pay tolls. Where an agency allows pay-by-plate, properly attached valid plates count as one way to be in compliance, and the section defines pay-by-plate as use of license-plate recognition to accept payment under the agency’s policies.
- Section 40250: the registered owner, driver, rentee or lessee can be jointly and severally liable, with a right to recover from the driver or rentee.
- Section 40258: bridge penalties are capped at $25 for the first notice and $50 for the delinquent notice, for a cumulative $50 per violation, and a bridge toll paid within 15 days of the notice mailing is owed without penalties. For toll roads and express lanes the cap is $60 per notice and $100 cumulative. A first-time violator who is not an account holder can have the penalty waived by contacting the agency within 21 days, opening an account and paying the toll.
- Section 40264: a rental company can return an affidavit of nonliability within 30 days with the written rental agreement, after which the agency sends a notice to the renter, who then has 15 days to pay before the agency can proceed.
In short, the agency can chase the rental company first, and the company can pass the bill to you. Pay the toll quickly, keep your receipt, and contest in writing within the statutory windows if you believe the notice is wrong. Official pages: FasTrak rental vehicles guide and The Toll Roads rental vehicles page.
Using Third-Party Toll Services
FasTrak names four rental toll services, Pass24, TollPass, e-Toll and PlatePass, and lists a phone number for each on its rental page. Enterprise says TollPass charges appear separately from rental charges on your statement. If a charge looks wrong, ask the rental company which service processed it and contact that service.
How to Handle Toll Violations
If a notice arrives, pay the toll quickly on the agency site named on it, because penalties rise with each notice. If the rental company already charged your card, compare the amount with the agency’s bill and the penalty table above, and ask the company to explain any extra administrative fee. If the notice looks wrong, section 40255 lets you contest it within 21 days of issuance, or 30 days from a delinquent notice’s mailing, without first depositing the toll or penalty.
This guide does not cover trucks, buses or vehicles with more than two axles, which have separate toll schedules on the agency pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all California tolls accept cash?
No. Enterprise says the Golden Gate Bridge does not accept cash, and The Toll Roads collects tolls electronically. The South Bay Expressway toll machine takes cash or credit, per SANDAG.
What is the cheapest way to pay tolls in a rental car?
Adding the rental plate to your own FasTrak account or paying the toll agency directly avoids a rental company’s daily fee, as long as you do it inside the payment window.
Will I be charged if I do not use toll roads?
Enterprise says it does not charge its TollPass fee on days you do not use a toll road. Other companies set their own terms, so read your agreement.
How long do rental tolls take to appear on my card?
Enterprise says toll charges are typically billed within about 4 to 6 weeks, after the toll data reaches the company.
Can I use my own FasTrak transponder in a rental car?
Yes, with a FasTrak account. Add the rental plate, set start and end dates, and mount the tag on the rental’s windshield. FasTrak’s chart lists the Flex tag for rentals and marks an exterior tag as not recommended.
What happens if I miss the payment window?
On a Bay Area bridge the rental company receives an invoice and bills you under your agreement. On Orange County toll roads The Toll Roads says you may be billed through the rental company or receive a violation.
Do rental toll programs cover express lanes?
Not always. FasTrak says PlatePass is the only rental toll service usable in Bay Area express lanes, and Enterprise says TollPass does not cover the 10, 110, 91, 15, 580 and 680 express lanes.
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