GWB Toll with New York E-ZPass
NY E-ZPass holders pay $16.79 peak, $14.79 off-peak. Issued by the NY State Thruway Authority.
Tariff effective 4 January 2026 | Rates verified 2 October 2026 | Source: Port Authority of NY and NJ, E-ZPass NY
NY E-ZPass at the GWB: Same Rate as Other States
New York E-ZPass holders pay the discounted PANYNJ E-ZPass rates at the George Washington Bridge. The same rates apply to New Jersey E-ZPass accounts, but not to tags from the other 17 member states: PANYNJ limits its E-ZPass discounts to NY and NJ accounts, and out-of-state tags are billed the full $23.30 car rate. The 19-state network is interoperable for payment, not for pricing.
For a passenger car, that means $16.79 with E-ZPass during peak hours (weekdays 6 to 10 AM and 4 to 8 PM, plus weekends 11 AM to 9 PM) and $14.79 during off-peak hours (all other times).
Mid-Tier $19.55 Rate Note for NY Tags
Effective 6 July 2025, PANYNJ introduced a $19.55 Mid-Tier rate that applies specifically to NY and NJ E-ZPass tags when the tag is improperly positioned in the vehicle and the toll has to be billed via license plate match instead of transponder read. This affects roughly 9% of NY and NJ E-ZPass transactions at the GWB.
If you receive a Mid-Tier $19.55 bill, the fix is to remount your transponder following the instructions provided by the agency (typically on the inside windshield, behind the rearview mirror, with the adhesive strips facing forward). Out-of-state E-ZPass tags do not have this Mid-Tier rate and continue to pay either the full E-ZPass rate (if read correctly) or the Toll-by-Mail rate ($23.30 for cars).
How to Sign Up for NY E-ZPass
Visit e-zpassny.com to create an account online. You will provide vehicle information, a credit card or bank account for automatic balance replenishment, and a minimum prepaid balance (typically $25). The transponder arrives by mail in 5 to 7 business days.
Alternatively, you can buy a prepaid NY E-ZPass tag at participating retail locations including Walgreens, CVS, and Stop & Shop. Activate it online and link a replenishment method. This option works if you need the tag immediately and cannot wait for mail delivery.
NY E-ZPass Account Fees
The account opens with a $25.00 initial payment, which is prepaid tolls rather than a fee: it is spent on your crossings. E-ZPass New York then re-evaluates the balance 35 days after your first tag use and every 90 days after that, rebilling to approximate one month of use or $25, whichever is greater.
Beyond that, the E-ZPass New York individual account application carries a schedule of administrative fees. The ones a GWB driver is most likely to meet are a $1.00 monthly account service fee, which the schedule itself attributes to the Port Authority; $6.00 a year for monthly statements delivered by mail; and a replacement tag at $16.00 for an interior tag or $22.00 for an exterior one if it is lost, damaged or defaced. A tag that simply stops working and is returned to a service centre is replaced free.
It is worth being clear about that $1.00, because it is often reported as a New Jersey quirk. It is not a point of difference: E-ZPass New Jersey states the same $1.00 monthly account fee, and charges the same $6.00 a year for mailed statements past the first six months. New Jersey adds one thing New York does not, a refundable $10 per tag deposit if you replenish by cash or cheque rather than by card. On a five-day GWB commute all of that is rounding error against the $1,693 a year the tag saves, and none of it changes the toll: both agencies pay $16.79 at peak. Both fee schedules were checked on 2 October 2026.
Resident discount plans (e.g. Staten Island Resident, Rockaway Resident) are administered by NY E-ZPass for specific bridges and tunnels but do not apply to the GWB. GWB rates are uniform for all E-ZPass holders.
Annual Cost: NY E-ZPass vs Toll-by-Mail
A NY-based commuter making 5 GWB eastbound crossings per week, which is five round trips because westbound is free, saves between $1,693 (peak) and $2,213 (off-peak) per year by using NY E-ZPass instead of Toll-by-Mail. For a NY resident who already has E-ZPass for the Tappan Zee, the Verrazzano, or the Triborough/RFK, no additional tag is needed for the GWB. The existing NY E-ZPass works.
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a NY E-ZPass holder pay on the George Washington Bridge?
A New York E-ZPass holder pays the standard E-ZPass rate: $16.79 for passenger cars during peak hours, $14.79 off-peak, and $23.30 via Toll-by-Mail if the transponder fails to read. A new $19.55 Mid-Tier rate (effective 6 July 2025) applies when an NY E-ZPass tag is improperly positioned and reads via plate match instead of transponder. Tariff effective 4 January 2026.
Where do I sign up for NY E-ZPass?
Sign up at the E-ZPass New York website, e-zpassny.com. You can enrol online, by mail, or in person at one of the New York E-ZPass customer service centers (including the one at the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee). Online enrolment typically takes 5 to 7 business days for the transponder to arrive. NY E-ZPass is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority.
Does a NY E-ZPass cost extra?
Not per crossing: there is no surcharge on top of the standard E-ZPass toll. The account itself opens with a $25.00 initial payment, which is prepaid tolls rather than a fee, and is then rebilled to approximate a month of use or $25, whichever is greater. The E-ZPass New York account application also lists a $1.00 monthly account service fee, which its own fee schedule attributes to the Port Authority, so it is not a New York versus New Jersey difference: E-ZPass New Jersey states the same $1.00 monthly fee. Mailed monthly statements cost $6.00 a year on either side.
Can I use NY E-ZPass at the GWB?
Yes. NY E-ZPass works at every Port Authority crossing including the GWB, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge, and Outerbridge Crossing. It also works on the New York State Thruway, the New Jersey Turnpike, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and all other E-ZPass facilities across the 20 member states.
Is NY E-ZPass cheaper than NJ E-ZPass on the GWB?
NY and NJ E-ZPass pay the same discounted rates at the GWB ($16.79 car peak, $14.79 off-peak). But tags from other states do not: PANYNJ limits its E-ZPass discounts to New York and New Jersey accounts, so a PA, MA, or other out-of-state tag is billed the full $23.30 car rate. Account-level fees and replenishment terms also differ by issuing agency.