GWB Toll Payment Methods: E-ZPass, Toll-by-Mail & More (2026)
The George Washington Bridge is 100% cashless. No cash, no credit cards at the toll plaza.
Two payment methods: E-ZPass (cheapest) or Toll-by-Mail (automatic camera billing)
Payment Methods at a Glance
E-ZPass
Electronic transponder mounted on your windshield. Toll deducted automatically from your prepaid account as you drive through.
Toll-by-Mail
Camera captures your license plate. One bill a month goes to the registered vehicle owner, covering every crossing in the period.
E-ZPass vs Toll-by-Mail: Full Comparison
| Feature | E-ZPass | Toll-by-Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Toll rate (car, peak) | $16.79 | $23.30 |
| Toll rate (car, off-peak) | $14.79 | $23.30 |
| Toll rate (car, Mid-Tier, tag improperly positioned) | $19.55 | N/A |
| Time-of-day pricing | Yes (peak/off-peak) | No (flat rate) |
| Payment timing | Deducted instantly | One bill a month, all crossings |
| Green Pass plug-in EV discount eligible | Yes (NY E-ZPass enrollment) | No |
| Setup required | Account + transponder | None (automatic) |
| Late fees if unpaid | N/A (prepaid) | Yes ($5, then $50 per unpaid toll) |
E-ZPass: How It Works
E-ZPass is an electronic toll collection system used across 20 states, from Maine to Florida and as far west as Minnesota. When you sign up for an E-ZPass account, you receive a small battery-powered transponder that attaches to the inside of your windshield. As you drive through a toll point, an overhead antenna reads your transponder and deducts the toll from your prepaid account balance.
On the George Washington Bridge, E-ZPass readers are positioned above the traffic lanes at the toll point. You do not need to slow down or stop. The system reads your transponder at highway speed, and you will hear a beep or see a dashboard indicator confirming the read. Your account is charged the applicable rate (peak or off-peak) based on the time you cross.
Mounting Your Transponder
The transponder should be mounted on the inside of your windshield, behind the rearview mirror, using the adhesive strips provided. It must be positioned at least one inch from any metal surface and should not be blocked by tinted glass, rain sensors, or heated windshield elements that could interfere with the radio signal.
If your vehicle has a metallic windshield coating (common in some luxury vehicles), you may need an external transponder that mounts on your license plate or headlamp housing. Contact your E-ZPass agency to request the correct transponder type for your vehicle.
Account Management
E-ZPass accounts can be managed online through your issuing agency's website. You can check your balance, view transaction history, add vehicles, update payment methods, and set up automatic replenishment so your account never runs low. Most agencies send email alerts when your balance drops below a threshold you set.
Your E-ZPass transponder works on all E-ZPass compatible toll facilities, not just the GWB. This includes the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, NJ Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, NY Thruway, and hundreds of other toll roads, bridges, and tunnels from Maine to Florida and as far west as Minnesota. See full E-ZPass rate details for the GWB.
Toll-by-Mail: How Camera Billing Works
If you drive across the George Washington Bridge without a valid E-ZPass transponder, the toll system defaults to Toll-by-Mail. High-resolution cameras positioned at the toll point capture images of your front and rear license plates as you pass through.
The system uses optical character recognition (OCR) to read your plate number, then matches it against DMV records to identify the registered vehicle owner. A toll invoice is generated and mailed to the address on file with the DMV. The invoice includes the date, time, and location of the crossing, along with a photograph of your vehicle and license plate.
Billing Timeline
The Port Authority issues toll bills for passenger vehicles once a month, and each bill includes all toll transactions during the billing period. It does not publish a number of days between a crossing and the bill that carries it.
The Port Authority says a bill can be paid online, by mail, by phone or at certain local retailers; online payment now runs through e-zpassny.com. The toll rate for Toll-by-Mail is $23.30 for passenger cars (Jan 2026 tariff), which is the same regardless of what time you crossed. Unlike E-ZPass, there is no peak or off-peak rate distinction. Read more about Toll-by-Mail rates and billing.
Rental Cars and GWB Tolls
Renting a car and crossing the George Washington Bridge creates a common and often expensive toll situation. Because rental cars typically do not have an E-ZPass transponder registered to the renter, the toll is processed as Toll-by-Mail. The rental company receives the toll invoice and passes it through to the renter, often with a substantial administrative surcharge.
Rental Company Surcharges
Each rental company sets its own toll-program fee in its rental agreement, some per toll and some per day, and changes it from time to time. The Port Authority has no part in it, so this page does not quote a figure: the tolling section of your agreement is the only place the fee that applies to you is stated.
How to Avoid Rental Car Toll Surcharges
The simplest solution is to bring your own E-ZPass transponder. Your E-ZPass works in any vehicle, not just the one registered to your account. Simply mount it on the rental car's windshield before crossing, and the toll will be charged to your personal E-ZPass account at the standard E-ZPass rate ($16.79 peak or $14.79 off-peak). Remove the transponder when you return the rental.
If you do not have your own E-ZPass, compare the rental company's toll program terms before you drive; on a trip with many tolled crossings, a per-day program and a per-toll fee can come out very differently.
Toll Violations: What Happens If You Do Not Pay
The Port Authority ties every fee to a monthly bill, not to a count of days. The table sets out the sequence its Cashless Tolling page publishes.
Toll Violation Escalation Timeline
- Step 1Monthly toll billOnce a month, covering every crossing in the billing period; 30 days to pay$23.30 per car crossingPay on or before the due date
- Step 2Second toll billThe next monthly bill, if the first was not paid on time; 30 days to payTolls + $5 late feePay this bill to stop the violation fee
- Step 3Violation noticeAfter two unpaid bills; 30 days to payTolls + $50 violation fee for each unpaid tollPay, or dispute through the service center
- Step 4Persistent non-paymentNo day count publishedPossible civil penaltiesMay lead to registration suspension or collections
| Stage | Timing | Amount Owed | What to Do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly toll bill | Once a month, covering every crossing in the billing period; 30 days to pay | $23.30 per car crossing | Pay on or before the due date |
| Second toll bill | The next monthly bill, if the first was not paid on time; 30 days to pay | Tolls + $5 late fee | Pay this bill to stop the violation fee |
| Violation notice | After two unpaid bills; 30 days to pay | Tolls + $50 violation fee for each unpaid toll | Pay, or dispute through the service center |
| Persistent non-payment | No day count published | Possible civil penalties | May lead to registration suspension or collections |
Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Cashless Tolling (Tolls by Mail billing process), read 4 October 2026. The Port Authority attaches no timetable to civil penalties, registration suspension or collections.
What Triggers the Fees
The $5 late fee appears on the second toll bill when the first was not paid on time. The $50 violation fee is charged for each toll still unpaid after two bills have been mailed, so a month of five unpaid crossings becomes five violation fees, not one. Out-of-state plates are billed the same way, to the address on the vehicle registration.
Registration Suspension and Collections
The Port Authority states that persistent unpaid violations may result in civil penalties and/or vehicle registration suspension, and that unpaid violations may be collected by one of three collections agencies it names. It publishes no number of days for either. The missed toll page lists the agencies and works through what each fee does to a single missed crossing.
How to Dispute a Toll Bill
Start with the E-ZPass New York Service Center on 800-333-8655 or at e-zpassny.com, which handles Tolls by Mail bills for the Port Authority crossings. If the service center cannot resolve it, the Port Authority's Office of the Toll Payer Advocate offers an independent investigation. The Advocate states that there is no automatic fee dismissal program for Port Authority crossings. Steps and contacts are on the GWB toll dispute page.
How to Pay a Toll Bill
The Port Authority names four ways: online, by mail, by phone, or at certain local retailers. Paying the first bill by its due date is what keeps both fees off.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you pay cash on the George Washington Bridge?
No. The George Washington Bridge is entirely cashless. There are no staffed toll booths and no coin baskets. The only payment methods are E-ZPass (electronic transponder) and Toll-by-Mail (license plate camera billing). The bridge has been fully cashless since 10 July 2022, when the Port Authority activated open-road tolling and removed the toll booths.
Can I pay the GWB toll with a credit card at the toll plaza?
No. There is no way to pay with a credit card, debit card, or mobile payment at the GWB toll plaza. You either need an E-ZPass transponder mounted in your vehicle, or you will be automatically billed via Toll-by-Mail. You can use a credit card to fund your E-ZPass account online or to pay a Toll-by-Mail invoice after it arrives.
How does Toll-by-Mail work on the George Washington Bridge?
When you cross the GWB without E-ZPass, overhead cameras photograph your license plate. The toll system matches the plate to the registered vehicle owner through DMV records and mails a bill to the address on file. Bills for passenger vehicles are issued once a month and include every crossing in the billing period, at the Toll-by-Mail rate of $23.30 per crossing for passenger cars (Jan 2026 tariff). The Port Authority says bills can be paid online, by mail, by phone or at certain local retailers.
What happens if I rent a car and cross the GWB without E-ZPass?
The rental company receives the toll and passes it to you under its own toll program, usually with a fee of its own. That fee is set in the rental agreement, not by the Port Authority, so check the tolling section at pickup. To keep the crossing out of the rental program, bring your own E-ZPass tag: it works in any vehicle.
How do I dispute a GWB toll violation?
Start with the E-ZPass New York Service Center on 800-333-8655 or at e-zpassny.com, which the Port Authority describes as the consolidated site for both E-ZPass and Tolls by Mail customers (tollsbymailny.com now redirects there). If the service center cannot resolve it, the Port Authority's Office of the Toll Payer Advocate investigates. The Port Authority publishes no dispute deadline; what it does publish is when the fees attach, which is the reason to act before the second bill.
Where do I get an E-ZPass transponder for the GWB?
You can get an E-ZPass transponder from any E-ZPass member agency. E-ZPass New York and E-ZPass New Jersey both offer accounts online at e-zpassny.com and e-zpassnj.com respectively. Choose one of those two if you cross the GWB often: the Port Authority states that its E-ZPass discounts apply to accounts at the E-ZPass New York and New Jersey Customer Service Centers only, so a tag from another state's agency pays a higher rate.