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All Golden Gate Bridge tolls are collected electronically, in the southbound direction into San Francisco. You can conveniently pay your toll with a FasTrak Account, License Plate Account, a One-Time Payment, or a Toll Invoice.
To choose which toll payment option is best suited for your needs, consider how frequently you cross the Golden Gate Bridge and how often you use other Bay Area toll bridges and express lanes where FasTrak is accepted. Also consider the added benefit of a discounted toll when using FasTrak on the Golden Gate Bridge. Learn more about your Toll Payment Options at left.
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If you take no action to pay your Golden Gate Bridge toll, the first toll Invoice is mailed about a week after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge for California plates (longer for some out-of-state plates). Thereafter, invoices are mailed on a 30-day cycle if the customer crosses the Golden Gate Bridge again in the same vehicle. It is important that vehicle owner information be kept current with your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Please note: An unpaid Toll Invoice or any unpaid portion of a Toll Invoice will escalate to a Toll Violation, with added fees and penalties.
Although Golden Gate Bridge tolls are collected electronically, motorists can still use cash to pay their Bridge toll.
FasTrak services remain the same with two exceptions: (1) At the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza, we no longer have dedicated FasTrak-only toll lanes and all toll lanes are equipped to process tolls electronically; (2) Motorists now have more options to replenish their FasTrak Account using cash, including at a Cash Payment Location and at the Bay Area FasTrak Customer Service Center (375 Beale Street, San Francisco).
To learn about FasTrak and how it can save you time and money, do one of the following:
If you don't have a FasTrak Account, you can pay your Golden Gate Bridge toll by opening a License Plate Account, making a One-Time Payment, or paying a Toll Invoice.
For more information on these options, visit the www.bayareafastrak.org.
Yes, especially if you use other Bay Area toll bridges or express lanes. Plus, you pay a discounted toll on the Golden Gate Bridge. Please note: Opening a FasTrak Account requires an initial prepaid toll balance and the use of a toll tag. For more information about FasTrak, visit the Bay Area FasTrak website.
The initial prepaid toll balance to open a FasTrak Account is $25 if using a credit card or $50 if using cash, check, or money order. After establishing a FasTrak Account, the replenishment amount may increase based on the frequency of your crossings.
To use cash to open and replenish a FasTrak Account, customers must first visit the Bay Area FasTrak Cusotmer Service Center (375 Beale Street, San Francisco) to open a cash-based account. The account can then be replenished by visiting a Cash Payment Location.
The FasTrak toll tag is provided at no charge and requires a $20 refundable toll tag deposit when opening your FasTrak account.
As you drive through the Toll Plaza, you should hear a beep if your FasTrak toll tag signal is detected. If the signal is not detected, digital images of your license plates will be captured, and the plate number will be reconciled against existing FasTrak Accounts. If the license plate isn’t associated with a valid account, a Toll Invoice (for just the toll amount) will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.
If you crossed the Golden Gate Bridge in the southbound direction and took no action to pay the toll (either by opening a FasTrak Account, opening a License Plate Account, or making a One-Time Payment), a Toll Invoice was generated and mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle, based on the license plate of that vehicle. The invoice amount due is for the amount of the toll only; fees and penalties are assessed if an invoice or any portion of an amount due goes unpaid.
To avoid the inconvenience and hassle of receiving and paying a Golden Gate Bridge Toll Invoice, take action now and do one of the following:
Toll Invoices are generated and mailed to motorists who take no action to pay their Golden Gate Bridge toll (either by opening a FasTrak Account, opening a License Plate Account, or making a One-Time Payment).
The first Toll Invoice is mailed about a week after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge for California plates (longer for some out-of-state plates). Thereafter, invoices are mailed on a 30-day cycle if the customer crosses the Golden Gate Bridge again in the same vehicle.
Yes. A Toll Invoice will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle, whether or not the vehicle is registered in California or not. This Toll Invoice must be paid within 21 days after being generated. If a visitor won’t be home within 21 days of crossing the Bridge heading southbound into San Francisco), it is recommended that they make a One-Time Payment within 30 days before or within 48 hours after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Use links at left to learn more.
An unpaid Toll Invoice or any unpaid portion of a Toll Invoice will result in a Toll Violation notice which attaches a $25 penalty for each toll transaction associated with the unpaid invoice.
If the first violation notice goes unpaid, a second violation notice will be issued, with increased penalties. If this second notice goes unpaid, the amount due is referred the California Department of Motor Vehicles which will withhold your vehicle registration until the penalties are paid. For out-of-state vehicles, the matter is referred to a collections agency.
If you have a FasTrak Account or License Plate Account in good standing and still received a Golden Gate Bridge Toll Invoice, the license plate number shown on the invoice likely has not yet been added to your account.
You can manage your account online at www.bayareafastrak.org or by calling toll free 1-877-229-8655 or 415-486-8655 outside the US.
If you were sent a Toll Invoice for a vehicle that does not belong to you, please complete the toll dispute information on the reverse side of the invoice and return it to the Bay Area FasTrak Customer Service Center in the envelope provided, by the due date indicated.
To contest or request a review of your toll violation(s), please contact the FasTrak Customer Service Center via the website, by phone, fax, mail or in person (see below). You may be eligible for a reduction/waiver on your penalties, depending on your situation.
You may contact FasTrak Customer service for any of the following:
FasTrak contact information:
Golden Gate Bridge toll lane #2 (second lane from right in the southbound direction) is the designated carpool lane during carpool hours (weekdays, except holidays, from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.).
This designated carpool lane may only be used by eligible carpool vehicles with a FasTrak Account in good standing. Eligible vehicles include two-axle vehicles with three or more persons; motorcycles, as defined and designated by California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV); and buses. Note: Two-seat vehicles, vehicles with rear axle dual tires, and vehicles with DMV-issued Clean Air Vehicle decals do NOT qualify as carpool vehicles.
Carpool holidays include New Year's Day (January 1), Presidents' Day (third Monday in February), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas Day (December 25).
Most major rental companies offer a convenience fee-based tolling program, which may be the most convenient way to pay your Golden Gate Bridge toll. Please inquire with your rental agency at the time of your reservation about its tolling program.
You may add a rental vehicle to a FasTrak Account by adding the plate number to the account. However, this is not a recommended practice because if you forget to remove the plate number from your account, you will be charged additional tolls if someone uses the same vehicle at other Bay Area toll facilities.
If you opt out of your rental company's tolling program and you take no action to pay your Golden Gate Bridge toll by making a One-Time Payment or opening a License Plate Account, the rental company (as the registered owner of the vehicle) will receive a Toll Invoice and, in turn, you will be billed for the toll, plus additional fees. These fees vary by rental agency.
If your rental agency doesn't offer a rental toll program or you choose not to participate in its toll program, you must take action to pay your Golden Gate Bridge toll.
Tolls may be paid 30 days in advance of your first southbound Bridge crossing, or within 48 hours after crossing, by opening a limited-term License Plate Account, making a One-Time Payment, or paying cash at a Cash Payment Location. For complete details, visit the Bay Area FasTrak website.
The Golden Gate Bridge converted to all electronic tolling in March 2015 for several key reasons.
All electronic tolling - sometimes referred to as cashless tolling - assesses all tolls electronically, either by a vehicle-mounted FasTrak toll tag or by the vehicle license plate number. Motorists no longer have to stop to pay their toll.
All Golden Gate Bridge tolls are now collected electronically. We have equipment at the Toll Plaza that can detect a signal from a FasTrak toll tag and capture images of vehicle license plates. If a FasTrak signal is detected, the toll is automatically link to and posted to the related FasTrak account. If a signal is not detected, the license plate number is used to link to a FasTrak account, a License Plate Account, or a One-Time Payment. If none exists, a Toll Invoice (for just the toll amount) is generated within several days and mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.
The Golden Gate Bridge introduced the FasTrak electronic toll option in July 2000. Traffic congestion during the weekday morning commute period immediately improved, with typical wait times at the Toll Plaza reduced from up to 20 minutes to under a minute. Today, over 70% of all southbound motorists use FasTrak. The FasTrak market share of weekday commuters is 86% in the morning and 79% in the evening; Saturday evening market share is at 59%.
Dedicated FasTrak-only toll lanes are no longer needed now that all toll lanes are equipped to process FasTrak and Pay-By-Plate options.
License plate information that is collected as a part of all electronic tolling at the Golden Gate Bridge is used for the purposes of toll collection only. Data collected for the purpose of assessing tolls in California is eliminated from the data systems in accordance with Senate Bill 1268.
Neither the Golden Gate Bridge toll collection system nor the Bay Area FasTrak Customer Service Center system is publicly accessible.
Read the entire Electronic Tolling Privacy Policy on our Privacy Policies page.