Installing Toll Passes

Transponders And Stickers

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Installation Instructions

E-ZPass

Placing Your Sticker Or Transponder

Use of road signs, highway markers, agency insignia or other logos does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

The placement of your toll pass is critical to making certain your unit and the information stored thereon can be properly read by electronic tolling equipment.

Most agencies suggest a preferred location, adjacent to your windshield's rear-view mirror, about one to one-and-a-half inches (three to five centimeters) from the top of the windshield, and about one to two inches (three to five centimeters) to the left or right of the rear-view mirror. See the illustrations for reference.

See where your pass can be used by referring to our road-by-road list, which is on our Toll Pass List page.

▹ Passes By Road ▹

common toll pass transponder placements

As an alternative, the transponder may be placed in a lower corner of the windshield.

IMPORTANT! Do not place the sticker or transponder in a location that will block the view of the driver or impede your ability to operate your vehicle!

To learn where you can use your new pass, please refer to our Toll Pass List, which is a road-by-road guide that shows you which passes are accepted on each toll road in the United States.

▹ Passes By Road ▹

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E-ZPass

SPECIAL MOUNTING INSTRUCTIONS

Use of road signs, highway markers, agency insignia or other logos does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

Mounting An Exterior Toll Pass

States and agencies that offer the exterior toll pass usually have available a transponder that will mount to your existing front license plate, using the bolts of your vehicle to anchor the mounting holes of the transponder.

exterior toll pass transponder placements

IMPORTANT! If your front license plate is partially obstructed by any object, including any overhanging vehicle parts, it may interfere with the signal from your exterior-mount transponder.

If you must use an exterior-mount for your toll pass, the license plate mounted transponder is offered in nearly all states. You must make certain to check your chosen agency's options, and be sure to select this option, whenever you sign up for a new transponder account.

Refer to our Toll Pass List for a road-by-road guide showing you which passes can be used on each toll road in the United States.

▹ Passes By Road ▹

Metal Oxide Windows

Some car manufacturers may use metallized or metal oxides windshields to reduce heat. Adding metal oxieds to windshields helps with energy efficiency, but it diminishes or interferes with the signals from regular transponders. This is especially true for the window sticker.

Metal oxide is more likely to be used on higher-end vehicles and some older cars. In such cases, special mounting instructions must be followed, or an exterior transponder must be used.

If your vehicle has a clear or a blank cutout near the rear-view mirror, this is still the best place to mount a transponder. Many manufacturers make this accommodation.

The Metal-Oxide List

Many states publish a list of vehicles that have metal oxides that are known or believed to interfere with toll pass signals. The most current list is a 2019 compendium published by the State of Oklahoma, which issues PikePass.

We have made the download available for you here.

▿ Download List ▿

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E-ZPass

Types Of Toll Passes

Use of road signs, highway markers, agency insignia or other logos does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

TRANSPONDER TYPES

Toll passes are generally issued in three types of transponders: An RFID (radio-frequency identification) sticker, a portable transponder, and a bar or stick transponder designed to attach above or below the front license plate.

To find out which passes are taken on each road, please refer to our Toll Pass List page, which you can access below.

▹ Passes By Road ▹

transponder samples illustrated

All devices have an identification number, which is stored on the circuitry of the device, along with other basic information about the transponder. The unit's ID number will be used to associate the transponder with your vehicle, that way the correct vehicle is charged to the correct device.

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E-ZPass

Toll Stickers And Transponders

Use of road signs, highway markers, agency insignia or other logos does not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

RFID Stickers

The most common type of toll pass is a sticker that gets affixed to your windshield. The sticker transponder utilizes RFID technology printed on a flexible circuit.

Stickers have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive, as well as easy to use. They are also disposable.

The nature of the circuitry in a sticker means it can only transmit data via your vehicle's GLASS windshield, which acts as a dialectric antenna for the sticker. Sticker transponders can not be used on vehicles that do not have a glass windshield, such as motorcycles.

Additionally, once a sticker is removed from your windshield, you must discard it, making sure to deactivate or unassign the unit from your vehicle. Stickers can NOT be moved from one vehicle to another.

transponder samples illustrated

Portable Transponders

Portable transponders come in a variety of shapes, most commonly a rectangular or oblong box. These types of transponders typically make use of suction cups to affix to your window. Some agencies may issue transponder holders, and the holder is what you stick to the windshield. The transponder is then set inside the pass holder.

Portable transponders will have varied features, depending upon which agency issues the unit. Common features include audible alerts when going through toll plazas or a gantry, as well as alerts when account balances are low. Some transponders also have switches to select passenger counts, often used to determine rates on tolled express lanes, as well as to offer carpool discounts on toll roads and bridges. Some units may also include notification lights or LED's (light-emitting diodes).

Portable transponders cost more to purchase, and some agencies require a you keep a higher balance on your account when you register a portable unit. However, the advantage with the portable transponder is you can move it from one vehicle to another.

License Plate Transponders
For Truckers And Special Cases

The third type of transponder is designed for large commercial trucks and tractor-trailers, and this type attaches to the front license plate or to the roof of the vehicle. This type is, as the name implies, an attachment to your license-plate frame, using the bolts that already are used to hold the plate, itself.

Roof attachments require a mounting plate that uses a special foam tape, to which the transponder is then attached.

Large vehicles, specifically tractor-trailers, and some vehicles with certain options or metal-oxide windows, must make use of an exterior transponder unit that affixes either to the license plate frame or vehicle roof. If the license plate option is unviable, then a roof-mounted transponder can be utilized.

▹ Passes By Road ▹

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Toll Pass Agencies And Networks

Overview And Reference Guide

Overview

This section provides a review of each major toll pass network and its regional and national compatibility. You may also scroll to the road-by-road list, showing which passes are taken on each roadway.

▹ Passes By Road ▹

E-ZPass States

The E-ZPass system is the largest interoperable toll collection and payment system in the United States.

States connected to the E-ZPass system include Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia.

Additionally, as of May 28, 2021, all of Florida's toll roads are compatible with E-ZPass.

E-ZPass compatibility map

SunPass States

The SunPass is used primarily on state and local toll roads in Florida. SunPass unveiled the Sunpass Pro in 2021, which is compatible with all E-ZPass roads. E-ZPass transponders and stickers are now compatible on Florida toll roads.

It is important to note that Sunpass stickers and transponders issued before May 28, 2021 are only compatible with Georgia and North Caroilna toll roads; the LeeWay, issued in the Fort Myers area, is also only compatible with the old SunPass network system, not the new one.

The accompanying graphics show where each version of SunPass is compatible, and it displays the passes that are compatible with the network of states shown.

SunPass Pro: Compatible With E-ZPass

SunPass Pro compatibility map

Regular SunPass: NOT Compatible With E-ZPass

SunPass compatibility map

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TxTag & The Southern Plains

TxTag is the statewide pass used across the state of Texas. There are two other major regional systems in Texas: the TollPass from the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the TollTag from the Houston area. Both systems are compatible across the state of Texas.

Additionally, all passes from Texas may be used in Oklahoma and Kansas, and vice versa. The Kansas K-Tag and the Oklahoma PikePass are also compatible across this tri-state region of the Southern Plains.

TxTag compatibility map

FasTrak

FasTrak is California's statewide electronic toll system. It is not compatible with systems outside California.

Other Passes

There are other toll systems in states that operate toll roads, tunnels and/or bridges. These include Colorado's ExpressToll and Go Pass!, the Good To Go pass in Washington State, as well as various bridge passes and cards that are used at international crossings between the United States and Canada.

▹ Passes By Road ▹

Counting Axles Guide

Guide to counting axles
▷ When counting axles, remember to count ALL axles with wheels touching the ground, including axles on any trailers you may be towing. This is the calculus tolling agencies will use to determine the number of axles on your vehicle.

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