Why did I receive a delayed toll charge or invoice for the Benicia-Martinez Bridge from 2022?
If you had crossed the Benicia-Martinez Bridge in 2022, you may have recently received an invoice for tolls for those crossing or noticed one or more recent charges that posted to your FasTrak® or license plate account for crossing the Benicia-Martinez Bridge in 2022.
The Bay Area Toll Authority corrected an issue where a limited number of crossings on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge in 2022 were delayed in processing. This issue was related to only one toll lane on the bridge. While many of the tolls have since been processed, tolls for crossings in the period between February 11 and July 31, 2022, have recently been appearing as delayed charges to customers’ accounts, or as invoices sent by mail. Of the thousands who take the bridge every day, only a fraction of drivers were affected by this issue.
If you received a recent invoice or a delayed charge to your account for when you had crossed the bridge during the timeframe listed above, we are very sorry for the confusion this may have caused. We’ve fixed the processing problem, and any invoices or charges to your account you receive in 2023 for this timeframe will not result in late penalties based on the dates when you traveled on the bridge. (Just be sure to pay your invoice within 21 days of when the delayed toll charge posted to avoid future penalties.)
In fact, for frequent drivers who used the impacted lane at the Benicia-Martinez Bridge between February 11 and July 31, 2022, we’ve capped the tolls charged to you at no more than six during this period.
We know this has created some confusion and we apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you.
Can I use the Bay Are Express Lanes if I’m not from the Bay Area?
Yes. To use Bay Area Express Lanes, you must have a FasTrak account and a valid FasTrak Flex toll tag. Anyone with a mailing address in the United States can sign up for a FasTrak account. Simply get a toll tag at a local retail store and activate it through the new account enrollment process, or create a username and password and order your tag online. It is free to open and maintain a FasTrak account; you only pay for your tolls unless you commit a violation. A security deposit may be required for the toll tag, but it will be fully refunded to you if you return the tag to FasTrak.
Even for short visits to the Bay Area, signing up for a FasTrak account has benefits. FasTrak allows you to use express lanes and qualify for carpool and bridge toll discounts.
Your FasTrak toll tag can be used anywhere you see the FasTrak logo displayed, including several toll roads in Southern California.
To view methods of paying tolls in the Bay Area, view the Ways to Pay page.
Can I use FasTrak with my motorcycle?
Yes. Motorcyclists can use FasTrak to pay tolls by mounting their toll tag in a secure location. If you are not able to mount your toll tag on your motorcycle, FasTrak recommends that you use one of the following methods to secure your toll tag:
- Place the toll tag in your front pocket as it can be read through the material.
- Place the toll tag inside a cycle net (somewhere on top) that drapes over the gas tank.
For more information on how to properly mount your toll tag, please visit the FasTrak Toll Tag Guide.
Can I receive a discount as a veteran?
As of January 1, 2023, a new California law – Assembly Bill 2949 – grants eligible veterans of the U.S. armed forces free tolls on California toll bridges. Veterans with eligible license plates on their vehicles are exempt from paying tolls to cross the Golden Gate Bridge as well as the seven state-owned bridges (Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, San Francisco-Oakland Bay, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward). The free-passage benefit does not apply to Bay Area Express Lanes.
To be eligible for the toll exemption program, veterans must have a license plate with one of the following designations on their registered vehicle:
- Congressional Medal of Honor
- Disabled Veteran
- Legion of Valor
- Pearl Harbor Survivor
- Ex-Prisoner of War or
- Purple Heart
Eligible veterans do not currently need to have a FasTrak account, but enrollment will be required in the future. To avoid being charged a toll, veterans who already are FasTrak customers must place their FasTrak toll tag in a Mylar bag provided by FasTrak so they will not be charged when traveling through bridge toll plazas. You can order a Mylar bag for free by logging into your FasTrak account and selecting Vehicles and Tags then Request Toll Tag Supplies or by calling the FasTrak Customer Service Center at 877-BAY-TOLL (877-229-8655).