This hub explains how toll works on India’s National Highways: what FASTag does, how a plaza’s fee is worked out, which vehicle class you are in, and the discounts and penalties that change what you pay. Each toll plaza page on this site links back here.
Related guides: FASTag Annual Pass · Local Pass · Your rights at a toll plaza
What FASTag is
FASTag is an RFID sticker on your windscreen, linked to a prepaid wallet or bank account. When you drive through a plaza lane, a reader identifies the tag and deducts the toll automatically. The system runs under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme. NPCI acts as the central clearing house between the plaza’s bank and the bank that issued your tag. More than 98% of NH toll is now collected through FASTag (PIB, July 2026).
Things to know:
- One vehicle, one FASTag. You can’t use one tag on several vehicles (PIB, January 2026).
- New tags are checked against the VAHAN registration database so the vehicle class is correct.
- A tag that is loose (not stuck on the windscreen) or blacklisted (for low balance, KYC issues and so on) is treated as not valid. See the penalty rules below.
How toll is calculated
Rule 4 of the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 sets a base rate per km for each vehicle class, using 2007-08 prices.
Plaza fee ≈ base rate per km × length of the section the plaza covers, revised to the current year and rounded to the nearest ₹5.
Adjustments under the same rules:
| Situation | Fee |
|---|---|
| 4-lane or wider highway | 100% of the rate |
| Expressway | 1.25 times the rate |
| 2-lane highway with paved shoulders | 60% of the rate |
| Road being upgraded from 2 lanes with paved shoulders to 4 or more lanes | 50% of the earlier fee until the work is finished (PIB, Jan 2026) |
| Bypass costing ₹10 crore or more | 1.5 times the rate |
That is why two plazas with similar distances can charge different amounts.
Vehicle classes
Every plaza publishes one rate for each of these six classes. The base rates are the 2007-08 figures in Rule 4(2). Today’s fees are higher because of the yearly revisions.
| Class | What it covers | Base rate (2007-08, ₹/km) |
|---|---|---|
| Car / Jeep / Van | Private cars, SUVs, jeeps, vans and other light motor vehicles | 0.65 |
| LCV | Light commercial vehicles, light goods vehicles, minibuses | 1.05 |
| Bus / Truck (2-axle) | Buses and two-axle trucks | 2.20 |
| 3-axle commercial | Commercial vehicles with three axles | 2.40 |
| HCM / EME / MAV (4–6 axle) | Heavy construction machinery (HCM), earth-moving equipment (EME) and multi-axle vehicles with four to six axles | 3.45 |
| Oversized (7+ axle) | Vehicles with seven or more axles | 4.20 |
Your class comes from your registration. If a plaza charges the wrong class, see your rights at a toll plaza.
Return-journey discount (within 24 hours)
Rule 9(2) gives a two-journey pass. You pay 1.5 times the one-way fee, and it’s valid for 24 hours from payment. Coming back the same day costs 1.5× instead of 2×, a 25% saving on the round trip. Plaza rate boards list this as the “return journey” fee. Check your FASTag SMS to confirm which rate you were charged.
Monthly passes and other passes
| Pass | Who | Price | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50-journey monthly pass (Rule 9(2)) | Any vehicle | Two-thirds of the fee for 50 single journeys, valid 1 month | One plaza |
| Local monthly pass (Rule 9(3)) | Non-commercial vehicle, owner lives within 20 km | ₹150/month base (2007-08), revised yearly. PTI reports ₹360/month for 2026-27 | One plaza |
| Concessional Local Pass (from 1 Nov 2026) | Non-commercial vehicle, owner lives within 20 km | ₹1,500 or ₹3,000 a year | One plaza |
| FASTag Annual Pass | Private car/jeep/van | ₹3,075 for 2026-27, 200 trips or 1 year | About 1,150 NH/NE plazas |
| District concession (Rule 9(3A)) | Commercial vehicle registered in that district (not National Permit) | 50% of the fee | Plazas in that district |
None of the residence-based passes are issued where a service road or alternative road is available. Details: Annual Pass guide, Local Pass guide.
No FASTag or a blacklisted FASTag: what you pay
Under the rules, a vehicle without a valid, functional FASTag pays a penalty rate. This includes a blacklisted or loose tag. The rate has changed twice since 2025:
| Period | Paid in cash | Paid by UPI |
|---|---|---|
| Before 15 Nov 2025 | 2× toll | 2× toll |
| 15 Nov 2025 to 9 Apr 2026 (Third Amendment Rules, 2025) | 2× toll | 1.25× toll |
| From 10 Apr 2026 (as reported) | Cash not accepted | 1.25× toll |
The PIB example for the November 2025 rule: a ₹100 FASTag toll costs ₹200 in cash or ₹125 by UPI.
About the April 2026 change: PTI (via ThePrint) and Autocar India reported that MoRTH, by gazette notification, stopped cash payments at NH toll plazas from 10 April 2026. FASTag stays the main method and UPI at 1.25× is the fallback. We have not found a PIB release or the gazette text confirming this, so treat it as reported, not verified by us. Under Rule 14, a vehicle that doesn’t pay can be refused use of that section of highway.
Practical advice: keep your FASTag balance topped up, keep the tag stuck on the windscreen, and keep a UPI app ready as a backup.
Annual toll revision on 1 April
Rule 5 revises toll rates every 1 April, linked to the Wholesale Price Index (WPI). The formula adds 40% of the WPI increase since the 2007 base, on top of a fixed annual increase. NHAI publishes new rates plaza by plaza.
In April 2026, PTI reported an average rise of 4–5% across national highways. The FASTag Annual Pass also went up, from ₹3,000 to ₹3,075. The next revision is due on 1 April 2027.
How to check toll on your route
- Plaza pages on this site. Find each plaza on your route for its current rates by class, return fee, monthly pass fee and operator.
- NHAI Toll Information System (tis.nhai.gov.in). This is NHAI’s official plaza-wise rate list, with the fee notification for each plaza.
- Rajmargyatra app (NHAI). It shows plazas and fees and handles complaints and passes.
- At the plaza. Rule 12 requires the fee to be displayed in Hindi and English 1 km before the plaza, and in English and the local language 500 m before.
Add up every plaza on the route for your class. If you return within 24 hours, use the return fee instead of two one-way fees. If you hold an annual or local pass, leave out the plazas it covers.
All FASTag guides
- FASTag Annual Pass 2026: Price, Rules and SavingsFASTag Annual Pass costs ₹3,075 in 2026-27 for 200 trips or one year. Who can buy it, where it works, how trips are counted, refunds, and when it saves money.
- FASTag Local Pass 2026: ₹1,500 or ₹3,000 a YearFASTag local pass for residents within 20 km of an NH toll plaza: ₹1,500 or ₹3,000 fee, eligibility, documents, how to apply, and the monthly pass compared.
- Toll Plaza Rules in India: Your Rights at NH PlazasIs the 100-metre, 10-second toll rule still valid? Who is exempt from toll, the 60 km spacing rule, wrong deductions, and how to complain via the 1033 helpline.