This page covers what the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008 and NHAI’s own circulars actually guarantee you at an NH toll plaza. It also covers several popular “rules” that no longer apply, or never did.
The 10-second / 100-metre rule: no longer in force
What it was
On 26–27 May 2021, NHAI issued guidelines for toll plazas:
- a target service time of no more than 10 seconds per vehicle, even at peak hours;
- a yellow line 100 metres from the booth in every lane;
- if the queue went beyond 100 metres, vehicles were to be let through without paying until the queue came back within 100 metres.
What happened to it
In August 2024, NHAI removed the “service time at toll plazas” provision from its toll plaza guidelines. Business Standard and Construction World (citing TOI) reported this. NHAI’s reasoning was that the NH Fee Rules, 2008, which are the binding law, contain no exemption based on queue length, so the circular had no legal footing. As a replacement, NHAI started live monitoring at 100 plazas where waits often went past five minutes, chosen by number of complaints.
In September 2026, NHAI repeated the point in response to viral posts: a queue longer than 100 metres or a wait of more than three minutes does not entitle you to cross without paying. The yellow line may still be painted at some plazas, but it is a congestion marker for the operator, not a right for the driver.
What you can do instead: if a plaza is badly congested or lanes are closed, complain on 1033 or in the Rajmargyatra app. Note the plaza name, time and lane. Do not drive through without paying. Rule 14 lets the operator stop a non-paying vehicle and have it removed if it blocks traffic.
Who is exempt from toll (Rule 11)
Rule 11 is the complete list. If you’re not on it, you pay.
1. Vehicles carrying or escorting these people (with security vehicles):
- President, Vice-President, Prime Minister
- Governors, Lieutenant Governors, Chief Ministers
- Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court judges, High Court Chief Justices and judges
- Speaker of the Lok Sabha; Union Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State
- Members of Parliament
- Chairman of a state Legislative Council, Speaker of a state Assembly
- MLAs and MLCs, within their own state, on showing their legislature ID card
- Chiefs of Staff (full General or equivalent), Army Commanders or Vice-Chief and equivalents
- Chief Secretary (within the state), Secretaries to the Government of India, Secretaries of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha
- Foreign dignitaries on a state visit
- Winners of the Param Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Vir Chakra and Shaurya Chakra, on showing an authenticated photo ID
2. Vehicles on official duty of:
- the Ministry of Defence (including under the Indian Tolls (Army and Air Force) Act, 1901, extended to the Navy);
- Central and state armed forces in uniform, including paramilitary forces and police;
- an executive magistrate;
- fire services;
- NHAI or its agents, for inspection, survey, construction or maintenance.
3. Always exempt:
- ambulances;
- funeral vans;
- vehicles specially designed and built for a person with a physical disability.
Not on the list: journalists, lawyers, doctors, ex-servicemen (other than the gallantry award winners above), local politicians below MLA, and government employees using a private vehicle for personal travel. Autocar India reported in April 2026 that ID-card waivers on personal trips are being ended, and that eligible government departments are being asked to use exempted FASTags instead.
The 60 km spacing rule
What the law says. Rule 8(2): another fee plaza on the same section and in the same direction “shall not be established within a distance of sixty kilometers”. There are two exceptions:
- the authority may allow a closer plaza for reasons recorded in writing;
- a plaza collecting fee for a permanent bridge, bypass or tunnel can be within 60 km.
Rule 8(1) also says a plaza should normally be more than 10 km from municipal or town limits. It can never be closer than 5 km, unless the road was built mainly for that town’s residents.
The 2022 promise. On 22 March 2022, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha that plazas within 60 km of each other would be closed within three months.
The reality. Because of the exceptions, a plaza closer than 60 km is not automatically illegal. As of November 2026 we have not found an official list of plazas closed under the 2022 announcement. If you think a plaza breaks Rule 8, you can raise it with NHAI or file an RTI asking for the written reasons. You can’t refuse to pay at the plaza.
Other rights you have at a plaza
- Fee display (Rule 12). The fee must be shown in Hindi and English 1 km before the plaza, and in English and the local language 500 m before. If it isn’t displayed, complain.
- Correct class. You pay for your vehicle’s registered class. Private cars, jeeps, vans and SUVs are all in the lowest class. If you’re charged a higher class, keep the SMS and complain.
- Return within 24 hours. You are entitled to the return-journey rate: 1.5 times the one-way fee instead of 2 times (Rule 9(2)).
- No FASTag. Since 15 November 2025 you can pay 1.25 times the toll by UPI. The cash rate was 2 times, and cash has been reported as discontinued from 10 April 2026. See the FASTag hub for details.
- Refund of excess collection (Rule 13). If you’re overcharged, you can complain to the officer authorised by the government or NHAI. After hearing both sides, the officer must order a refund and damages within 30 days if you were overcharged. The operator also pays a 25% penalty on the excess.
Where to complain
| Problem | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Anything at an NH plaza: queues, rude staff, wrong rate, closed lanes | 1033 National Highways helpline (24×7, toll-free) |
| Wrong or double FASTag deduction | Your FASTag issuer bank’s helpline, and email falsededuction@ihmcl.com |
| Annual pass or local pass issues | Rajmargyatra app grievance section, or 1033 |
| Excess fee not refunded | Written complaint under Rule 13 to the officer authorised by the government or NHAI |
PIB (July 2026) lists all four channels: 1033, the falsededuction@ihmcl.com email, issuer bank helplines and the Rajmargyatra app.
For a quicker result, include: vehicle number, plaza name, date and time, lane number if known, the FASTag transaction ID or SMS, and the amount charged versus the amount you expected.