You must call the FasTrak Customer Service Center at 877-BAY-TOLL (877-229-8655) or come to the FasTrak Walk-In Center at 375 Beale Street in San Francisco to obtain a waiver. Waivers are not available through the BayAreaFasTrak.org website, at a cash payment network, by sending a check in the mail or by paying your outstanding tolls. You must pay all outstanding balances after the waivers are applied to obtain the waiver, or if you qualify for the low-income payment plan, enter into the payment plan and make the first payment.
Do I need to open a FasTrak account to get a waiver?
You may receive a waiver of penalties due to toll violations on toll bridges without one, but we strongly encourage you to open a FasTrak account, which is the most convenient way to pay tolls and avoid violation notices. You can get more information or open a FasTrak account here.
How many times can I get a waiver of violation penalties?
You can only get one waiver for each vehicle/license plate. For example, if you have two vehicles with toll violations, each vehicle is eligible for a one-time waiver.
Also, each vehicle is eligible for a one-time waiver from each toll agency. For example, if you receive a one-time waiver of violation penalties for a vehicle with violations on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (bridges managed by Bay Area Transportation Authority), and you get a future violation on the Golden Gate Bridge (managed by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District) with that same vehicle, you can also get a one-time waiver of the Golden Gate Bridge violation.
Is a waiver based on the person or vehicle/license plate?
A waiver is based on the vehicle.
I have violations for bridges and express lanes. Can I get a waiver for penalties for all of them?
It depends on the toll facility operator’s one-time waiver policy. If this is the first time you are requesting a waiver:
• For toll bridges, violation penalties will be waived (DMV fees excluded) one time for the seven state-owned bridges (managed by BATA), and one time for the Golden Gate Bridge (managed by GGBHTD) You must pay all outstanding tolls and DMV fees at the time the waiver is granted or, if you qualify as a low-income household, enter into a payment plan and make the first payment.
• For all express lane violations, penalties will be waived for only one violation per toll agency. You must pay all outstanding tolls and DMV fees at the time the waiver is granted. If you qualify as a low-income household, all express lane violation penalties will be waived (DMV fees excluded). The low-income waiver requires income verification. You must pay all tolls and DMV fees owed, or enter into a payment plan and make the first payment.
| Toll Facility | Waivers available for all drivers: | Waiver available for low-income drivers: |
|---|---|---|
| Bridges: Antioch, Benicia, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Golden Gate, Oakland-Bay, Richmond-San Rafael, San Mateo |
One-time waiver of penalties for ALL open violations Requires payment of all outstanding tolls and DMV fees |
Waiver of penalties for ALL open violations Requires payment of all outstanding tolls and DMV fees OR enrollment in the Bay Area Toll Payment Plan |
| Bay Area Express Lanes: I-580 I-680 Contra Costa I-680 Sunol I-880 SR-237 US-101 US-101/SR-85 |
One-time waiver of penalties for first violation Requires payment of all outstanding tolls and DMV fees prior to collections activity |
One-time waiver of penalties for ALL open violations Requires verification of income eligibility through the Bay Area Toll Payment Plan Website |
I have unpaid violation notices on my DMV registration renewal notice. How can I get the penalties waived?
You must call the FasTrak Customer Service Center at 877-BAY-TOLL (877-229-8655) to obtain a waiver of penalties. Note that regional toll operators have different policies for their one-time penalty waivers so all penalties may not be waived. See the table here.
I have a lot of unpaid violation notices. Is there a maximum number of violations for which I can get a waiver?
It depends on the toll facility operator’s one-time waiver policy. If this is the first time you are requesting a waiver:
• For toll bridges, violation penalties will be waived (DMV fees excluded) one time for the seven state-owned bridges (managed by BATA), and one time for the Golden Gate Bridge (managed by GGBHTD) You must pay all outstanding tolls and DMV fees at the time the waiver is granted or, if you qualify as a low-income household, enter into a payment plan and make the first payment.
• For all express lane violations, penalties will be waived for only one violation per toll agency. You must pay all outstanding tolls and DMV fees at the time the waiver is granted. If you qualify as a low-income household, all express lane violation penalties will be waived (DMV fees excluded). The low-income waiver requires income verification. You must pay all tolls and DMV fees owed, or enter into a payment plan and make the first payment.
What if I have more than one express lane violation?
If you have multiple violations on different Bay Area Express Lanes, you may contact the FasTrak Customer Service Center at 877-BAY-TOLL (877-229-8655), to have one violation penalty (DMV fee excluded) waived per toll agency below:
| Toll Agency | Express Lanes |
|---|---|
| Alameda County Transportation Authority | I-580 and I-680 Sunol Express Lanes |
| Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority | I-680 Contra Costa and I-880 Express Lanes |
| San Mateo County Joint Powers Authority | US 101 Express Lanes in San Mateo County |
| Valley Transportation Authority | US 101 Express Lanes in Santa Clara County, SR-85 and SR-237 Express Lanes |
To receive a waiver of your first express lane violation penalty, you will need to pay all outstanding express lane tolls and other penalty amounts. If you qualify as a low-income household, all your violation penalties (DMV fees excluded) will be waived.
What if I don’t live in the Bay Area? Can I still get violation penalties waived?
Yes, you may request a waiver of violation penalties even if you are not a resident of the Bay Area.
I have violations from multiple bridges and express lanes and I can’t afford to pay all the tolls and penalties owed at once. I want to pay off as much of my debt as I can afford today. Can I still get violation penalty waivers if I can’t pay all that I owe today?
If you owe tolls and violation penalties to different toll operators, you may request a waiver of violation penalties from each agency. You must pay all tolls owed from each toll location to receive a waiver from the operator of that location. If you qualify, you may enter into the low-income payment plan.
Example: You have 10 violations on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, 10 violations on the Golden Gate Bridge, and 3 violations on express lanes operated by the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Waivers would be applied as follows:
| San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Operator: Bay Area Toll Authority |
|
| Tolls | $70 |
| Penalties | $150 |
| Penalties Waived (all open violations) |
$150 |
| Total Owed | $70 |
| Golden Gate Bridge Operator: Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District |
|
| Tolls | $94 |
| Penalties | $700 |
| Penalties Waived (all open violations) |
$700 |
| Total Owed | $94 |
| Express Lanes Operator: Valley Transportation Authority |
|
| Tolls | $6 |
| Penalties | $90 |
| Penalties Waived (one open violations) |
$30 |
| Total Owed | $66 |
| Total Due: | $230 |
To obtain a waiver for the $150 in San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge violation penalties, you must first pay the $70 in tolls owed. To obtain the Golden Gate Bridge waiver, you must fjrst first pay the $94 in tolls owed. To obtain a waiver for one violation penalty from VTA, you must pay the $66 owed in tolls.
If you are a low- income driver, all your penalties — excluding DMV fees — will be waived and you may enter into a payment plan and pay off your debt over time.
Example for eligible low-income driver: You have 10 violations on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, 10 violations on the Golden Gate Bridge, and 3 violations on express lanes operated by the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Waivers would be applied as follows:
| San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Operator: Bay Area Toll Authority |
|
| Tolls | $70 |
| Penalties | $150 |
| Penalties Waived (all open violations) |
$150 |
| Total Owed | $70 |
| Golden Gate Bridge Operator: Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District |
|
| Tolls | $94 |
| Penalties | $700 |
| Penalties Waived (all open violations) |
$700 |
| Total Owed | $94 |
| Express Lanes Operator: Valley Transportation Authority |
|
| Tolls | $6 |
| Penalties | $90 |
| Penalties Waived (all open violations) |
$90 |
| Total Owed | $6 |
| Total Due: | $170 |
Since you owe more than $100 after the waivers are applied, you can enter into a payment plan and pay off the remaining $170 over time. Starting with an initial payment of $100, the remaining balance can be paid off in monthly installments.