SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 21, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read that day from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles' own pages, its office data on data.ny.gov or the Vehicle and Traffic Law, and the official page each fact came from is linked where it appears.

About this guide

Manhattan's Congestion Relief Zone toll applies when vehicles enter the local street network at or below 60th Street. Your vehicle class, entry time, E-ZPass record and route determine the charge. Crossing credits, disability exemptions and income-based relief each have separate requirements.

In this guide: Identify the trip that triggers a charge, Know the excluded roadways and their connections, Passenger-car rates and operating hours, Once per day has a specific meaning, Check the actual vehicle classification, Set up E-ZPass before the trip, Crossing credits reduce a separate charge, Low-income discounts require enrollment, Disability exemptions use a separate application, Organizational and other exemptions, Zone residents may have a state tax-credit route, Taxis and app-based rides use a different collection method, Review a bill using the trip details, Frequently asked questions

Identify the trip that triggers a charge

The MTA's Congestion Relief Zone tolling page is the starting point for the operating program. The zone includes local streets and avenues in Manhattan south of and including 60th Street. Remaining parked inside the zone, or driving entirely within it without leaving and reentering, does not create another entry toll.

An address near the boundary is not enough to calculate the charge. Check the streets and ramps used to reach it. A destination north of the zone can still produce a toll if the route first enters local streets at or below 60th Street. Conversely, qualifying through-travel confined to an excluded roadway can avoid the entry charge even while physically passing through lower Manhattan.

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Know the excluded roadways and their connections

The MTA's zone explanation excludes the FDR Drive, West Side Highway/Route 9A, and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connections to West Street. The exemption is route-specific. Leaving those roadways to enter the local street grid can trigger the charge, even when the street portion of the trip is short.

Use the official river-crossing and excluded-roadway connection maps before choosing an unfamiliar ramp. The MTA identifies different outcomes for different directions at the same crossing. For example, it describes untolled highway connections between the Brooklyn Bridge and the FDR in specified directions, but the Brooklyn Bridge to southbound FDR route touches local streets and is tolled. A bridge name alone does not determine the answer.

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Passenger-car rates and operating hours

Under the published 2025 to 2027 phase of the official toll schedule, an eligible passenger vehicle with valid E-ZPass pays $9 during the peak period or $2.25 overnight. The passenger-vehicle Tolls by Mail rates are $13.50 peak and $3.30 overnight. These are the congestion charges before any applicable credit or approved discount, rather than a complete bridge-and-tunnel trip price.

Peak hours are 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM on weekends. The overnight period occupies the remaining hours. Use the actual time of zone entry rather than the time you leave home. The published phase-in schedule raises the ordinary peak E-ZPass passenger rate to $12 in 2028 and $15 in 2031; those are future scheduled phases, not the current 2026 charge.

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Once per day has a specific meaning

The MTA's frequently asked questions define the daily tolling period as 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM. Passenger vehicles and motorcycles are charged at the rate in effect on their first entry that day. It is a calendar-day rule rather than a rolling 24-hour allowance.

For example, a passenger car first entering overnight and returning during peak hours on the same calendar day is subject to the first-entry rule. Entering before midnight and again after midnight crosses into two tolling days. Keep those distinctions in mind for overnight shifts, airport pickups and trips involving a hotel inside the zone. Trucks and buses do not automatically receive the same once-daily passenger-vehicle treatment.

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Check the actual vehicle classification

The MTA toll calculator helps apply the classification and route to a trip. Ordinary sedans, SUVs, qualifying pickups and small vans fall in the passenger category. Modified bodies, raised van roofs, truck configurations and trailers can change the classification. Do not choose the passenger rate solely because the driver holds an ordinary license.

Current E-ZPass motorcycle rates are $4.50 peak and $1.05 overnight. Single-unit trucks and specified buses are $14.40 peak and $3.60 overnight; multi-unit trucks and sightseeing buses are $21.60 peak and $5.40 overnight. Towing can move a vehicle into a higher category. A business comparing delivery costs should identify the particular vehicle and every entry instead of multiplying the passenger daily rate by the number of workdays.

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Set up E-ZPass before the trip

The MTA's E-ZPass instructions emphasize that the current license plate must be associated with the account. An old plate, an unlisted replacement car or a borrowed vehicle can cause a Tolls by Mail bill to reach the registered owner. Mount the tag correctly and update the plate record before traveling.

A valid out-of-state E-ZPass account receives the standard E-ZPass congestion rate when the vehicle plate is properly linked. However, an E-ZPass NY account is required for the program's discount and exemption plans. These are different eligibility rules. Use the official E-ZPass NY service for New York account administration, and retain the confirmation when changing a vehicle or plate.

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Crossing credits reduce a separate charge

Eligible E-ZPass trips through the Lincoln, Holland, Queens-Midtown and Hugh L. Carey tunnels can receive crossing credits during peak hours. The toll schedule distinguishes the tunnel and vehicle class. For passenger vehicles, the published Phase 1 schedule lists a $3 credit for entering through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel and $1.50 per eligible crossing when entering or exiting through the Queens-Midtown or Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, subject to the schedule's daily cap.

The credit reduces the congestion charge; it does not erase the underlying tunnel toll. No crossing credit is offered in the overnight period. Review the Port Authority toll schedule separately when calculating a New Jersey tunnel trip. Save enough detail to reconcile the crossing, the zone entry and any later-posted credit on the account statement.

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Low-income discounts require enrollment

The Low-Income Discount Plan gives enrolled eligible passenger vehicles a 50 percent reduction on peak tolls after the first ten trips in a calendar month. Eligibility can be established with prior-year federal adjusted gross income of no more than $50,000 or participation in a listed qualifying assistance program such as SNAP, WIC or TANF.

Prepare the requested income or benefit evidence, consistent address information and E-ZPass NY account details. The discount does not automatically attach because a driver has low earnings or receives benefits. Applicants receive a decision, and the plan requires annual recertification. Calendar-month trip counting and annual eligibility renewal are separate tasks, so retain both the approval and the renewal notice.

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Disability exemptions use a separate application

The Individual Disability Exemption Plan is for a person whose disability prevents use of public transportation. The designated vehicle can belong to that person or an eligible designated driver, such as a caregiver who transports the applicant in the zone. Establish eligibility first, then enroll the vehicle and E-ZPass NY account.

The current MTA instructions recognize an assessment, Access-A-Ride enrollment, or qualifying NYC disability parking-permit evidence under the stated date conditions. In particular, the permit route refers to NYC PPPD enrollment as of November 15, 2024; a newly issued parking permit is not an automatic substitute. The current IDEP page specifies recertification every two years. Follow that plan's notice rather than assuming all congestion discounts have the same renewal cycle.

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Organizational and other exemptions

Organizations transporting people with disabilities use the Organizational Disability Exemption Plan. It requires appropriate credentials, designated vehicles and an E-ZPass NY Business account. The organizational route is different from enrolling a family member's vehicle in an individual plan.

The MTA's discount and exemption directory also covers qualifying emergency vehicles, specified buses and specialized government vehicles. Match the actual vehicle and use to a published category. A business name, government employer, medical appointment or disability plate alone does not establish enrollment. Obtain the applicable approval and keep the vehicle information current.

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Zone residents may have a state tax-credit route

New York's Central Business District toll tax credit is separate from the MTA's low-income discount. It applies to eligible people whose primary residence is in the zone, whose New York adjusted gross income is less than $60,000, and who paid qualifying non-business congestion tolls during the tax year.

The state describes the credit as refundable and directs taxpayers to Form IT-268 with the income-tax return. Keep statements and receipts supporting the qualifying tolls. The credit is claimed through the tax system; it is not an automatic exemption at a detection point. The $60,000 state-credit threshold and $50,000 federal-income discount threshold should not be substituted for each other.

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Taxis and app-based rides use a different collection method

The MTA's taxi and for-hire vehicle instructions explain the Per-Trip Charge Plan for eligible TLC-licensed operations. The published passenger charge is $0.75 for taxis, green cabs and black cars, or $1.50 for high-volume for-hire services, for a qualifying trip to, from, within or through the zone.

This method depends on participation in the applicable plan. A driver should confirm enrollment through the operator or dispatch service instead of assuming a commercial plate prevents ordinary billing. Passengers may also see other taxes, surcharges and crossing tolls on the fare. The congestion charge is one component of that fare, so compare the itemized receipt when checking a ride.

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Review a bill using the trip details

When a charge looks wrong, gather the entry date and time, plate and state, vehicle category, route, account statement and exemption or discount approval. Check whether a crossing credit has posted separately and whether the vehicle plate was current on the account at the time. The account and plan instructions identify the appropriate customer-service channel.

For repeat trips, retain one clear record of the qualifying route and vehicle configuration. Review the first statement after buying a car, changing plates, adding a trailer or receiving an exemption. Those changes can affect billing even though the destination remains the same. Keep account administration, parking permits and DMV registration records up to date in their respective systems.

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Frequently asked questions

Is 60th Street itself inside the congestion zone?
Yes. The MTA describes the zone as local Manhattan streets and avenues south of and including 60th Street, subject to its specified excluded roadways.

What does an ordinary car with E-ZPass pay in 2026?
The published Phase 1 rates are $9 during peak hours and $2.25 overnight, before applicable credits or approved discounts. Vehicle class and correct account-and-plate information matter.

Is a car charged every time it reenters on the same day?
Passenger vehicles and motorcycles are charged once per calendar day at the rate in effect for their first entry. Midnight begins a new tolling day. Other vehicle categories have different treatment.

Does an out-of-state E-ZPass receive the E-ZPass rate?
Yes, when the valid account is linked to the vehicle's current plate. Enrollment in the program's discount and exemption plans requires an E-ZPass NY account.

Does a disability parking permit automatically remove congestion tolls?
No. The MTA has a separate eligibility and enrollment process. Its current individual plan specifies which parking-permit evidence it accepts, including the November 15, 2024 date condition.

Are the low-income discount and the resident tax credit the same?
No. The discount requires MTA enrollment and applies to eligible peak trips after the monthly threshold. The state tax credit has its own zone-residency, income, expense and tax-filing requirements.

About this page

Written by SearchSystems.net from the New York DMV and state pages linked in each section, on mta.info and e-zpassny.com, panynj.gov, tax.ny.gov, read on October 21, 2026.

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