FasTrak

Operations and functionality

Technology

Caltrans was given the mandate to develop and maintain an open, statewide ETC specification known as "Title 21" after it was added to Title 21 of the California Code of Regulations. FasTrak transponders are compatible across California toll roads but not with out-of-state systems like E-ZPass. In 2018, the state began a transition to the national ISO/IEC 18000-63 (6C) standard to support future nationwide interoperability.

If a transponder is not detected, cameras photograph the vehicle’s license plate and attempt to match it to a FasTrak account. If no account is found, either an invoice with no penalty (in locations supporting "pay by plate") or a violation notice is issued and mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.

Tag types

FasTrak supports multiple transponder types:

• Standard tag – A hard-case transponder used on all FasTrak toll roads.
• Sticker tag – A low-cost adhesive tag issued by some agencies.
• FasTrak Flex – A switchable tag (settings for 1, 2, or 3+ occupants) required for HOV toll discounts.

A FasTrak CAV tag was also made available to those with a Clean Air Vehicle (CAV) decal for applicable toll discounts. When the federal law authorizing the decal program expired on September 30, 2025, existing CAV tags automatically converted to function like Flex tags.

Some toll roads allow carpoolers to avoid tolls by placing their standard tag in a mylar bag to block the radio signals, others require a FasTrak Flex transponder.

Service center operations

All Bay Area toll facilities use a centralized billing and customer service system operated by the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA).

Transportation Corridor Agencies, operator of the Orange County toll roads, also operates the billing and customer service system for the San Bernardino County high-occupancy toll lanes.

Although the 91 Express Lanes is operated by both the Orange County Transportation Authority and the Riverside County Transportation Commission, that facility uses a centralized billing and customer service system operated by the former.

All other Southern California agencies maintain separate billing and customer service systems.

Some agencies "sell" (charge the initial prepaid toll deposit) transponders in a retail setting, such as Costco stores. Customers must still register their transponders with the issuing agency.

Fees

FasTrak account fees and requirements vary by issuing agency:

Security

In 2008, researchers found that FasTrak transponders lacked encryption and could be queried or updated remotely. As the Title 21 specification is publicly available, this raised concerns about potential misuse. Transponders are also used to generate 5-1-1 traffic data, using sensors and antennae placed across various freeways. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission responded by reviewing the system’s security and exploring possible improvements with vendors.

History

After the first electronic toll collection (ETC) system in North America was implemented on the Dallas North Tollway in 1989, various toll agencies in California began expressing interest in similar systems. Given that toll roads and bridges in the state are managed by different government entities, there was concern about the potential emergence of multiple, incompatible ETC systems. To address this, the California State Legislature passed Senate Bill 1523 in 1990, directing the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to create a standardized statewide technical specification for ETC systems. California subsequently became the first U.S. state to require all toll facilities to use a uniform ETC system. This specification was later codified in Title 21, Division 2, Chapter 16 of the California Code of Regulations.

The Foothill Toll Road in Orange County, California became the first toll facility in California to implement ETC when it opened in 1993. The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA), which manages the toll road, branded the system as "FasTrak". TCA still holds the trademark for the "FasTrak" name and logo.

The original FasTrak transponder was a device about the size of a Walkman, into which a smart card was inserted. However, the device was costly to produce and the smart card offered little advantage to customers. By 1995, when the 91 Express Lanes opened, the transponders had been redesigned to be coaster-sized.

FasTrak was subsequently deployed on the San Joaquin Hills Toll Road (1996), the Eastern Toll Road (1998), and the high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on Interstate 15 in San Diego, California (1998).

Adapting FasTrak for California’s toll bridges required additional modifications, especially to handle 18 different toll classifications for trucks. After a trial at the Carquinez Bridge in 1996 revealed accuracy issues, improvements were made, before the bridge adopted FasTrak in 1997. Despite these developments, other state-run Bay Area toll bridges did not adopt the system until October 2000, due to bureaucratic and technical delays. The independently managed Golden Gate Bridge introduced FasTrak a few months earlier in July 2000.

The San Diego-Coronado Bridge briefly used FasTrak before tolls were eliminated in 2002. In 2005, the Bay Area FasTrak Customer Center opened, consolidating services for regional bridges and the Golden Gate Bridge.

FasTrak has since expanded to cover all new toll facilities in California, which are required by law to adopt the system. In 2009, San Francisco International Airport began accepting FasTrak in its parking garages.

The introduction of the Metro ExpressLanes in Los Angeles in 2012 led to the introduction of FasTrak Flex transponders with occupancy switches (1, 2, or 3+ riders), allowing automated toll calculations for carpools and solo drivers. TCA began issuing switchable transponders in 2013, followed by the 91 Express Lanes and the Bay Area in 2015.

The TCA introduced a sticker transponder in 2019 to replace the earlier plastic model. The new sticker transponders cost the agency less than $1 each, compared to approximately $20 for the plastic version. The lower cost enabled TCA to eliminate monthly account maintenance fees and the requirement for a prepaid deposit.

California continues moving toward open road tolling, eliminating cash transactions in favor of transponders, license plate tolling, and online or phone payments. The Golden Gate Bridge became fully cashless in March 2013, followed by TCA-operated toll roads in May 2014. In 2019, California approved the phaseout of toll takers on all state-owned bridges. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, electronic-only tolling was implemented in March 2020 and became permanent by 2021. The only remaining cash-accepting toll road is the South Bay Expressway, which has unstaffed cash machines.

In line with MAP-21 all ETC systems nationwide were required to achieve interoperability by October 1, 2016. In response, California passed Assembly Bill 493 in 2013, enabling collaboration between Caltrans and toll agencies to comply with the mandate. California regulators later approved a phase-in of transponder technology using the ISO/IEC 18000-63 (6C) standard. Rollout began in 2018 and was expected to be complete by 2024.

California state law prohibits tolling agencies from sharing information regarding tolls collected to other states. However in the interim, FasTrak member agencies may pursue one-way interoperability with their account holders. In June 2025, FasTrak users under the TCA system were permitted to use their FasTrak toll tags on toll roads and managed lanes operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) and North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NETRMA). TCA will later permit their users to use FasTrak on toll roads operated by Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA).

Toll facilities using FasTrak

Current

All eight toll bridges only collect tolls in one direction. All other toll facilities collect tolls in either direction, though some high-occupancy toll lane toll lanes exist in only one direction of their freeway in parts or the whole of their length.

^ indicates that carpools require the switchable "FasTrak Flex" transponder.

HOV 2+ indicates that carpools require two or more persons.

HOV 3+ indicates that carpools require three or more persons.

† indicates that two-person carpools are tolled differently than solo drivers or carpools with three or more, typically at a rate intermediate between the solo and 3+ rates

Toll bridges

Toll roads

High-occupancy toll lanes

Planned or proposed facilities

The following is a partial list of toll facilities that are either in the planning or proposal stages (sorted by highway number):

Facilities not under FasTrak

While the California state highway system officially treats the following routes as discontinuous through the following national parks, respectively, signs within these parks and some commercially produced maps may show these highways as continuous. The park entrance fees are handled by the National Park Service, not FasTrak or Caltrans.

• in Yosemite National Park.
• in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
• in Pinnacles National Park.
• in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks

The 17-Mile Drive, a scenic toll road in Pebble Beach is owned and operated by the Pebble Beach Company and does not utilize FasTrak for toll collection.

Notes

References

References

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