Tolling on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
Q: How do I navigate the toll plaza?
A: View signage along SR 16 approaching the toll plaza, and signage at the 24th Street on-ramp. Tolls are only collected traveling eastbound on the bridge.
- The HOV lane is reserved for vehicles with two or more occupants, transit vehicles, and motorcycles. Good To Go! customers may use the HOV lane if they have two or more occupants.
- Drivers using Good To Go! or Pay By Mail can use the 24th Street entrance to SR 16 just prior to the bridge. This entrance is just off Jahn Road, near East Bay Drive. Cash customers should follow the signs to the 36th Street entrance to reach the toll booths.
Q: How do I pay on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge?
A: There are five ways to pay the toll:
- Good To Go! pass: Drivers with a pass can use the electronic toll lanes and will have the toll deducted from their account. With a Good To Go! pass you will pay the cheapest toll. Find more information on Good To Go! accounts.
- Pay By Plate: Drivers register their license plate on their Good To Go! account and do not use a pass when crossing the bridge. Vehicles that use Pay By Plate will be charged an extra 25 cents per toll transaction to cover processing fees.
- Pay By Mail: Any driver without a Good To Go! account may bypass the toll booth. The registered owner of the vehicle will receive a $6 toll bill in the mail. Find more information about Pay By Mail toll bills.
- Short Term Account: Visitors can register a single vehicle on an account that expires in 14 days. Customers save 50 cents off the Pay By Mail toll rate.
- Cash or credit at toll booths: Drivers can stop at the toll booths located on the bridge to pay using cash or a credit card. The cash toll rate is $5 and higher than the Good To Go! rate.
Q: What is Pay By Mail?
A: Previously, there were two options for drivers to pay the toll on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge: stopping at the toll booth or using a Good To Go! pass. Drivers who crossed the bridge without using either payment option received a $52 infraction notice. Photo tolling eliminates the infraction process and provides drivers more options to pay for a toll.
The new Pay By Mail and Pay By Plate options allow drivers without a Good To Go! pass to use the electronic toll lanes. The registered owner of the vehicle will receive a toll bill in the mail. Drivers who don't pay within 80 days will receive a notice of civil penalty for $40 for each unpaid toll transaction, plus the accumulated tolls and fees. All money collected will go back to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge account.
Q: What happens if I forgot to pay the toll?
A: Drivers crossing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge without a Good To Go! account do not need to stop at the toll booth. The registered owner of the vehicle will receive a toll bill in the mail. The toll booth will still be available for drivers who prefer to pay cash or credit. You can pay your toll bill in person at the customer service center, by mail, or online.
Q: Can I pull a trailer using Good To Go!?
A: Yes. Customers can pull a trailer using Good To Go! account. There are sensors built in the road that detect additional axles and additional charges may apply based on the number of axels. Any additional charges will automatically be deducted from your Good To Go! account.
Toll Rates and Exemptions
Q: What are the toll rates for Tacoma Narrows Bridge?
A: Toll rates vary number of axles on a vehicle and method of payment. View a complete list of Tacoma Narrows Bridge rates online. Toll rates are established by the Washington State Transportation Commission.
Q: Who is exempt from paying tolls on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge?
A: All vehicles crossing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge traveling eastbound must pay the required toll. Carpools and motorcycles are not exempt. The only exceptions include: Emergency response vehicles such as police, fire, and ambulances responding to bona-fide emergencies, Washington State Patrol to clear a blocking incident, and bridge maintenance vehicles. Emergency response vehicles using the bridge in a non-emergency must pay the required toll. Exemptions are established by the Washington State Transportation Commision.
Q: Do I need a Good To Go! account to use the HOV lane on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge?
A: No. The HOV lane is open to motorcyclists and vehicles with two or more people. We encourage carpools and vanpools to use Good To Go! If you do not have a Good To Go! pass, you will need to pull out of the HOV lane into the right hand lane about 1/2 mile before the toll plaza in order to stop and pay a toll attendant or you will receive a Pay By Mail toll bill in the mail at the higher toll rate.