Search title image Search GO button

FasTrak®

FasTrak® Enrollment Instructions for Hybrids

Jump to: Frequently Asked Questions

With the passage of the Federal Transportation bill on August 10, 2005 and Assembly Bill 2628 (AB 2628) on September 23, 2004, qualified single-occupancy hybrid vehicles are now permitted to use dedicated High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes in the Bay Area during designated carpool hours, if these vehicles display the distinctive stickers issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.  Unlike super-clean alternative fuel and electric-powered vehicles, which are allowed free passage across Bay Area toll bridges during designated carpool hours, single-occupancy hybrids must still pay tolls. Tolls for travel in designated HOV lanes at the Carquinez, Dumbarton, San Mateo-Hayward and San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge toll plazas may only be paid electronically using FasTrak®.  Because the Golden Gate, Antioch, Benicia-Martinez and Richmond-San Rafael bridges do not have designated carpool lanes, FasTrak® is not required to pay for tolls on these spans. Carpool vehicles on these bridges use lanes that are staffed by toll collectors.

Only qualified hybrid vehicles as listed by the California Air Resources Board at http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm will be issued a hybrid transponder.

To enroll your hybrid vehicle in FasTrak®, please follow the instructions below:

NEW FASTRAK® CUSTOMERS

Step 1:  Download and complete the Hybrid Vehicle FasTrak® Application form. 

Step 2:  Obtain a copy of your current vehicle registration that identifies your vehicle as a hybrid.  The address on your current vehicle registration MUST match the address of your new FasTrak® account.

Step 3:  Submit the following items to the FasTrak® Customer Service Center, either by mail or in-person:

  • A completed Hybrid Vehicle FasTrak® Application.
  • A copy of your current vehicle registration.

Step 4:  Upon receipt of the items listed above, the FasTrak® Customer Service Center will open your account and send you a Hybrid Vehicle FasTrak® Kit, which will contain your new hybrid transponder, a “DMV Sticker Application Instruction Sheet”, and an original receipt containing FasTrak® Account Verification information.  The Account Verification information will contain your new FasTrak® account number, hybrid transponder number, and your hybrid vehicle’s Identification Number (VIN), make/model/year, and license plate number.  You will need to provide this original receipt to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to obtain your special sticker.

Step 5:  Complete the “Application for Clean Air Vehicle Stickers” form, which can be downloaded from http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg1000.pdf.

Step 6:  Make a copy of the FasTrak® Account Verification information provided to you by the FasTrak® Customer Service Center at the time your account was opened. Keep this copy for your records.

Step 7:  Mail a copy of the “Application for Clean Air Vehicle Stickers” and the original receipt containing FasTrak® Account Verification information to the DMV:

Department of Motor Vehicles
Special Processing Unit MS D238
P. O. Box 932345
Sacramento, CA  94232-3450

Step 8:  Upon receipt of your DMV-issued sticker, affix it to your hybrid vehicle according to the mounting instructions provided by the DMV.

EXISTING FASTRAK® ACCOUNT HOLDERS

If you are ADDING a new hybrid transponder to your existing account, please do the following:

Step 1:  Provide the following items to the Customer Service Center, either by mail/fax* or in-person:

  • A completed “Transponder Request Form”, which can be downloaded by clicking here. 
  • A copy of your current vehicle registration that identifies your vehicle as a hybrid.  (The address on your current vehicle registration MUST match the address of your new FasTrak® account.)

*Note:  If you are a credit card customer and you already have three transponders on your account, a $30 refundable deposit will be debited from your FasTrak® account.  If you are a check customer, a $30 refundable deposit is required for your new hybrid transponder.  (Please refer to the FasTrak® License Agreement about transponder deposits.)

Step 2:  Upon receipt of the items listed above, the FasTrak® Customer Service Center will give/send you a Hybrid Vehicle FasTrak® Kit, which will contain your new hybrid transponder, a “DMV Sticker Application Instruction Sheet”, and an original receipt containing Account Verification information.  The Account Verification information will contain your new hybrid transponder number, and your hybrid vehicle’s Identification Number (VIN), make/model/year, and license plate number.  You will need to provide this original receipt to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to obtain your special sticker.

Step 3:  See Steps 5 through 8 under “NEW FASTRAK® CUSTOMERS” above.

If you are EXCHANGING your existing transponder for a hybrid transponder, please do the following:

Step 1:  Provide the following items to the Customer Service Center, either by mail or in-person:

  • Your existing transponder.
  • Your existing FasTrak® account number.
  • A copy of your current vehicle registration that identifies your vehicle as a hybrid (The address on your current vehicle registration MUST match the address of your existing FasTrak® account.)

Step 2:  Upon receipt of the information listed above, the FasTrak® Customer Service Center will give/send you a Hybrid Vehicle FasTrak® Kit, which will contain your new hybrid transponder, a “DMV Sticker Application Instruction Sheet”, and an original receipt containing Account Verification information.  The Account Verification information will contain your new hybrid transponder number, and your hybrid vehicle’s Identification Number (VIN), make/model/year, and license plate number.  You will need to provide this original receipt to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to obtain your special sticker.

Step 3:  See Steps 5 through 8 under “NEW FASTRAK® CUSTOMERS” above.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1.  I have a hybrid vehicle.  Can I drive in the designated HOV/carpool-only lane even if I am driving across the bridge by myself?

Yes.  With the passage of the Federal Transportation bill on August 10, 2005 and Assembly Bill 2628 (AB 2628) on September 23, 2004, qualified single-occupancy hybrid vehicles are now permitted to use dedicated High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)/carpool lanes in the Bay Area during designated carpool hours, if these vehicles are displaying the distinctive stickers issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).  However, unlike HOVs, which are allowed to drive toll-free across the toll bridges during designated carpool hours, single-occupancy hybrid vehicles must still pay tolls when driving across the Bay Area toll bridges in an HOV/carpool lane. 

2.  Why does the new law require that hybrid vehicle owners residing in the Bay Area open a FasTrak® account?

Single-occupancy hybrid vehicles using designated carpool-only lanes in the Bay Area must still pay for tolls if crossing one of the eight toll bridges.  The FasTrak® requirement is written into the law so that single-occupant hybrids approaching a bridge can stay in the designated carpool-only lane and drive non-stop through the toll plaza without having to slow down to merge out of the carpool lane and into a regular toll lane to pay tolls. 

3.  What do I need to do before I can drive my hybrid vehicle alone in the carpool lanes?

First you must enroll your hybrid vehicle in a FasTrak® account by providing a copy of your vehicle registration to the FasTrak® Customer Service Center, which identifies your vehicle as a hybrid.  Then you must obtain special stickers from the DMV and affix them to your vehicle.

4.  What if I purchased my hybrid vehicle recently and do not have the DMV vehicle registration yet?

If you do not yet have your DMV vehicle registration, the FasTrak® Customer Service Center will accept either: 1) your purchase agreement from the auto dealer with the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) typed in by the dealer (a handwritten VIN is not acceptable), or 2) the temporary registration that is affixed to the lower right-hand side of the windshield.

5.  If I am driving alone in my hybrid vehicle across the bridge in a designated carpool-only lane, how do I pay my tolls?

If you are driving on a bridge with a designated carpool-only lane, you need FasTrak® to pay your tolls.  Bridges with designated carpool-only lanes include the Carquinez, Dumbarton, San Francisco-Oakland Bay, and San Mateo-Hayward bridges.  The Golden Gate, Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, and Richmond-San Rafael bridges do not have designated carpool-only lanes.  Therefore, carpool vehicles or single-occupant hybrid vehicles on these bridges must use lanes that are staffed by toll collectors and can pay their tolls using either FasTrak® or cash. 

6.  How do I know if my hybrid vehicle qualifies under the new law?

To find out whether your hybrid vehicle qualifies, you can go to the California Air Resources Board’s website at http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm to see a list of qualified vehicles.  Only those vehicles listed will be issued a hybrid transponder.

7.  I am in my hybrid vehicle, and I have the required number of occupants to qualify as a carpool vehicle.  Do I still have to pay tolls when driving across the bridge?

No.  If you have the minimum number of occupants in your vehicle to qualify as a carpool vehicle (i.e., either 2 or 3, depending on the carpool policies of the bridge you are crossing), you are allowed to drive toll-free across the bridge.  To avoid being charged the toll, you MUST insert your FasTrak® transponder into the Mylar bag (provided to you when your account was opened) before driving through the toll lane.  No credits will be issued to your FasTrak® account if you fail to use the Mylar bag as described.

8.  If I have a hybrid transponder, can I use it in other toll lanes?

Yes.  You can pay all your tolls electronically using your transponder in all lanes and on every Bay Area bridge – not just in the HOV/carpool lanes.

9.  Can I use my hybrid transponder with my other vehicle, or use my “regular” transponder with my hybrid vehicle?

No.  Your hybrid transponder can only be used in your hybrid vehicle.  You cannot use your hybrid transponder in a non-hybrid vehicle, nor can you use your “regular” transponder in your hybrid vehicle. 

10.  Where can I get more information about FasTrak®?

For more information about your FasTrak®, go to www.bayareafastrak.org or call our FasTrak® Customer Service Center at 1-877-229-8655 (BAY-TOLL).