Toll rules · 4 min read · Updated 2026-10-15
Paying toll without a working FASTag: penalties and your rights
The rules for toll without a FASTag changed twice in six months. Here is what applies at national highway plazas from 10 April 2026.
Quick answer
From 10 April 2026, a vehicle without a valid FASTag at a national highway plaza can pay 1.25 times the toll by UPI. If it doesn't pay that way, an e-notice is sent to the owner: pay 1× the toll within 72 hours, or 2× after that. But if your FASTag is valid, has enough balance and the plaza's reader fails, you must be allowed through free, with a zero-transaction receipt.
The rule today
| Your situation | What you pay |
|---|---|
| No FASTag, or tag not valid (blacklisted, no balance), pay by UPI | 1.25× the toll |
| No valid FASTag and you don't pay by UPI | E-notice to the vehicle owner: 1× if paid within 72 hours, 2× after |
| Valid FASTag with enough balance, plaza reader fails | Nothing; you get a zero-transaction receipt |
| Tag not fixed on the windshield (loose or in hand) | Double the toll, and the tag can be blacklisted |
For a ₹100 toll: ₹125 by UPI; ₹100 on an e-notice paid within 72 hours, ₹200 after.
When the plaza must let you through free
NHAI also published a guideline in 2021 for a waiting time of no more than 10 seconds per vehicle: if the queue goes beyond a yellow line 100 metres from the booth, vehicles pass without paying until the queue is back within 100 metres. It's an NHAI guideline rather than part of the fee rules, and we couldn't confirm how it's enforced in 2026.
How e-notices work
- The passage is recorded Cameras and the toll system record a crossing where the toll wasn't received.
- The owner gets an e-notice It goes to the owner listed in VAHAN by SMS, email or app, and is also shown on nhfeenotice.parivahan.gov.in and in the Rajmargyatra app.
- Pay within 72 hours for 1× After 72 hours the amount becomes 2× the toll.
- Disagree? Object within 72 hours Your objection must be decided within 5 days, or the claim lapses.
- Don't ignore it If it's unpaid after 15 days with no objection pending, the dues are posted on VAHAN and vehicle-related services can be restricted. Unpaid e-notices can also get your FASTag blacklisted.
Barrier-free (MLFF) lanes, live at several NH plazas since May 2026, use the same e-notice process when a payment fails. See FASTag e-notice and MLFF.
How the rule changed
| Period | Without a valid FASTag |
|---|---|
| Before 15 Nov 2025 | 2× the toll, cash or UPI |
| 15 Nov 2025 – 9 Apr 2026 | 2× in cash, or 1.25× by UPI |
| From 10 Apr 2026 | 1.25× by UPI, otherwise e-notice (1× within 72 hours, 2× after) |
The 2026 amendment removed the 2× cash option from the rule. News reports say plazas stopped taking cash from 10 April 2026; we didn't find an NHAI statement confirming that on the ground.
Questions drivers ask
What is the toll for a car without FASTag in 2026?
From 10 April 2026, 1.25 times the toll if you pay by UPI at the plaza. Otherwise an e-notice is sent: 1× if paid within 72 hours, 2× after that.
Can I pay toll in cash without FASTag?
The rules from 10 April 2026 no longer include a cash option at national highway plazas; payment is by FASTag or UPI, or through an e-notice.
My FASTag is valid but the plaza scanner didn't read it. Do I have to pay?
No. If your tag is valid and has enough balance and the plaza's equipment fails, you must be allowed through free with a zero-transaction receipt.
What happens if I don't pay a FASTag e-notice?
After 72 hours it doubles. If it's still unpaid after 15 days with no objection pending, the dues go on VAHAN and vehicle services can be restricted; your FASTag can also be blacklisted.
Check FASTag status before you drive · Recharge FASTag
Sources we checked
- Gazette G.S.R. 251(E) · 2 Apr 2026
- Gazette G.S.R. 191(E) · 17 Mar 2026
- Gazette G.S.R. 734(E) · 3 Oct 2025
- NHAI press release on e-notices · 18 Mar 2026
- PIB – waiting time at toll plazas · 26 May 2021
- PIB – barrier-free tolling and e-notices · 25 Jun 2026