Tolls Across New York No Longer Accepting Change or Dollar Bills. New Yorkers will have to put those coins away and are being encouraged to pick up an E-Z pass as tolls across the state are now cashless.

As of 2026, you absolutely do not need exact change for New York tolls because the entire state has transitioned to Cahless Tolling. There are no longer any physical toll booths where you can stop to hand cash to an attendant or toss coins into a basket. Instead, overhead gantries equipped with sensors and cameras read your E-ZPass tag as you drive at highway speeds. If you do not have an E-ZPass, the "Tolls by Mail" system will capture a high-resolution image of your license plate and send a bill to the registered owner of the vehicle. This bill can be paid online, by mail, or via the TollsNY mobile app. For travelers using rental cars, most rental agencies have an integrated toll program that automatically bills your credit card, though they often add a daily convenience fee. Attempting to stop on the highway to find "exact change" is not only unnecessary but extremely dangerous and illegal on New York’s high-speed thoroughfares like the New York State Thruway, the Tappan Zee (Mario Cuomo) Bridge, or the various tunnels and bridges entering Manhattan.