Golden Gate Bridge Toll Query

[seobaina]

Hi

I've read recently that you can only pay for the toll on the Golden Gate Bridge in advance (or within 48hrs) and that you can't pay cash on the bridge itself. This is fine as I've found locations for the prepay BUT...everything I read says that the toll is only assessed going south INTO San Fran. We are only planning to cross the bridge once going out of San Fran. Does this mean we don't have to pay? I'm confused!

Thanks

 

[Girimama33]

There is only a toll charge going into San Francisco. Going over the GG to the Marin side has no toll.

 

[seobaina]

Ooh fantastic, that wipes out one job and one toll to pay Thank you

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I drove over the bridge last month, and paid cash, so you can do that.

Also, moving this to our California board.

 

[HeatherRaye]

They closed the toll booths in March so you could not have paid a cash toll in June. Other bridges in the bay area yes, but not the Golden Gate.
But like other posters said you only pay the toll going in to SF, so you are good if you are heading north. AND even if you don't pre-pay and just drive thru you will just get a $6 bill in the mail - they will take a picture of your license plate and send the invoice to the address the car is registered at.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

On the Golden Gate's website, only rental vehicles must pay in advance either online or at a cash payment center - or by agreeing to a toll program with the rental car agency. If you're driving your own car then you have the option to do a one-time cash payment at the bridge. You can also receive an invoice for your pass-through as their system will scan your license plate.

Here's a link discussing tolls and rental vehicles on the Golden Gate bridge.

 

[Kittyskyfish]

They closed the toll booths in March so you could not have paid a cash toll in June. Other bridges in the bay area yes, but not the Golden Gate.
But like other posters said you only pay the toll going in to SF, so you are good if you are heading north. AND even if you don't pre-pay and just drive thru you will just get a $6 bill in the mail - they will take a picture of your license plate and send the invoice to the address the car is registered at.

Sounds like they need to update their own website. But it's still good for those driving their own vehicles as you'll be invoiced (and there's a means to pay online so you don't have to drop a check in the mail).

 

[seobaina]

i'm going to be in a rental car but we are only crossing from San Fran out north...so I shouldn't need it at all right....

 

[ILUVALASKA]

Just drove across the bridge two weeks ago. There was no toll booth in either direction, and we received a bill in the mail two weeks later.

 

[seobaina]

Just drove across the bridge two weeks ago. There was no toll booth in either direction, and we received a bill in the mail two weeks later.

Unfortunately I'm in the UK so I'll be in a rental car so I need to ensure I either prepay or don't have to pay.

 

[HeatherRaye]

YOU DO NOT NEED TO PAY in the direction you are going. All CA Bay Area bridges have a free direction, you are going in the free direction .

 

[seobaina]

YOU DO NOT NEED TO PAY in the direction you are going. All CA Bay Area bridges have a free direction, you are going in the free direction .

Thank you

 

[pjpoppins]

I gotta sun this thread we are staying in Novato for 3 days for a wedding so prob hit the bridge at least a few times in our rental.

 

[pjpoppins]

Sub

 

[larina]

I drove over the bridge last month, and paid cash, so you can do that.

Also, moving this to our California board.

I'm not sure how you could have done this. They shut down the toll booths earlier in the year (be careful when you drive through there, people still stop, then panic and freeze up) and there's nobody there to take your money any more. It's sad to me, lots of jobs lost...

I gotta sun this thread we are staying in Novato for 3 days for a wedding so prob hit the bridge at least a few times in our rental.

Sub

What do you mean, you have to sub this thread?

Be prepared to pay the $6 toll each time to go back into The City. You will not need to pay to head back to Novato.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I drove over the bridge last month, and paid cash, so you can do that.

Also, moving this to our California board.

That's what I get for not paying attention! I was on the Bay Bridge, not Golden Gate. Sorry about that, guys, and I think it's sad that they don't have people doing this job. People need jobs.

 

[RSWA2]

Here's the official site

http://www.goldengate.org/tolls/tolltipsforvisitors.php

It has notes for out of state plates, rental cars, etc.

 

[pjpoppins]

Does anybody know if the plate account is activated instantly? I know the rental agency is going to try and push the transponder on me for almost $11/day. It looks like I can just set up an account once I know our plate number from the rental agency. We will be driving from SFO to Novato so no charge that way and then I can set up our account at the hotel for when we drive into the City (I'm learning...didn't put "San Fran" or "Frisco"). Am I correct in planning this way? Thanks.

 

[bcla]

Does anybody know if the plate account is activated instantly? I know the rental agency is going to try and push the transponder on me for almost $11/day. It looks like I can just set up an account once I know our plate number from the rental agency. We will be driving from SFO to Novato so no charge that way and then I can set up our account at the hotel for when we drive into the City (I'm learning...didn't put "San Fran" or "Frisco"). Am I correct in planning this way? Thanks.

You should have no problem. Apparently you can even back-date the effective date up to 90 days. I haven't really had much use of the Golden Gate Bridge, but when I've gotten bills for other bridges where the FasTrak transponder didn't work, it could take up to 6 weeks before the toll was applied to my account. I'm not sure exactly what the deal is, but I'm guessing that a human has to verify the license plate photo each time and there might be a backlog.

However, I'm not sure how it works for rentals. There's the chance that you might get a bill for the previous renter who failed to register or pay toll.