Express Lanes terms and conditions

Welcome to the Express Lanes. To ensure you have the best driving experience on the road, below are a few things you should know.

Express Lanes terms and conditions

These are the current Express Lanes Terms of Use and Conditions (“Terms and Conditions”) and they replace any other terms of use or terms and conditions for the Express Lanes previously published. These Terms and Conditions may be varied or amended by the publishing of amended Terms and Conditions.

By viewing the website found at https://www.expresslanes.com or any pages thereof (the “Website”) and the associated mobile application (the “Mobile App”), you accept that you’ve been provided with sufficient notice of any such amendment. By continuing to access or use the Website or Mobile App after any amendment, you confirm your acceptance of these Terms and Conditions, as amended. Please take some time to read the terms below and enjoy driving the Express Lanes.

These Terms and Conditions should be read in conjunction with the E-ZPass® Customer Service Agreement for your respective E-ZPass® agency. You can find The Virginia E-ZPass® Customer Service Agreement here. And as for the Maryland E-ZPass® Account Terms and Conditions, you can read them here.

Permitted vehicles

  1. All 2 axle passenger vehicles and motorcycles are permitted. Trucks and vanpools with 2 axles are also permitted. Buses aren’t subject to this restriction.
  2. Non-permitted vehicles on the Express Lanes include any vehicles with greater than 2 axles and vehicles towing trailers or boats.

 

Riding with E-ZPass®

  1. All Express Lanes customers must travel with an E-ZPass® at all times. The Express Lanes don’t have toll booths, meaning that there isn’t an option to pay cash on the Express Lanes.
  2. Motorcycles don’t need an E-ZPass®. If traveling with an E-ZPass® of any type, our system will identify the vehicle as a motorcycle and the account won’t be charged.
  3. Any failure to use an E-ZPass® or E-ZPass® Flex in accordance with these Terms of Use may result in additional charges, fees and/or termination of the VDOT E-ZPass® Customer Agreement.
  4. Customers traveling with a standard E-ZPass® will be charged a toll on the Express Lanes, regardless of occupancy.
  5. Customers traveling with an E-ZPass® Flex will have the ability to travel in:
    • HOV mode (100% discount) when traveling with 3 people in the vehicle; or
    • Toll mode when traveling with less than 3 people in the vehicle.
  6. Customers must set their E-ZPass® Flex to either HOV mode or Toll mode prior to entering the Express Lanes.
  7. Incorrect use of E-ZPass® Flex in HOV mode (including the switching of an E-ZPass® Flex transponder between modes during a trip) may result in a removal of the 100% discount, enforcement by the Virginia State Police or otherwise, and/or other fees and charges.
  8. Customers shouldn’t travel with multiple E-ZPass® transponders within their vehicles at the same time. If travel of this nature is necessary, customers should ensure that the second transponder remains shielded as instructed by the issuing E-ZPass® agency to avoid multiple transponder charges.
  9. These rules apply equally to taxis, leased and rental vehicles.
  10. E-ZPass® Flex will beep when switched from Toll to HOV mode.

 

Violation and disputes

  1. Customers traveling without an E-ZPass® will be sent an unpaid toll invoice explaining the correct way to use the Express Lanes and requesting payment of tolls plus administrative fees. Failure to pay this invoice may result in escalated administrative fees, civil penalties and referral to debt collection or court, and a hold on your account at the Department of Motor Vehicles that must be satisfied prior to re-registering your vehicle.
  2. In the case where a customer overpays the amount of an unpaid toll invoice, the customer may request a refund for the overpayment by:
    • Contacting the customer service center at 1-855-495-9777 to speak with a representative
    • Sending a request on the "Contact Us" page of www.expresslanes.com. Customers have up to a maximum of 90 days after the Express Lanes receives its payment to request a refund. Any overpayment to the Express Lanes in excess of $100 will be automatically refunded to the User.
  3. Customers may dispute a toll violation or redirect the toll violation to another driver if they weren’t the driver of the vehicle via https://www.expresslanes.com/pay.

 

Tolling and signage

  1. Customers will be presented with pricing Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) prior to entering the Express Lanes. Customers might be presented with additional pricing signs during a trip on the 95 Express Lanes at which time customers can make the determination to stay on the road subject to an additional toll rate or exit the Express Lanes.
  2. Customers will be charged the toll price as displayed at the final DMS when approaching the Express Lanes. This price is locked in for the 495 Express Lanes or for the applicable zone of the 95 or 395 Express Lanes and won’t change. Toll prices displayed on any DMS encountered prior to the final DMS are estimates only.
  3. Customers will have an opportunity to take the regular/general purpose Beltway, I-95, or I-395 lanes instead of the Express Lanes prior to passing the final DMS displaying the toll rates and entering the Express Lanes, and/or prior to entering into an additional tolling segment on the 95 or 395 Express Lanes.
  4. If a customer is traveling to a destination not listed on the DMS, they will be charged an amount corresponding to their final destination between the listed destinations.
  5. In the case where no toll price is displayed at one of the DMS approaching the Express Lanes due to a malfunction, customers will be charged in accordance with the price displayed on the functioning DMS.
  6. Where no toll price is displayed at any DMS approaching the Express Lanes, customers will be charged in accordance with the toll price that can be obtained from the Express Lanes website or the applicable prevailing traffic density toll rate.
  7. Where Express Lanes messaging is displayed rather than pricing information at the DMS approaching the Express Lanes, customers will be charged the prevailing traffic density toll rates.

 

HOV travel

  1. Customers (excluding non-permitted vehicles) traveling on the Express Lanes with 3 or more occupants will be eligible for the 100% toll discount if traveling with an E-ZPass® Flex in HOV mode. If traveling with a VDOT E-ZPass® bumper mounted transponder, customers can nominate for HOV travel by contacting the customer service center at 1-855-495-9777, (Mon-Fri, 7am-7pm), to speak with a representative
  2. Vehicles that will be considered to have met the HOV requirements regardless of the number of occupants and therefore eligible for the 100% discount are:
    • Mass transit vehicles and commuter buses (defined as vehicles with seating for 16, including the driver, providing a scheduled transportation services to the general public. Such vehicles shall comprise nonprofit, publicly or privately owned or operated transportation services, programs, or systems that may be funded pursuant to § 58.1-638);
    • School buses;
    • Motorcycles; and
    • Exempt vehicles that are emergency and law-enforcement vehicles in the performance of their duties excluding commuting to and from the workplace.
  3. Hybrid fuel vehicles (or other full electric vehicles) won’t be treated as meeting the HOV vehicles requirement for the Express Lanes unless traveling with 3 or more occupants and an E-ZPass® Flex in HOV mode.

 

Travel on the Express Lanes

  1. Customers must only enter and exit the Express Lanes via designated ramps and access points. Customers must not enter or exit the 495 Express Lanes between the channelizing posts. Customers must not enter or exit the 95 Express Lanes if an access point is closed or in the process of closing. Customers must not enter or exit the 95 Express Lanes via points that are limited to authorized vehicles. Failure to comply may result in enforcement by the Virginia State Police.
  2. Customers are required to observe normal road rules and signage, including dynamic speed limit signs and lane use management signals, on the Express Lanes. Failure to comply may result in enforcement by the Virginia State Police.
  3. Customers should follow the instructions displayed on the dynamic message signs during incidents. Tolls will generally only be suspended on the Express Lanes upon instructions from VDOT. Customers will be notified of a toll suspension via the dynamic message signs.

 

Missed a toll

  1. Customers traveling without an E-ZPass® may have the opportunity to make payment of the unpaid toll plus a small administrative fee prior to the Express Lanes issuing a formal unpaid toll notice.
  2. Customers may search for an unpaid toll via the Website (https://www.expresslanes.com/pay) or the Mobile Application.
  3. A missed toll may not be located by the system if:
    • The trip hasn’t been processed by the system yet (a trip may take up to 48 hours after the time of travel to be available); or
    • An unpaid toll notice has already been sent (this usually occurs 4 days after travel).
  4. If an unpaid toll invoice has already been sent, the customer will need to pay this invoice in full.
  5. If the trip isn’t available for payment yet, the customer may elect to leave payment details and an email address. The customer will be contacted when the trip is charged per the payment details. Fees and penalties
  6. The following fees and penalties may be applied for toll violations:
    • Missed a toll fee: $1.50 per trip
    • Missed a toll B fee: $2.50 per trip
    • First unpaid toll invoice fee: $12.50 per trip
    • Final unpaid toll invoice fee: $25.00 per trip
    • Bounced check fee: $30.00 per check
    • Debt collection fee: $100.00 per trip
    • Civil penalties ranging from $50.00 for a first offense to $500.00 for fourth and subsequent offenses (see VA Code § 33.2-503 for further details)
    • Other administration fees and penalties may be applied by Fairfax Courts or Prince William County courts.
  7. The following fees and penalties may be applied for HOV violations:
    • Civil penalties ranging from $50.00 for a first offense to $500.00 for fourth and subsequent offenses (see VA Code § 33.2-503 for further details)
    • Other administration fees and penalties may be applied by Fairfax Courts or Prince William County courts.
  8. Customers may also be subject to penalties associated with unauthorized vehicle travel (D) or crossing through any barrier, buffer or other area separating the 495 Express Lanes and 95 Express Lanes from other lanes of travel (E) in accordance with § 33.1-56.3.

 

Customer privacy protection

  1. Customer privacy is a top priority. On-road video collected by the Express Lanes is used exclusively for safety and toll-related purposes, including the review of tolling charges and traffic incidents. All on-road video is purged as required by law. Individual driver speed data isn’t reported nor used in any format. Corridor-wide average travel speeds are only reported to the Virginia Department of Transportation per our contractual obligation. Customer information collected for the purpose of pursing unpaid tolls won’t be used for any other purpose but collection of the unpaid tolls.