New Delhi, October 27, 2026: The central government has notified new toll rules allowing eligible private vehicle owners living within 20 km of a national highway toll plaza to obtain a concessional annual FASTag pass for ₹1,500 or ₹3,000, depending on the plaza’s location. The rules will take effect on November 1, 2026, but the concession will not apply where an alternative road is available or tolls are collected through a closed-user fee collection system.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified the changes on October 26 through the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026, under Gazette notification G.S.R. 917(E).
Under the amended rules, owners of vehicles registered for non-commercial purposes who live within 20 km of a toll plaza can choose between the existing monthly pass and a new Concessional Local Pass.
Vehicles must be equipped with a valid, functional FASTag to qualify for the annual concession.
The annual pass will cost ₹1,500 where the toll plaza is located outside municipal or local town limits. For plazas situated within municipal or local town limits, the charge will be ₹3,000 per year.
The distinction is based on the location of the toll plaza, not whether the vehicle owner lives in an urban or rural area.
The concessional pass will be valid only at the specific toll plaza for which it is issued. It will not cover other toll plazas or provide access across the wider national highway network.
The notification also allows the central government to revise the prescribed annual charges on April 1 each year. It does not specify an automatic percentage increase or revised rates for subsequent years.
However, the concession will not be available to every vehicle owner living within the prescribed 20-km radius.
Under the amendment, no Concessional Local Pass will be issued for national highways or expressways where tolls are levied through a closed-user fee collection system.
The rules also prohibit issuing the annual pass if a service road or alternative road is available for the vehicle owner, driver or person responsible for the vehicle.
This means that residents who meet the distance, vehicle registration and FASTag requirements may still be ineligible if either exclusion applies.
For motorists who regularly cross the same eligible toll plaza, the annual pass could offer an alternative to repeated toll payments or the existing monthly pass.
However, the financial benefit will depend on the frequency of travel, applicable toll charges and individual eligibility.
The notification does not specify an application portal, the documents required to establish residence within 20 km or the detailed verification process for issuing the new passes.
It also does not announce any changes to regular toll charges for motorists who do not qualify for the concession.
The amendment introduces an annual pass option for eligible local vehicle owners while retaining the existing monthly pass arrangement.
The revised provisions will come into force on November 1, 2026.
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