Bay Bridge Toll 2026
$8.50 for every payment method in 2026. Carpool $4.25 with 3+ occupants, and a standard FasTrak tag qualifies here, no Flex needed. Interstate 80 between Oakland and San Francisco, the busiest crossing of the bay. Tolls westbound only.
Bay Bridge Carpool: Standard FasTrak Works Here
The Bay Bridge is the only Bay Area bridge where a standard FasTrak tag qualifies for the carpool discount. Every other bridge requires a switchable FasTrak Flex transponder. The discount runs weekdays 5:00-10:00 AM and 3:00-7:00 PM; outside those windows everyone pays the standard toll.
To qualify for the $4.25 carpool rate you need all three:
- 1. 3 or more occupants in the vehicle (the minimum rose from 2+ to 3+ at every Bay Area bridge on January 1, 2026)
- 2. A linked FasTrak account; unlike the other bridges, a standard FasTrak tag works here, no FasTrak Flex required
- 3. The designated carpool lane during the weekday discount hours
Unlike the other state-owned bridges, the Bay Bridge does not offer a 2-occupant lane-access option; carpool access here requires a full 3 occupants. See the carpool guide for how the discount works across every bridge.
Bay Bridge at a Glance
2026 Bay Bridge Toll Rates
Westbound only, into San Francisco. BATA schedule effective January 1, 2026, verified June 2026. Source: bayareafastrak.org.
| Payment Method | Passenger Car | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FasTrak (standard) | $8.50 | Same price as pay-by-plate until January 2027, when FasTrak becomes $9.00 vs $9.25 plate. |
| Pay-by-plate | $8.50 | License plate captured, bill mailed to registered owner. |
| Carpool (3+, FasTrak) | $4.25 | Three or more occupants, weekdays 5-10 AM and 3-7 PM. A standard FasTrak tag qualifies here. |
| Peak / off-peak pricing | Suspended | Time-of-day congestion pricing has not run since April 2020; one flat rate at all hours. |
| Cash | Not accepted | All Bay Area toll bridges have been fully electronic since 2020. |
| Out-of-state E-ZPass / SunPass | Not accepted | Will be billed at the pay-by-plate rate. |
About the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge carries Interstate 80 across San Francisco Bay in two sections joined at Yerba Buena Island: a western suspension bridge into San Francisco and an eastern span to Oakland. At about 4.5 miles it is the busiest crossing of the bay, carrying roughly 260,000 vehicles on a typical day, far more than any other Bay Area toll bridge.
The original bridge opened in November 1936, six months before the Golden Gate Bridge. A section of the eastern span collapsed during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and a replacement self-anchored suspension eastern span opened on September 2, 2013 after a multi-billion-dollar rebuild. The toll plaza sits at the Oakland end and charges westbound traffic only; eastbound trips back to the East Bay are free.
The bridge is operated by the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA), which runs all seven state-owned Bay Area toll bridges on a single schedule: $8.50 for a two-axle vehicle in 2026, rising in 50-cent annual steps through 2030. The Bay Bridge was historically the only one of the seven with time-of-day congestion pricing, but that was suspended in April 2020 and has not returned.
How the Bay Bridge Compares
| Bridge | FasTrak | Pay-by-Plate | Carpool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Bridge (you are here) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| San Mateo (SR-92) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Dumbarton (SR-84) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Richmond-San Rafael | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Carquinez | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Benicia-Martinez (I-680) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Antioch (SR-160) | $8.50 | $8.50 | $4.25 (3+) |
| Golden Gate | $10.25 | $10.50 | $8.25 (3+) |
See the full Bay Area bridges overview or the Golden Gate Bridge toll guide. Planning a multi-bridge trip? The Bay Area Trip Builder totals your route across all eight bridges.
Bay Bridge Toll FAQ
How much is the Bay Bridge toll in 2026?
The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge toll for a passenger car is $8.50 since January 1, 2026, the same price whether you pay with FasTrak or pay-by-plate. Payment methods only split into different prices from January 2027, when FasTrak becomes $9.00 versus $9.25 for a license plate account and $10.00 by invoice. Tolls are collected westbound only, heading into San Francisco. Eastbound crossings toward Oakland are free.
Do I need FasTrak Flex for the Bay Bridge carpool discount?
No. The Bay Bridge is the one Bay Area bridge where a standard FasTrak tag qualifies for the carpool rate; the other six state-owned bridges and the Golden Gate require a switchable FasTrak Flex transponder. To get the $4.25 carpool toll on the Bay Bridge you need 3 or more occupants, a FasTrak account, and you must use the designated carpool lane on the approach during the discount hours of weekdays 5-10 AM and 3-7 PM. The 3-occupant minimum has applied at every Bay Area bridge since January 1, 2026.
Does the Bay Bridge still have peak and off-peak toll prices?
No. The Bay Bridge was the only Bay Area bridge that ever charged time-of-day congestion pricing, with higher weekday commute-hour tolls and a separate weekend rate. That pricing was suspended on April 22, 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not returned. The bridge now charges one flat $8.50 toll at all hours, every day, like the other six state-owned bridges.
Which direction does the Bay Bridge toll, and can I avoid it?
The Bay Bridge collects tolls westbound only, from Oakland toward San Francisco; the eastbound trip back to the East Bay is always free. Because Interstate 80 is the only direct freeway crossing here, there is no toll-free road alternative without a long detour south through the San Mateo or Dumbarton bridges (both also $8.50) or all the way around the bay. For regular commuters the realistic ways to cut the cost are carpooling (3+ occupants, $4.25 during commute hours) or taking BART under the bay instead of driving.
Is the Bay Bridge cheaper than the Golden Gate Bridge?
Yes. The Bay Bridge is $8.50 for every payment method in 2026, while the Golden Gate Bridge is $10.25 with FasTrak and $10.50 by license plate. The Golden Gate is the most expensive Bay Area toll bridge; the Bay Bridge and the other six state-owned crossings all share the lower BATA rate. The Bay Bridge carpool rate ($4.25) is also lower than the Golden Gate carpool rate ($8.25), and the Bay Bridge carpool discount applies during weekday commute hours only, whereas the Golden Gate carpool rate applies at all hours.