FASTag, India’s electronic toll payment system is getting a major upgrade on August 15 i.e. Independence Day. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will roll out the FASTag Annual Pass on the day, aiming to make highway travel easier and cheaper for people who drive often. Under the new pass, private car, jeep, and van owners will be required to pay Rs 3,000 once for up to 200 toll crossings or a full year’s travel, whichever comes first. The initiative is aimed at cutting down on repeated recharges, speed up toll transactions, and reduce congestion at plazas.
What is FASTag Annual Pass
Announced in June this year, FASTag Annual Pass is a prepaid toll plan, designed exclusively for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans. Announcing the new pass, Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari said that it is aimed to address “long-standing concerns regarding toll plazas located within a 60 km range and simplifies toll payments through a single, affordable transaction. By reducing wait times, easing congestion, and minimizing disputes at toll plazas, the Annual Pass aims to deliver a faster and smoother travel experience for millions of private vehicle owners.”Unlike buying a new tag, this pass will link directly to your existing FASTag, as long as it is active and linked to your vehicle registration number. The plan applies only to national highways and expressways under NHAI and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).There’s no need for repeated online recharges, making it especially useful for daily commuters. The pass is non-transferable and works only with the FASTag linked to a single registered vehicle.
How to buy FASTag Annual Pass online
To buy FASTag Annual Pass, follow the steps below –
- Go to the Rajmarg Yatra app or the NHAI/MoRTH website.
- Login by entering details like your vehicle number and FASTag ID. It must be noted that FASTag must be active, correctly installed, and linked to your vehicle.
- Next, pay Rs 3,000 online using UPI, debit/credit card, or net banking.
- The pass will get attached to your existing FASTag. An SMS will confirm activation on August 15.
Where FASTag Annual Pass will work
FASTag Annual Pass works only at toll plazas on National Highways (NH) and National Expressways (NE) run by NHAI — for example, Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, Mumbai–Nashik, Mumbai–Surat, and Mumbai–Ratnagiri routes.On state highways or municipal toll roads, your FASTag will work as usual, and toll will be charged normally — for example, Mumbai–Pune Expressway, Mumbai–Nagpur Expressway (Samruddhi Mahamarg), Atal Setu, Agra–Lucknow Expressway, Bengaluru–Mysore Expressway, and Ahmedabad–Vadodara Expressway. These are run by state authorities, not NHAI.Always check with local toll authorities if you are unsure whether your route is covered.
FASTag Annual Pass: Rules and limits
From August 15, the pass will deduct one trip each time your vehicle crosses a FASTag-enabled toll plaza under NHAI or MoRTH. Once you hit 200 trips or the one-year mark, the system automatically switches back to the regular pay-per-use FASTag. Important rules include:
- Only for private vehicles — Not valid for commercial vehicles.
- Non-transferable & non-refundable — Works only for the registered vehicle.
- Limited coverage — Only valid on eligible national highways and expressways.
- No auto-renewal — Users must reapply after expiry.
