Exempt Vehicles

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Vehicles with exempt plates are not necessarily exempt from paying tolls. State law, bond covenants and Mobility Authority policy limit toll free travel to the following: Emergency Vehicles, Public Transportation & Qualifying Van Pools, and Qualified Veterans and Peace Officers.

Emergency Vehicles

The following emergency vehicles are exempt from paying tolls:

a marked fire department or police vehicle;
a marked public or private ambulance operated by a person who has been issued a license by the Department of State Health Services;
an emergency medical services vehicle authorized under an emergency medical services provider license issued by the Department of State Health Services under Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code; and operating under a contract with an emergency services district that requires the emergency medical services provider to respond to emergency calls with the vehicle;
a municipal department or public service corporation emergency vehicle that has been designated or authorized by the governing body of a municipality;
a county-owned or county-leased emergency management vehicle that has been designated or authorized by the commissioners court;
a private vehicle of a volunteer firefighter or a certified emergency medical services employee or volunteer if and when responding to a fire alarm or medical emergency;
an industrial emergency response vehicle, including an industrial ambulance, when responding to an emergency, but only if the vehicle is operated in compliance with criteria in effect September 1, 1989, and established by the predecessor of the Texas Industrial Emergency Services Board of the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas;
a vehicle of a blood bank or tissue bank, accredited or approved under the laws of this state or the United States, if and when making emergency deliveries of blood, drugs, medicines, or organs;
a vehicle used for law enforcement purposes that is owned or leased by a federal governmental entity.

Toll payment is required for all other government vehicles. To establish a new exemption, please download and submit the Exemption Form and Fleet List with license plate numbers, issuing state and electronic tag numbers (if present) to [email protected]. You may also mail or fax using the information below.

Mail:
Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority
3300 N IH-35, Suite 300
Austin, TX 78705

Fax: (512) 996-9784

If you’ve received a bill for a vehicle that you believe qualifies as an emergency vehicle as described in section 541.201 of the Texas Transportation Code and have an established non-revenue exemption on file with the Mobility Authority, please email us at [email protected] with the department utilizing the vehicle, license plate number from the invoice or a copy of the invoice, and your contact information. Once the request has been processed, an email will be sent confirming that all related toll bills or violation notices have been dismissed and your request has been processed.

To update an established exemption, please complete the Fleet List and email the additions or deletions only to [email protected]. Once the request has been completed, an email will be sent confirming that your request has been processed.

For more information, please call (512) 996-9778.

Public Transportation Vehicles & Qualifying Van Pools

Capital Metro Buses, Metro RideShare Van Pools, Metro Access and CARTS vehicles are exempt on Mobility Authority roads. If you are a part of one of the mentioned programs and are receiving bills from the Mobility Authority, please have your program manager email us [email protected] to provide us with the information necessary to ensure exemption on Mobility Authority roads. We may have outdated information.

Metro RideShare drivers seeking refunds for Mobility Authority transactions debited from electronic tag accounts should initiate a dispute by contacting their tag provider and indicating they are exempt on Mobility Authority roads.

Qualified Service Members

The Board Members and staff of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority honor and appreciate the service of the men and women of our military and police forces, past and present. At the June 25, 2018 Board Meeting, the Board unanimously approved a Qualified Veteran Discount Program. At the August 27, 2025 Board Meeting, the Board unanimously approved an update to the program to include disabled peace officers. The program is now named Qualified Service Member Program.

The Mobility Authority’s Qualified Service Member Program waives tolls on several Mobility Authority operated roads for qualified veterans and peace officers, who must be in a vehicle registered with the State of Texas and display a qualifying specialty license plate.

Qualifying Texas license plates are disabled veterans, disabled peace officers, and recipients of the Purple Heart, Legion of Valor and Medal of Honor awards.

To be eligible to participate in the Qualified Service Member Program, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority requires that the vehicle be compliant with the following:

Standard registration with the State of Texas, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles;
Issued a qualifying specialty plate (mentioned above) and have it properly displayed;
Associated to an electronic toll tag account; and
Have no outstanding Mobility Authority toll violations

Qualified service members wanting to participate in our Qualified Service Member Program, will need to register online at www.mobilityauthority.com/veterans. Enrollment confirmation will be e-mailed once program eligibility is confirmed, within 5 business days of registering online.

Please note, participation in the Mobility Authority’s Qualified Service Member Program is limited to one (1) vehicle per service member and does not apply to the MoPac Express Lane.

Read the Fact Sheet

Veterans and other beneficiaries may be eligible to have toll charges reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs when they use a toll road to travel for care at a Veteran’s Administration medical facility. The Beneficiary Travel Benefits program is established and administered by the Veterans Administration. View details on eligibility and the VA’s procedures for reimbursement of toll charges available from the Veterans Administration.

The VA’s Beneficiary Travel Benefits program does not require that the person eligible for toll reimbursement travel in a vehicle with a Disabled Veterans or other special license plate. However, to be reimbursed for toll charges, you must submit a form to the VA with your receipt for payment of the toll charge no later than thirty days after the date you traveled to a VA facility for medical care. Download the required VA Form 10-3542.

For more information, questions, or assistance relating to the Beneficiary Travel Benefits program, please contact the Veterans Administration Beneficiary Travel Office at (254) 743-0749.

Helpful resources:

Commercial Accounts

We do not offer exemptions for commercial vehicles.
Commercial businesses can now sign up for post-paid accounts. Avoid receiving a toll bill for every vehicle in your fleet by calling (833) 762-8655 and speaking with a representative about how to set up your account, or send an email to [email protected]. Features of a post-paid account include:

Receive one bill for all your commercial vehicles per month
Tolls can be paid automatically with your debit/credit card once a month
Add, change, or remove vehicles online
Change or update your contact information and payment methods online
Avoid administrative fees by signing up for emailed statements