Orlando toll pass: Must-know tips about E-PASS

Locals and tourists alike looking for a smooth ride through the Orlando area may want to consider Orlando's E-PASS program. When drivers sign up for the electronic Orlando toll pass, E-PASS, they can pay tolls without stopping on regional expressways. 

The Central Florida Expressway Authority program doesn't charge to open a monthly account and E-PASS also includes local toll discounts, so the whole Orlando commuter or road trip process is both faster and cheaper.

>>How to avoid toll roads in Orlando

Here's a quick rundown of E-PASS rules and regulations, along with information on how to sign up.

How it works: CFX's electronic toll-collection system lets customers pay tolls automatically using an E-PASS sticker or a portable transponder, without stopping their cars at a toll booth. Instead, an antenna electronically deducts the toll from the E-PASS customer's account when the car passes through a toll point where E-PASS is accepted. Drivers can get a free sticker that affixes to the car, or pay an upcharge of about $10 for a portable pass. A monthly statement captures a record of all transactions and is available online. 

Where you can use E-PASS: The E-PASS works at all toll roads and most bridges in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina and is accepted as payment for parking at Orlando International Airport.

E-PASS for the college crowd: Metro Orlando and other Florida college students can pay a bit more to drive with a customized Gator, Knight or Seminole toll sticker mounted on their car windshield. CollegeEpass.com has more information.

Get an Orlando toll pass: There are four convenient ways to obtain an E-PASS:

• Online at GetEpass.com
• By phone at 407-823-7277 or 800-353-7277, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
• In person at E-PASS Service Center at 8919 W Colonial Drive, Ocoee
• At drive-up Reload Lane: SR 408 at the Conway toll plaza; SR 417 at the John Young Parkway toll plaza; or SR 429 at the Forest Lake toll plaza any day of the week, 6 a.m.-8 p.m.

When ordering an E-PASS toll pass online or by phone, allow five to seven business days to get it in the mail.

Requirements for opening an account:

• Driver's license
• License plate number
• Vehicle make, model and year
• $10 in prepaid tolls to activate

The wonders of Reload: Reload is CFX's pilot in-lane customer service project and the first of its kind in the continental U.S. It allows motorists to drive up and get a free E-PASS sticker or buy an E-PASS portable, open an account or replenish prepaid tolls. Reload Lanes take cash, check or credit/debit cards as payment.

To complete enrollment and activate the account once a driver has been through a Reload Lane, visit ReloadEPASS.com, log in with the account number and PIN on the receipt provided the attendant. 

More must-know info about E-PASS for the Orlando area:

• Go online to activate an E-PASS sticker, portable, or CollegePass that you received at an event or E-PASS function.
• CFX offers an online toll calculator for E-PASS and other toll options. It takes payment options and pass possibilities into account before relaying the amount one will pay on different routes.
• Another Orlando toll pass option is Pay By Plate. It involves capturing an image of the license plate when passing through the toll plaza, assessing a toll rate for that particular plaza and adding a 20-cent processing fee per transaction. The registered owner of the vehicle receives a monthly toll invoice based on usage.
• All toll lanes accept E-PASS, SunPass, LeeWay, Georgia Peach Pass and NC Quick Pass, but CFX encourages motorists with transponders to use express lanes since they allow nonstop travel.

For more information:
Central Florida Expressway Authority
4974 ORL Tower Road, Orlando

For answers to specific E-PASS questions, send an email to info@CFXway.com

Other information and updates about the Orlando toll pass is available by phone at 407-823-7277.

Cox Media Group