SunPass now works for tolls outside Florida, but drivers must buy new transponders
It took years, but drivers can now use their SunPass account to pay tolls in over a dozen states outside Florida. But it’ll cost you $15 to buy a new transponder for your windshield.
SunPass was already compatible in Georgia and North Carolina, but the new SunPass Pro will allow drivers to pay tolls in 15 additional states in the eastern U.S., eliminating the need to use cash or buy additional transponders, the box that communicates with the toll plaza.
In addition to Florida, drivers will be able to use SunPass Pro in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia. Minnesota is scheduled to be included in the future, according to E-ZPass.
The new out-of-state use is a result of a partnership between SunPass and E-ZPass, which operates the toll roads in the new states. Drivers with E-ZPass also can use it on the 900 miles of toll roads in Florida.
The partnership with E-ZPass will alleviate some frustrations drivers have experienced with the lack of a uniform toll system across the United States.
The partnership with E-ZPass is “the next critical step toward national interoperability creating seamless transportation options for Florida residents and visitors alike,” Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin J. Thibault said in a news release.
Drivers can also use SunPass Pro to pay for parking at Hard Rock Stadium as well as international airports in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, Orlando and Tampa.
SunPass Pro costs $14.95 and can be purchased online or in person at various locations, including Publix, Walgreens and CVS. Similar to old transponders, it’s portable and can be used on multiple cars. SunPass Mini, a sticker you place inside your windshield, will continue to be available for $4.99.
Drivers will still be able to use their current SunPass to pay for tolls, but the old transponders and stickers will work only in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.
Introduced in 1999, SunPass began working in North Carolina in 2013 and then in Georgia the following year.
Expanding its reach across the East Coast has been a more laborious journey. In 2012, Congress passed a law requiring all toll facilities to be interoperable by 2016, meaning you could use the same transponder on any toll road in the country. However, the law didn’t include any penalties for failing to comply, so the deadline came and went without any agreements for the more than 130 tolling agencies in the county, according to NBC LX.
The collaboration between SunPass and E-ZPass took baby steps in 2019 when E-ZPass became compatible on toll roads in the Orlando area. At the time, E-ZPass executive director P.J. Wilkins said there were no plans to make SunPass compatible with E-ZPass but that he was open to talks.
