Photo: Marcus Wong, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Australia’s toll roads are in Sydney, Melbourne and south-east Queensland, and they are fully electronic: there are no booths, so you pay with a tag, a tagless account or a pass. Learners and P platers pay exactly the same tolls as everyone else, because the toll is charged to the vehicle, not the driver. This guide explains how tolling works for new drivers, what happens if you drive a toll road without paying, and the NSW changes that took effect in July 2026.
Key facts
- Tolls are charged to the registered operator of the car. If you learn in a parent’s car, the toll goes on their account or to them as a bill.
- In NSW you have 72 hours after a trip to pay or open an account if you had no tag or pass.
- Since July 2026, NSW has removed toll notice administration fees. A video matching fee still applies when your trip is matched by number plate.
- From July 2026, NSW vehicle owners can no longer nominate another driver for toll trips. The owner is responsible.
- In Queensland, occasional users can pay a toll up to 3 days after the trip, through Linkt.
- Your learner or P plate rules, including speed caps, still apply on a tolled motorway.
Where are the toll roads in Australia?
| Area | Official guidance | Who you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney (NSW) | NSW Road User Handbook and nsw.gov.au tolling pages | Two providers: E-Toll (Transport for NSW) for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel; Linkt for the other Sydney toll roads |
| Melbourne (VIC) | Road to Solo Driving handbook | CityLink and EastLink are both fully electronic and run their own tags and passes |
| Brisbane and south-east Queensland (QLD) | qld.gov.au “Paying tolls” | Linkt is the toll payment provider (13 33 31) |
If you learned in WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT or the NT and are driving interstate, check the rules of the state you are in: driving interstate on L or P plates.
How do I know I am on a toll road?
Signs warn you before a toll. In NSW, motorway signs show the word TOLL and the road name. Victoria’s handbook shows two signs to learn:
- Tollway entrance sign: you are about to enter a tollway from a non-tollway road. If you do not want to use it, take the next exit.
- Start tollway sign: you are now on the tolled section.
Once you pass the entrance, you are committed to that section. Never stop, reverse or make a sudden lane change to avoid a toll point. Pay afterwards instead. Signs in detail: Australian road signs explained.
Tags, tagless accounts and passes
- Tag account: a small electronic tag mounted on the windscreen. The toll is charged to your account as you pass each toll point. A tag must be mounted properly to be read.
- Tagless account: no tag; cameras read your number plate and charge your account. The plate must be linked to the account.
- Casual pass: for occasional trips. In NSW, E-Toll sells an eMU Casual pass. In Victoria, the handbook says CityLink offers day passes and EastLink a trip pass. Check the current pass types with the operator, because products change.
Transport for NSW advises adding your number plate to a tag account too, so a trip can still be matched if the tag is not read. Plate-matched trips can attract a video matching fee.
Why you might still get a bill with an account
Transport for NSW lists the usual causes:
- the account was suspended, for example because of low funds or an expired card
- the tag was not detected, or not properly mounted on the windscreen
- the car’s plate was not linked to the account
- the account was not active at the time of travel
If you borrow a family car with a tag that belongs to another vehicle, the trip may not match. Check before you go.
What happens if I drive a NSW toll road without paying?
This is the process on nsw.gov.au and the E-Toll site as of November 2026:
- Within 72 hours of the trip: you can still open an account or buy a pass that covers the trip. A video matching fee may apply.
- About 2 to 3 days after travel: the registered operator gets an Unpaid Toll Reminder by email and/or SMS, using the contact details on the car’s registration. There is one reminder per day of unpaid travel. If no email or mobile is on the rego, no reminder is sent.
- If the toll is still unpaid more than 8 days after travel: a Toll Payment Demand is issued for each unpaid toll. It covers the toll plus a video matching fee. Depending on the contact details held, it arrives by email or post.
- If the Toll Payment Demand is not paid by the due date: a penalty notice may be sent to the registered operator. Transport for NSW says the fine for non-payment exceeds $230. Unpaid tolls may also go to a debt collection agency, with extra fees.
- If the fine is not paid: an overdue fine can follow, and your licence or registration may be cancelled.
The 2022 NSW Road User Handbook describes the older process, with a 3-day payment window and administration fees on toll notices. The web pages above are newer. Follow those.
Paying for a trip you have already taken
- Sydney Harbour Bridge or Tunnel: pay through E-Toll’s toll notice payment service.
- All other Sydney toll roads: pay through Linkt’s toll notice service or the Linkt app.
Keep the car’s registration contact details up to date in your MyServiceNSW account so the reminder reaches you.
Who pays if a learner was driving?
From July 2026, NSW vehicle owners and registered operators can no longer nominate another driver for toll trips taken on or after that date. Nominating someone else is not a valid objection either. If your learner drove the car on a toll road, the owner pays and sorts it out with the learner privately. A stolen vehicle, backed by a Police Event Number, is the main exception.
Paying tolls in Queensland
- Linkt is the toll payment provider for Queensland toll roads.
- Visitors, occasional and casual users may pay a toll up to 3 days after using a toll road.
- The Toowoomba Bypass also has tolling information on qld.gov.au.
Check the qld.gov.au “Paying tolls” page for what happens after the 3 days. Brisbane’s tolled tunnels have their own driving rules: driving safely in Brisbane tunnels and on Queensland motorways.
Paying tolls in Victoria
Victoria’s Road to Solo Driving handbook describes CityLink as Melbourne’s fully electronic tollway, used with an e-TAG or a pass. It describes EastLink (M3) as a fully electronic tollway from the end of the Eastern Freeway at Mitcham to Frankston, used with a tag, a non-tag account or a trip pass. The handbook was last updated in 2023, so check current pass names, payment windows and unpaid toll steps with CityLink or EastLink before you drive.
Learners and P platers on toll roads
- You can use them. A toll road is a motorway or freeway with a charge. Your learner rules decide whether you can use motorways at all. See learners on motorways and freeways in Australia.
- Your speed cap still applies, even where the motorway limit is higher. See default speed limits and L and P plate caps.
- Your supervisor sorts the tag before you set off. Ask whether the car has an active tag or tagless account linked to its plate.
- Do not let the toll point distract you. There is nothing to do at a toll gantry. Keep your speed and your lane.
- Fix toll debts on your own car. Once you own a car on your Ps, you are the registered operator. Unpaid fines can affect your registration and licence. See registration, CTP and roadworthy checks.
Common questions
Do learner drivers have to pay tolls?
Yes. Tolls are charged to the vehicle, so the same toll applies whoever is driving. In NSW the registered operator is responsible for payment.
I drove through a toll in Sydney with no tag. What should I do?
Within 72 hours, open an account or buy a pass that covers the trip, or pay through the provider for that road. After that, wait for the Unpaid Toll Reminder and pay straight away. A video matching fee may apply.
Are there still administration fees on NSW toll notices?
No. Since July 2026, NSW has removed toll notice administration fees. Video matching fees still apply, and fines can follow if a toll stays unpaid.
Can I nominate my son or daughter as the driver for a NSW toll?
Not for trips on or after July 2026. The owner or registered operator is responsible and must recover the cost from the driver privately.
Can a toll fine affect my licence?
In NSW, if a toll penalty notice and the overdue fine that follows are not paid, your licence or registration may be cancelled.
Is a message asking me to pay a toll genuine?
If you are unsure, do not click the link. Contact your toll provider directly and check before paying, as E-Toll advises.
Does a Brisbane toll pass work in Sydney?
Ask your provider before you travel. Whether a tag or pass covers another state’s toll roads depends on the product. Confirm which roads it covers, how your vehicle registration is linked, how you pay and whether any extra fees apply.
More on national road rules: the Australian Road Rules explained. NSW lane rules on motorways: NSW transit lanes, bus lanes and T-ways.
Sources
- Transport for NSW, “Road User Handbook”, Toll roads and Toll notices (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “Paying a toll or Toll Notice” (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “What if I don’t pay a Toll Payment Demand on time?” (nsw.gov.au)
- Transport for NSW E-Toll, “The unpaid toll process is changing” (myetoll.transport.nsw.gov.au)
- Transport for NSW E-Toll, “Travelling on a toll road without an Account or Pass” (myetoll.transport.nsw.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Planning Victoria, “Road to Solo Driving” handbook, Tollways and Resources (vicroads.vic.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “Paying tolls” and “Toowoomba Bypass tolling info” (qld.gov.au)