Bay Area FasTrak is asking drivers with older toll tags to swap them for a new one, and lots of people are opening an envelope and wondering how to mount the thing. Here's a quick guide.
What's happening
- Which tags: FasTrak tags made before 2019 need to be replaced.
- Deadline: before the end of 2026. FasTrak is sending notices to affected customers through 2026.
- Cost: free. No new deposit is needed, and your prepaid balance moves to the new tag automatically.
- How to get one: sign in at BayAreaFasTrak.org, call (877) BAY-TOLL (229-8655), Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–6 p.m., or visit the walk-in center at 375 Beale Street, San Francisco.
- Old tag: once the new one arrives, return or recycle the old tag as FasTrak instructs.
Source: MTC, "FasTrak Early Adopters: It's Time to Update Your Toll Tag". FasTrak says it will never ask for payment by text message, so ignore texts that do.
Which tag do you have?
- Current tag (issued May 2024 and later, including today's replacement tags): a flat white FasTrak Flex tag with a round passenger dial along the bottom edge, set to 1, 2 or 3+. The CAV version has a yellow CAV badge. Holder: FasTrak Holder for the New Bay Area Toll Tag (2024+).
- 2021–2023 FasTrak Flex: about 4" x 1 7/8" x 3/8", with a switch that slides left to right. Holder: Fastrak Flex Holder (2021–2023).
- Older boxy FasTrak Flex (around 2015–2020): Holder: Fastrak Flex Holder (Pre-2021). If FasTrak sends you a replacement, it will be the current dial tag.
Mounting the new tag
The new tag comes with stick-on hook-and-loop strips. They work, but adhesive can soften on a hot windshield, and once it's stuck it isn't easy to move to another car. Some options:
- Use the included strips and follow FasTrak's mounting instructions for placement.
- Use a suction cup holder like ours: no adhesive on the glass, the dial stays exposed so you can change it, and it moves to another car (or a rental) in seconds. It's 3D-printed in high-temperature plastic in Campbell, California.
Whichever you choose, set the dial before you start your trip, and if you use a windshield sunshade, leave a little air space between it and the tag.
Hack Racer is an independent small business and is not affiliated with or endorsed by FasTrak, the Bay Area Toll Authority or MTC. FasTrak is a registered trademark of its owner. Program details above are from MTC's announcement; check BayAreaFasTrak.org for the latest.