TxTag , operated by the
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a Texas state government agency responsible for construction and maintenance of the state's immense Texas state highway system, state highway system and the support of the state's maritime trans ...
(TxDOT), was one of three
interoperable
Interoperability is a characteristic of a product or system to work with other products or systems. While the term was initially defined for information technology or systems engineering services to allow for information exchange, a broader de ...
electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection (ETC) is a wireless system to automatically collect the usage fee or Road pricing, toll charged to vehicles using toll roads, HOV lanes, toll bridges, and toll tunnels. It is a faster alternative which is replacing Tol ...
systems in
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. The system was also interoperable with the
K-TAG system used in
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
and the
Pikepass system used in
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
.
On Nov 9, 2024, it was announced that the
Harris County Toll Road Authority (the operators of
EZ TAG) would be taking over TxTag.
Current system status
The TxTag brand name is used on the following highways:
* Operated by TxDOT:
**the
Central Texas Turnpike System, which encompasses
SH 130, bypassing
Austin
Austin refers to:
Common meanings
* Austin, Texas, United States, a city
* Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
to the east,
SH 45, an east–west road roughly straddling the Austin-
Round Rock
Round Rock is a city in Williamson County, Texas, Williamson and Travis County, Texas, United States, part of the Greater Austin metropolitan area. Its population is 119,468 according to the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census.
The city stra ...
boundary, and the northern portion of
Loop 1 (Mopac) on Austin's north side
**
SH 99 a.k.a.. Grand Parkway the third loop around
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
(partial).
* Operated by the
Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority:
**
183A
The 183A Toll Road or 183A is a controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll road in the Austin, Texas, Austin metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Texas. The road includes sections in north Austin, Texas, Austin, Cedar Park, Texas, Ceda ...
, a toll bypass of
US 183
U.S. Route 183 (US 183) is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Presho, South Dakota, at an intersection with Interstate 90. Its southern terminus is in Refugio, Texas, at the southern intersectio ...
through
Leander. CTRMA is planning several other toll road projects throughout the Austin metropolitan area, which are planned to accept TxTag.
Interoperability
In 2003, all
Greater Houston
Greater Houston, designated by the Office of Management and Budget, United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, is the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical ...
area toll-roads operated by
Harris County Toll Road Authority and
Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority (
EZ TAG), and all
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, officially designated Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States, ...
area toll-roads operated by
North Texas Tollway Authority
The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) is a not-for-profit government organization that maintains and operates toll roads, bridges, and tunnels in the North Texas area. Functioning as a political subdivision of the State of Texas under Chap ...
(
TollTag
The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) is a not-for-profit government organization that maintains and operates toll roads, bridges, and tunnels in the North Texas area. Functioning as a political subdivision of the State of Texas under Chap ...
) became compatible with TxTag, with the exception of
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas region, in the U.S. state of Texas.
It is the largest hub for American Airlines, which is headquartere ...
and
Dallas Love Field
Dallas Love Field is a city-owned public airport in the neighborhood of Love Field, Dallas, Love Field, northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas., effective April 17, 2025. It was Dallas' main airport until 1974 when Dallas Fort Worth Internation ...
airport parking, where NTTA's TollTag is the only ETC system recognized.
On May 17, 2017, the
Kansas Turnpike Authority made TxTag compatible with the
K-TAG system used on the
Kansas Turnpike
The Kansas Turnpike is a controlled-access toll road that lies entirely within the US state of Kansas. It runs in a general southwest–northeast direction from the Oklahoma border to Kansas City. It passes through several major Kansas citie ...
.
On May 7, 2019, the
Oklahoma Turnpike Authority
The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (formerly Oklahoma Transportation Authority) is an agency of Oklahoma that deals with issues regarding the Turnpikes of Oklahoma, Oklahoma turnpike system. Along with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, th ...
made TxTag compatible with the
PikePass system used on all of
Oklahoma's turnpikes.
On June 2, 2024, Colorado made TxTag compatible with the ExpressToll system used on CDOT's express lanes and the E-470 toll road, but not on the Northwest Parkway.
NationalPass provides interoperability with systems outside Texas.
TxTag transponders are currently not accepted at tolled border crossings with Mexico, although future interoperability is planned with the
Laredo Trade Tag
Laredo may refer to:
Places
* Laredo, Spain, the original Spanish town with this name
* Laredo District, Peru
United States and Mexico
* Laredo–Nuevo Laredo, a bi-national metropolitan area
** Laredo, Texas
*** Downtown Laredo
*** Laredo In ...
accepted at
four crossings. TxTag is not compatible with transponders from the
E-ZPass
E-ZPass Interagency Group (E-ZPass Group trade name and E-ZPass product brand) is an electronic toll collection system used on toll roads, toll bridges, and toll tunnels in the eastern half of the United States. The group itself is composed of ...
system, although the two systems have been in talks with each other.
Technology
TxTag uses at least two types of transponders manufactured by
TransCore: legacy hard case AT5100 transponders and newer eGo Plus flexible sticker-type transponders. The transponders are mounted on the inside of the vehicle at the top center of the windshield. The TxTag sticker can be used as a portable device, provided it is affixed to a small square of glass instead of a windshield. According to the patent for the device, the sticker was specifically designed such that if removed, among other things capacitor 66 is decoupled from 64, preventing the use of the sticker if it is torn from the glass. It would also appear the sticker can be simply taped to the inside of the windshield for temporary use.
See also
*
E-ZPass
E-ZPass Interagency Group (E-ZPass Group trade name and E-ZPass product brand) is an electronic toll collection system used on toll roads, toll bridges, and toll tunnels in the eastern half of the United States. The group itself is composed of ...
used in 14 states, mostly in the East, as well as in Ontario
*
EZ TAG
*
Fastrak used in California
*
GeauxPass used in Louisiana
*
I-Pass used in Illinois
*
K-Tag used in Kansas
*
NationalPass provides interoperability with
TransCore systems outside of
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
*
Peach Pass
Peach Pass is an electronic toll collection system in use in the U.S. state of Georgia, which is currently used primarily for high-occupancy toll lanes and express toll lanes on Interstate 75 (I-75), I-85, and I-575 in metropolitan Atlanta. Pea ...
used in Georgia
*
Pikepass used in Oklahoma
*
Sunpass used in Florida
*
TollTag
The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) is a not-for-profit government organization that maintains and operates toll roads, bridges, and tunnels in the North Texas area. Functioning as a political subdivision of the State of Texas under Chap ...
*
Texas tollways
References
{{reflist
External links
Texas Department of Transportation - TxTagHarris County Toll Road Authority - EZ TAGNorth Texas Tollway Authority - TollTagTransCore Patent
Electronic toll collection
Transportation in Texas