New ₹1,500 FASTag local pass starts for residents near NH tolls

What the notification changes

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Fifth Amendment Rules, 2026, gazetted on October 27, 2026. It creates a Concessional Local Pass for private, non commercial vehicle owners who live within 20 km of a national highway fee plaza.

From November 1, 2026, such an owner can buy an annual pass valid only at that one plaza. The fee is ₹1,500 a year if the plaza sits outside municipal or local town limits, and ₹3,000 a year if it sits within those limits. PIB's press release on October 27 confirms both figures and the November 1 start date.

Who qualifies and who does not

The pass is for private cars and other non commercial vehicles only. The owner must hold a valid, working FASTag registered for non commercial use, and must live within 20 km of the specific plaza the pass is bought for. It cannot be transferred to a different plaza if the owner moves or travels elsewhere.

The rule excludes highways and expressways that run a closed user fee system, and stretches where a service road or an alternative free road already exists alongside the tolled carriageway. Owners who do not qualify, or who want to use more than one plaza, continue on the existing monthly FASTag pass, which costs ₹360 a month according to earlier NHAI pricing cited in reporting on this change.

For now the pass has to be bought at the toll plaza itself from November 1. Purchase through the Rajmargyatra mobile app, NHAI's own platform, opens only from December 1, 2026, so early applicants need to deal with plaza staff directly rather than online.

What it means for owners

India has over 13 crore FASTags in circulation, so the population this rule can reach is large wherever a toll plaza sits close to a town or village. For a household that crosses the same local plaza daily for work, school runs or errands, ₹1,500 or ₹3,000 a year works out far cheaper than paying the per trip toll each time, and cheaper than the monthly pass if used for a full year.

The government has kept room to revise the ₹1,500 and ₹3,000 rates, with any change to take effect from April 1 each year. Owners should check with their specific plaza operator on documents needed to prove residence within the 20 km radius, since none of the current reporting lists a standard proof of address format for the scheme.

Sources

• Govt introduces annual concessional local pass for residents living within 20 km of NH toll plazas from Nov 1, Deccan Herald
• Local residents near toll plazas to get annual passes for Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 from November 1, The Tribune
• FASTag new rules from November 1: who can apply, how much will it cost and more, Business Today
• Government of India Introduces Concessional Local Pass for National Highway Users Living Near Fee Plazas, PIB