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Tollbooth

Booth at a tollgate where a toll collector collects tolls

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated May 1, 2026
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

A tollbooth (or toll booth) is an enclosure placed along a toll road that is used for the purpose of collecting a toll from passing traffic. A structure consisting of several tollbooths placed next to each other is called a toll plaza, tollgate, or toll station. They have historically been staffed by transportation agents who manually collect the toll, but, in the modern day, many have been replaced with automatic electronic toll collection systems, such as E-ZPass in the Eastern United States.

01Replacement

In the 21st century, electronic toll collection (ETC) has replaced many former locations of tollbooths around the world. ETC is an automated system that allows drivers to pay tolls without stopping. Benefits of automatic toll collection include reducing air pollution and fuel consumption, and saving motorists time and money compared to traditional tollbooths.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to further losses of tollbooths, causing the U.S. state of Maryland to accelerate its shift towards all-electronic tolling by eliminating all cash payments from toll facilities. Similarly, the Pennsylvania Turnpike accelerated its plan to move to all-electronic tolling. While tollbooths are currently still in place throughout the turnpike system, signs inform drivers to keep moving through toll plaza, "we bill you".

Tollbooth in Selangor, Malaysia.
Tollbooth in Selangor, Malaysia.
Toll plaza on the Pennsylvania Turnpike before conversion to all-electronic tolling
Toll plaza on the Pennsylvania Turnpike before conversion to all-electronic tolling
Some tollbooths have been widened with the addition of toll gates to accommodate increasing automobile traffic, such as this one on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Some tollbooths have been widened with the addition of toll gates to accommodate increasing automobile traffic, such as this one on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Watch videos about TollboothExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Tollbooth”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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Related topics

Electronic toll collection

Electronic toll collection is a wireless system to automatically collect the usage fee or toll charged to vehicles using toll roads, HOV lanes, toll bridges, and toll tunnels. It is a faster alternative which is replacing toll houses, where vehicles must stop and the driver manually pays the toll with cash or a card.

Lane control lights

Lane control lights are a specific type of traffic light used to manage traffic on a multi-way road or highway. Typically they allow or forbid traffic to use one or more of the available lanes by the use of Green lights or arrows or by red lights or crosses (to prohibit).

Open road tolling

Open road tolling, also called all-electronic tolling, cashless tolling, or free-flow tolling, is the collection of tolls on toll roads without the use of tollbooths. An electronic toll collection system is usually used instead.