(AFV) Certification on I-85 High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes

Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Certification on I-85 High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes

Important Update Regarding the Expiration of Toll Free Benefits for Peach Pass Certified AFV/EV Customers:

The federal exemption allowing certified Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs), including electric vehicles, to ride toll free in the I-85 High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes will expire at 11:59 pm on September 29, 2025. 

This change, based on 23 United States Code 166(b), means that starting September 30, 2025, all electric vehicles and other AFVs, regardless of whether they were Peach Pass certified AFVs, traveling in the nation’s high occupancy toll lanes including Georgia’s I-85 HOT Lanes must now pay tolls. Peach Pass certified AFV customers are strongly recommended to log into their Peach Pass accounts and confirm that their payment methods are current and active before tolls are charged starting September 30, 2025, to avoid receiving a violation notice.

Toll Free Benefits Option for AFV/EVs

All Peach Pass customers, including owners of electric and alternative fuel vehicles can still travel toll free in the I-85 HOT Lanes when carpooling with three or more occupants who have been validated through the Peach Pass Verify app. Information on Peach Pass Verify can be found at https://peachpass.com/peachpassverify/.

Current Peach Pass Alternative Fuel Vehicle Certification Process

You must certify your Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) or electric vehicle within your Toll Personal or Toll Corporate Peach Pass Account to qualify to commute on the I-85 Express Lanes toll free until September 29, 2025, 11:59 pm. Add or update your vehicle including your AFV license plate on your account through the Peach Pass GO! mobile app or www.mypeachpass.com. You will be notified when your account has been certified, and your vehicle can ride toll free until September 29, 2025,11:59 pm.

All AFVs must be reviewed and certified for toll exemption eligibility by the Georgia Department of Revenue (GDOR), Motor Vehicle Division; click here for more information on how to apply for an AFV license plate. All vehicles will be charged tolls until the Peach Pass and GDOR certification processes have been completed.

What Peach Pass Certified AFV/EV Customers Should Know:

  • Beginning September 30, 2025, all electric vehicles and other AFV customers regardless of whether they were Peach Pass certified AFVs must pay tolls unless they meet the carpool occupancy requirements through the Peach Pass Verify app.
  • Alternative Fuel Vehicles include vehicles fueled solely by electricity, natural gas, propane, bi-fuel, or dual fuel.
  • Peach Pass certified AFVs have obtained an AFV license plate for their vehicle and have been certified by Peach Pass through a partnership with the Georgia Department of Revenue.
  • This change only applies to the I-85 HOT Lanes. All Peach Pass customers pay tolls on the I-75 Northwest Corridor and I-75 South Metro Express Lanes regardless of vehicle type and passenger number.
  • There is NO change to toll free benefits for Peach Pass certified motorcycles in the I-85 HOT Lanes.
  • The federal exemption expiration not only applies to HOT lanes but also to the utilization of High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes by AFVs nationwide. Single occupancy AFVs, including electric vehicles, will not be permitted to travel in the HOV lanes starting September 30, 2025. AFVs must be occupied by two or more people to travel the HOV lanes, like all other passenger vehicles. The change applies to all HOV lanes in the state of Georgia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are HOV/HOT Lanes?
High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes are designated by a white diamond in the center of the lane and solid white lane lines. They are also referred to as carpool lanes. The Georgia Express Lanes on I-85 and the I-85 Extension are designated as High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes.
The AFV exemption in Georgia has been in effect since the I-85 HOT Lanes opened on October 1st, 2011. The federal AFV exemption for HOT facilities can be found in 23 U.S.C. 166(b)(5) as follows:

Special Rule: Before September 30, 2025, if a public authority establishes procedures for enforcing the restriction on the use of a HOT facility by vehicles described in clauses (i) and (ii), the public authority may allow the use of the HOT facility by –

  • (i) alternative fuel vehicles; and
  • (ii) any motor vehicle described in section 30(D)(d)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.2
23 U.S.C. 166(f) defines alternative fuel vehicles, which includes electric vehicles, as operating solely on any of several alcohol-based fuels, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, hydrogen, solar, biofuels, or plug-in electrics as defined under 26 U.S.C. 30D(d)(l) of the Internal Revenue Code.1.
A list of vehicles that meet this description, based on the applicability of the Federal Electric Vehicle Tax Credit, is maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy at https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax2023.shtml.
No, the provision is a discretionary condition (i.e. may, not must), but many HOV and HOT facilities have opted to allow alternative fuel vehicles, including Georgia.
The federal law currently allows non-conforming vehicle occupancy (i.e., single occupant vehicles (SOV)) for plug-in all-electric vehicles, and other qualifying alternative fuel vehicles, in the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes and to ride without paying a toll in High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. To ride on the HOT Lanes without paying a toll in the state of Georgia, you must be AFV certified by Peach Pass. This will expire at 11:59 pm September 29, 2025 to comply with federal law.
Upon the September 29, 2025 expiration at 11:59 pm, States will not be able to allow, by sticker or special purpose license plate, alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) to drive without paying a toll in the HOT lanes with only one or two occupants.
Yes, until 11:59 pm on September 29, 2025, electric and alternative fuel vehicles with the proper license plate and certified with Peach Pass can continue using the HOV and lanes, regardless of how many people are in the car. After that date, these privileges will end.
Starting September 30, 2025, to utilize Georgia’s I-85 HOT lanes, also known as I-85 Express Lanes, vehicles must be registered via Peach Pass and will be tolled unless they meet the carpool occupancy requirements for Peach Pass Verify.
All Peach Pass certified AFV customers will start being charged for tolls on September 30, 2025.

The State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) is alerting Peach Pass customers that a federal exemption allowing certified Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs), including electric vehicles, to ride toll free in the I-85 High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes will expire at 11:59 pm on September 29, 2025. Even though this is a federal matter, Peach Pass is sharing this information in advance of the expiration because the outcome affects:

  1. Peach Pass customers who are certified AFV owners who use the I-85 HOT Lanes
  2. Travelers across the Metro Atlanta region
  3. Owners and prospective buyers of alternative fuel vehicles
  4. Businesses selling and servicing alternative fuel vehicles

The toll free benefit will no longer be provided for Peach Pass certified AFVs traveling on the I-85 HOT lanes. This change does not apply to the I-75 Northwest Corridor and I-75 South Metro Express Lanes, which are not HOT lanes and where the exemption never applied. A Peach Pass is still required to use Georgia’s express lanes, and tolls will be charged as normal.

Yes, the provision allowing states to permit EVs and AFVs to ride without paying a toll was available to states, including Georgia.

Drivers of qualifying AFV’s, including electric vehicles, have the option to purchase the specialty AFV license plate for an additional $35 fee. By purchasing this specialty plate and certifying with Peach Pass, AFVs were eligible to drive in the I-85 HOT lanes without paying tolls since it opened in 2011, through September 29, 2025 (14 years).

Please visit https://dor.georgia.gov/alternative-fuel-vehicles for more information regarding registering and fee information. 

Per the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) which oversees operation of Georgia’s HOV lanes, the expiration of the federal exemption also applies to usage of HOV lanes by AFV drivers. HOV lanes are not tolled but do have occupancy requirements for all vehicles in the lanes. As of September 30, 2025, like all other passenger vehicles, AFVs must be occupied by two or more persons to use HOV lanes. The change applies to all HOV lanes in the state of Georgia. More information about AFV usage of HOV lanes can be found at https://www.dot.ga.gov/GDOT/Pages/AFV.aspx
SRTA offers more information at https://peachpass.com/travel-the-express-lanes/i-85-and-i-85-ext/ that explains how the I-85 HOT lanes operate, who can use them and other topics. It also answers many common questions about traveling the I-85 HOT lanes. The Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) oversees the operation of Georgia’s HOV lanes. More information about AFV usage of HOV lanes can be found at https://www.dot.ga.gov/GDOT/Pages/AFV.aspx

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