Road Charge Collection Pilot

What is the California Road Charge Collection Pilot?

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is conducting a research study from August 2024 through January 2025 to test if a per-mile fee, called a Road Charge, would be a fair and sustainable way to replace the gas tax. Participants have been selected and enrollment is now closed.  Thank you for the overwhelming interest to be a part of this study!

Currently, taxes on gasoline and diesel provide most of the money to build and maintain California roads and highways.  But hybrid and electric vehicles use very little gas, or no gas at all, and pay much less in fuel taxes. California is predicting a large funding drop in the future as more drivers switch to vehicles that use less gas.

California passed Senate Bill 339 in 2021 to test the payment of a road charge and report the research study results back to the Legislature. Feedback from participants on their experience in the Road Charge Collection Pilot will also be shared in the study results.

The Road Charge Collection Pilot has started!

Drive and Pay for 6 Months

Participants will drive normally from August 2024 through end of January 2025. Participants will pay road charges on the miles driven each month (see rate information under Do I need to pay for the Road Charge each month in the 2024 Pilot?). Participants will receive a credit at the end of the study for gas taxes paid on gas used in the Pilot. Electric vehicles will receive partial credit of the Road Improvement Fee (annual registration fee).

• The options to report the miles driven each month are:

  • Plug-in Device: Inserted into dash and can use GPS location, or not use GPS.
  • Vehicle Telematics: Requires a connected vehicle account from automaker.
  • Odometer Entry: A photograph of the odometer is submitted each month.

  For more information on these mileage reporting options, visit our FAQs.

Take Two Surveys

Participants will complete one survey at the beginning of the Pilot and one survey at the end of the Pilot to provide their thoughts on the experience and earn gift card incentives.

Get Paid up to $400 in Gift Cards for Participation

Participants can earn up to $400* in gift cards by completing the following Pilot activities:

• $100: Enroll in the Pilot and complete the first survey.
• $100: Complete the second survey at the end of the Pilot.
• $200: Pay road charges every month (incentive paid at end of Pilot).

* Employees or contractors of the California Transportation Agency, or any of their subsidiary agencies or departments, are not eligible to earn or receive any pilot incentives.

* Elected California government officials are not eligible to earn or receive any pilot incentives.

Pilot Background

Senate Bill 339 (Wiener, Chapter 308, Statutes of 2021), signed by Governor Newsom on Sept. 24, 2021, directs California to “implement a pilot program to identify and evaluate issues related to the collection of revenue for a road charge program.” The Pilot will be an important step to determining a Road Charge revenue collection system that works within California’s unique financial and administrative structure and offers an opportunity to study the impact of differing Road Charge rates. The knowledge gained from the Road Charge Collection Pilot will help to minimize the risks associated with the possible adoption of a new transportation funding mechanism and contribute to developing a successful Road Charge structure.

The Road Usage Charge Technical Advisory Committee was required to make recommendations to the Transportation Agency on the design of the Pilot. The Road Charge Pilot Design Recommendations and Rates report was released June 29, 2023.

Pilot Length	Six months: August 2024 – January 2025
Miles Reported By	Plug-in device (with or without GPS) Vehicle Telematics Odometer Photograph
Road Charges	Monthly payment by Participant
Gas Tax Credits	Paid to Participant after Pilot ends
Incentive Amount	Up to $400 in gift cards can be earned
Privacy	Any participant location or personally identifiable data collected during Pilot is protected and then destroyed