14-100.006. Department Express Lane Toll Registration Exemption

(1) Purpose. The intent of this rule is to establish criteria for toll exemptions on express lanes owned by the Florida Department of Transportation, excluding Florida’s Turnpike System.

(2) Definitions.

(a) “Over-the-Road bus” means a bus characterized by an elevated passenger deck located over a baggage compartment and operated by a for hire company registered on the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (USFMCSA) registration system.

(b) “Public transit bus” means a bus regularly scheduled for the transport of the general public and owned, operated, rented, contracted, or leased by a governmental entity.

(c) “School bus” means a bus regularly used for the transport of prekindergarten, disability program, or kindergarten through grade 12 students of the public schools to and from school or to and from school activities and owned, operated, rented, contracted, or leased by any district school board.

(d) “Vanpool” means a van designed to transport seven or more passengers, including the driver, and registered by a public entity that is authorized by a local government or Metropolitan Planning Organization to register vanpools for transport of employees to and from their place of employment.

(3) Exemptions. The following qualify for an exemption from payment of tolls on express lanes owned by the Florida Department of Transportation, excluding Florida’s Turnpike System.

(a) Public transit buses registered in the manner described in subsection (4), below;

(b) School buses registered in the manner described in subsection (4), below;

(c) Over-the-Road buses registered in the manner described in subsection (4), below; and,

(d) Vanpools registered in the manner described in subsection (4), below.

(4) Registration. School buses, public transit buses, Over-the-Road buses or vanpools are exempt from paying tolls on express lanes owned by the Florida Department of Transportation, excluding Florida’s Turnpike System, after properly registering with SunPass. This registration process will require:

(a) Completion of Express Lane Bus Application Registration, Form No. ELB 17-001, effective 2/1/17, incorporated herein at https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-08071, and available in electronic format at www.SunPass.com/BusReg to include: organization name, contact name, agency phone number, contact phone number, organization address, organization email address, motor vehicle license plate, make of motor vehicle, year of motor vehicle, personal identification number (PIN), transponder mini ID number (if already purchased), and existing SunPass account number, if applicable. Over-the-Road buses also must submit proof of registration with USFMCSA.

(b) Submittal of completed application via the SunPass Express Lane Registration webpage at www.SunPass.com/BusReg; via email at [e-mail]; via fax to [phone]; via telephone at [phone]; or via US mail to FDOT, 7941 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33434.

(c) Upon approval from SunPass and receipt of a SunPass mini transponder from SunPass for each exempt bus or van, the SunPass mini transponder assigned to the account must be properly affixed to the windshield of each corresponding registered bus or van.

(d) Renewing registration annually prior to the expiration date. All registration information must be confirmed or updated as a part of the renewal and submitted by one of the means identified in paragraph (4)(b).

Rulemaking Authority 334.044(2), 316.0741 FS. Law Implemented 316.0741, 316.1001, 316.640(1), 334.044(16), 335.02(3), 338.155(1), 338.165(7), 338.231 FS. History–New 4-10-17.