Agency approved the resolution that regulates the free passage system on federal highways
A (National Land Transport Agency) approved this Thursday (March 26, 2026) the resolution that regulates the free passage system, known as free flow – or automatic electronic toll collection that eliminates physical plazas and gates – on federal highways with concessions under the agency’s supervision.
The new rules were drawn up based on public hearings, internal consultations and tests with free flow structures that already operate on concession highways. They must come into force within 120 days.
The main objective of regulation is to provide greater transparency, legal certainty and user protection. The instrument determines that toll payment can be made before, during or after passing through the gate. The driver can pay via Pix, credit and debit cards, digital platforms or authorized in-person points.
According to the text, concessionaires must ensure the availability of the payment option after the vehicle passes within two hours for at least 90% of the total number of tickets from paying users.
After the ticket, drivers have up to 30 days to make payment. After this period, the defaulting user is subject to interest, late payment fines and penalties provided for in the Brazilian Traffic Code.
In situations of undue charging, the rule determines double reimbursement to the user, within a period of up to 7 calendar days.
The resolution also establishes transparency rules that must be followed by concessionaires. Companies must provide on their websites:
- information about the location of the gantries;
- tariff values;
- payment methods;
- service channels;
- detailed history of transactions, which must be stored for 5 years.
It was also defined that the concessionaires are ultimately responsible for providing the service and must bear the implementation and maintenance costs, in addition to assuming risks due to operational or technological failures.
There is also a performance requirement for the system: the gantries must operate with availability of 98% of the monthly time, a minimum automatic plate reading rate of 95% and 99% reliability in transactions.
