Florida Floats Letting Residents Skip Tolls, Keeping Charges for Visitors

For now, scrutiny centers on possible shifts in road funding toward tourists.

Overview

Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested exempting Florida residents from tolls while continuing to charge out-of-state drivers and tourists.
Tolls remain unchanged for everyone at present, with no legislation, agency action, or timeline announced.
Florida’s toll system reportedly brings in about $2 billion a year for bond payments, road maintenance, and future projects, raising fiscal trade-off questions under a resident exemption.
Orlando’s toll-heavy routes to the airport and off-site hotels mean visitors bound for Disney could shoulder more costs, often via pay-by-plate bills or rental car surcharges.
Operational issues would loom, including impacts on transponder use—currently about 80% adoption—rate setting, and enforcement for out-of-state plates.