What minimum balance should be maintained in FASTag? Have the rules changed?

What is the mandatory minimum balance for FASTag? Find out what the new NHAI rules are. Additionally, learn the reasons why a FASTag might get blacklisted or hotlisted and understand the key changes introduced.

If you travel on highways by car, it is important to know how much money should be kept in your FASTag. Many people believe that maintaining a specific minimum balance in the FASTag is mandatory, but that is not the case.

The NHAI had previously removed the requirement for a minimum balance—or threshold amount—for FASTags. There is currently no rule mandating a specific minimum balance.

How much balance should be maintained in FASTag?

Simply put, you should maintain enough balance in your FASTag to easily cover the toll charges incurred during your journey. If there are insufficient funds and the account balance drops or turns negative, the tag may be blacklisted. This can lead to difficulties when trying to make payments at toll plazas.

In other words, the government has not mandated that every car owner must always keep a specific amount—such as ₹100, ₹200, or any other fixed sum—in their FASTag. You should maintain a balance based on your travel plans and expected toll expenses.

When did the minimum balance rule change?

The rule regarding the FASTag minimum balance is not new. The NHAI removed the requirement for a mandatory threshold amount in the FASTag wallet back in February 2021. Prior to this, some banks required users to maintain a minimum threshold amount in the wallet in addition to the security deposit. This often caused inconvenience to users, even when they had sufficient funds.

The NHAI clarified that as long as the FASTag account or wallet balance is not negative, the vehicle should be permitted to pass through the toll plaza.

Why does a FASTag get blacklisted? There is no fixed government-mandated minimum balance, but that does not mean you can simply drive through toll plazas without sufficient funds in your FASTag account. If your FASTag lacks adequate balance, it could get blacklisted. Consequently, the FASTag transaction might be rejected at the toll plaza, forcing you to pay the toll fee using an alternative payment method.

Have FASTag rules changed in 2026?

While there have been some changes to FASTag-related regulations, no new fixed threshold for the minimum balance has been implemented. In 2026, the NHAI modified the process for issuing FASTags for cars. Effective February 1, 2026, the KYC activation process for FASTags on new cars, jeeps, or vans was discontinued.