📡📋 Vehicle Documents & Checks

How to Get a GPS Toll OBU Device — Registration & Installation Guide

Written and checked byRamanathan Virli· Roads & Infrastructure

Everything about the On-Board Unit (OBU) for India's new GNSS toll system — where to get it, how to install, how to link your account, and what to expect.

The On-Board Unit (OBU) is the device GNSS satellite tolling would use to track highway distance. No OBU has yet been issued for private vehicles and no mandate has been notified, so this guide separates what is officially known from what is not.

Quick Facts

●Device: On-Board Unit (OBU)
●Cost: not announced
●Where to get: not announced
●Mandate for private vehicles: none notified
●Use today: FASTag (including at MLFF plazas)

What Is an OBU (On-Board Unit)?

An OBU is a compact electronic device installed inside your vehicle that communicates with GNSS satellites (GPS, GLONASS, and India's NavIC). It tracks your vehicle's entry and exit points on tolled highway sections, calculates the distance driven, and transmits this data to the NHAI toll processing centre for automatic charge deduction.

Expected Cost

No price has been announced. MoRTH and NHAI have described how GNSS tolling will work, but as of September 2026 they have published neither a price for the on-board unit nor a distribution model — so the specific amounts circulating online are speculation, not official rates. Whether the device is sold, subsidised or bundled with new vehicles is also still open. We will publish a figure here once one is officially notified.

Where to Get an OBU

Nowhere yet, officially. What has and has not been announced:

›Issuers, retailers and installers: none designated for private-vehicle OBUs.
›Online registration portal: none announced.
›Pre-fitment on new vehicles or retrofit on old ones: not announced.
›Payment linking: not announced. (For comparison, NPCI bars FASTag issuers from imposing a minimum balance on cars beyond the security deposit.)
›Be wary of any website, dealer or app offering a "GPS toll OBU" for a private car today — there is no official device to buy.

What to Use in the Meantime

Keep using FASTag. National Highway fee plazas have accepted only FASTag or UPI since 10 April 2026, and the barrier-free Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) plazas opened since 1 May 2026 charge your FASTag automatically using number-plate cameras. If your tag has too little balance at an MLFF plaza, an electronic notice is issued, and paying within 72 hours means only the normal toll is due. The 20 km free rule in the Fee Rules is tied to GNSS-equipped vehicles, so it does not apply until OBUs are actually issued.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an OBU for GPS toll?

An OBU (On-Board Unit) is a small GPS device installed in your vehicle. It communicates with GNSS satellites to track your highway distance and automatically deducts toll charges from your linked payment account.

How much does an OBU cost?

No price has been announced. Neither MoRTH nor NHAI has published a price for the on-board unit or said how it will be distributed, so treat any specific figure you see quoted as speculation.

Where can I get an OBU installed?

Nowhere yet, officially. MoRTH and NHAI have not designated any issuer, retailer or installer for private-vehicle OBUs, and no OBU mandate has been notified. Be wary of anyone selling one.

Can I install an OBU in an old car?

Retrofit arrangements have not been announced. For now, a working FASTag is what you need — including at the barrier-free MLFF plazas opened since May 2026.

What payment methods does OBU support?

Not announced. No payment-linking model for private-vehicle OBUs has been published.

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