I have had several vehicles in Rhode Island since I moved here in 2020. I drive my vehicles everywhere, from Vermont to Florida to California and Washington. I put a lot of miles on my cars. The easiest way to go through tolls is with an electronic transponder, which is an EZ Pass in this state.

The EZ Pass system in RI is supposed to be simple and easy to use, but I have found it anything but. The system requires you to manage a complicated account, track the battery life of your transponder, and often try to visit the EZ Pass office, which is only open on select days from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

There is only one office in Rhode Island, and I’m lucky to have one right next to my hometown in Jamestown. Yes, I need to pay to go across the bridge to get to it, but it is relatively close, and I guess that is an expense I’m willing to pay.

Now the rub: nothing with a van is easy. Registration in the state of Rhode Island was a nightmare. I had it registered as the personal vehicle it is, but Rhode Island does not let you do that if the Gross Weight is over 7000 lbs. So, I had to go back and register it as a commercial. There are some minor benefits to that:

  • Your inspection is cheaper ($15/year instead of $35 for two years for cars).
  • Certain places require a commercial plate to park.

The drawbacks vastly outweigh the positives:

  • Registration is more expensive.
  • You have to get your vehicle inspected EVERY year.
  • You are no longer receiving resident discounts on bridges.

Yep, there is a benefit to having the EZ pass. The toll to cross the Pell Bridge drops from 6 to 4 dollars. However, if I do it in my car, it is $.91. Yep, over four times more to drive my van across the bridge.

The kicker is that the determination is based not on the vehicle’s actual weight but on its rating. My truck weighs 8500 pounds, which is over the limit by 1500.

This may sound like venting, and maybe it is. But I don’t use my van for commercial purposes and receive no income from it. In the end, it is just an expense. Owning one in Rhode Island is just a challenge.