Quick Summary:
- The Card Sound Road toll booth is at the north end.
- Pay on-site by cash or card, ask for a printed receipt.
- Keep the receipt until your final rental bill is settled.
- Unlike SunPass routes, this is staffed, not automatic plate billing.
If you are driving from Miami towards Key Largo, you will hear two similar-sounding options: the Florida Turnpike and US-1, or the Card Sound Road route. Card Sound Road (County Road 905A) is the more scenic approach that cuts through mangroves and brings you into the Keys via the Card Sound Bridge. It is also the one place where many first-time visitors pause and wonder, “How do I pay the toll in a rental, and will I be charged again later?”
This guide is written for car hire customers who want the exact practical detail: where the toll booth is, what payment types are accepted, what receipt to keep, and how this toll differs from cashless SunPass billing that is common elsewhere in Florida.
Where exactly is the Card Sound Road toll booth?
The Card Sound Road toll is collected at a staffed toll plaza on Card Sound Road itself, right before you cross the Card Sound Bridge into Key Largo. If you are coming from Miami, you will typically be driving south on US-1 toward Florida City. You then take the exit for Card Sound Road (CR 905A) and follow that road through the park-like area toward the bridge. The toll booth sits at the north end of the bridge approach, so you pay before entering Key Largo.
In other words, you do not pay when you leave Miami, and you do not pay on US-1. You pay once you have committed to the Card Sound Road route and you are approaching the bridge. The approach is well signed, and because the booth is staffed you will slow down naturally as you enter the plaza lanes.
If you are new to driving in South Florida, it helps to remember this distinction: the Card Sound Road toll is a traditional booth where you interact with an attendant. That is very different from much of Miami-Dade’s tolling, where cashless gantries charge via transponder or number plate.
What payment types are accepted at the booth?
At the Card Sound Road toll booth, you pay on the spot, and the payment is processed immediately. In practical terms, that means you should be ready with a small payment method that is easy to hand over at a low-speed stop.
Payment types can vary over time, but the key difference is that this location is designed for “pay now” tolling rather than “bill later” tolling. Drivers commonly use cash and, when available, card payment at the window. If you plan to use a bank card, have it ready before you roll up, and follow the lane signage and the attendant’s direction.
If you are unsure what is accepted on the day you travel, treat it like an old-fashioned toll booth: carry some cash as a backup even if you prefer to tap a card. That small preparation avoids the stress of being in the lane with vehicles behind you.
Also note the difference between paying with your own means at the window versus relying on a rental toll programme. With a staffed booth, you can often avoid rental “convenience” fees by paying directly, provided you keep proof.
Which receipt should you keep, and why?
When you pay at the booth, ask for a printed receipt and keep it. That receipt is your evidence that the Card Sound Road toll was paid manually at the time of travel.
For car hire customers, the receipt matters for two reasons:
First, it helps if a toll charge appears later on your rental folio and you need to query whether it was a different facility, a separate toll road, or a duplicate posting.
Second, it is the simplest way to document that you did not use a cashless toll system on that segment. Even if your rental vehicle has a toll transponder fitted, paying at the booth should mean there is no reason for a later electronic toll charge for the same crossing.
Store the receipt somewhere you will not lose it, for example with your parking tickets, fuel receipt, and rental agreement paperwork. Keep it until you have returned the vehicle and your final charges have settled. In some cases, toll transactions (especially electronic ones) can appear after you drop off the car, so it is sensible to keep toll proof a little longer than the trip itself.
How this toll differs from cashless SunPass billing
In Miami and across Florida, many toll facilities are “cashless”. Instead of a booth, there is an overhead gantry that reads a SunPass transponder or photographs the number plate and bills the registered account. In a rental car, that billing can involve the hire company’s toll programme, plus administrative or daily convenience fees depending on the provider and what you opted into at the counter.
The Card Sound Road toll is different in four important ways:
1) It is staffed and pay-at-the-window. You stop briefly and pay immediately, rather than passing under a gantry at speed.
2) It is not designed as a “bill-by-plate later” experience. With cashless facilities, it is normal that you will not receive a receipt at the time you drive through. Here, you can request a receipt right away.
3) You control the payment method at the point of travel. On SunPass roads, the rental vehicle may be enrolled automatically in a toll programme. On Card Sound Road, paying directly is straightforward.
4) Disputes are easier to evidence. A printed booth receipt is clearer than trying to match timestamps and plate reads later.
That does not mean you can ignore SunPass entirely. If you drive from Miami to Key Largo using other routes, you may still encounter cashless tolls. The point is that Card Sound Road itself is a classic toll plaza, and you should treat it as such, pay there, get the receipt, and keep it.
Step-by-step: paying the Card Sound Road toll in a rental
Use this simple routine to avoid confusion and prevent duplicate charges.
1) Decide your route before you get close to Florida City. If you intend to take Card Sound Road, look for signs for CR 905A rather than staying on US-1 the whole way.
2) Approach the toll plaza slowly and choose an open staffed lane. Follow the lane signage. If there is any doubt, queue behind locals in a standard lane rather than experimenting with a lane you do not recognise.
3) Pay directly at the window. Hand over cash or use your card if accepted. Wait for the attendant to confirm payment.
4) Ask for a receipt. Do not assume you will automatically be given one. Make sure it prints and you take it.
5) File the receipt with your rental paperwork. Keep it until your final bill is complete. If you are on a multi-stop itinerary, keep it until you are back home and have checked your card statement.
This is especially helpful if you are using a car hire vehicle picked up in a busy area such as Brickell or Miami Beach, where you may also drive through cashless toll points during city driving.
What if your rental car has a toll transponder or toll programme?
Many rentals in South Florida include a toll device or are eligible for toll-by-plate charging. That can be useful on cashless roads, but it can also cause uncertainty if you do not know when it is being used.
For Card Sound Road specifically, the safest approach is to pay at the booth and keep the receipt. If you later see a toll-related charge from the rental company, compare the date and time with your receipt. It may be for a different road entirely, especially if you drove on the Florida Turnpike, express lanes, or other Miami-area toll facilities.
If you want to reduce surprises, clarify the toll policy when you collect the keys. For example, if you are arranging car hire in the city, you can compare provider notes on pages like car rental Brickell or, if you are staying by the sea, car rental Miami Beach. The main idea is to understand whether your rental is set up for automatic toll billing, and what fees apply, before you start driving.
Practical tips for drivers leaving Miami for the Keys
Carry a small amount of cash. Even if you prefer card payments, a few notes make toll stops effortless.
Avoid mixing routes without thinking about tolling. If you take the Turnpike one way and Card Sound Road the other, you may end up with both cashless toll charges and a booth receipt. That is fine, but it increases the number of line items to check later.
Drive with time in hand. The Card Sound Road option is scenic. If you are trying to arrive at Key Largo quickly at rush hour, you may prefer the more direct US-1 approach. Your toll payment method does not change, but your stress level will.
Keep all trip receipts together. Toll receipts, fuel receipts, and parking slips help you reconcile costs. This matters for business travel and for anyone splitting expenses with friends.
If you are travelling as a group, consider vehicle space. A larger vehicle can make the Miami to Keys run more comfortable. If you are comparing options, pages such as minivan hire Downtown Miami can be useful when planning luggage and passenger comfort.
Common mistakes that lead to toll confusion in rentals
Assuming every Florida toll is SunPass. The state has many cashless facilities, but Card Sound Road is a staffed booth. Treat it differently.
Not asking for a receipt. Without it, you lose the easiest proof of payment.
Expecting the rental company to “know” you paid. Your rental agreement is not automatically updated because you paid cash at a booth. The receipt is what protects you if you need to query a charge later.
Forgetting that Miami driving may include cashless toll points. Even if your main trip is the Keys, you might encounter toll gantries near the airport or on express routes. If you are picking up near transport hubs, it can help to review your provider details in advance, for example via car hire Airport Brickell.
Does the Card Sound Road toll apply both directions?
Drivers often ask whether they will pay again on the way back to Miami. Toll operations can change, but the essential planning point remains: treat Card Sound Road as a booth-based toll location. If you return the same way and the booth is operating for your direction of travel, you should expect another on-the-spot payment and another receipt to keep.
If you return via US-1 instead, you may pay no booth toll on that segment, but you could still encounter cashless tolls depending on how you route yourself around Miami and which roads you use to reach your final destination.
FAQ
Where is the Card Sound Road toll booth when driving from Miami?
It is on Card Sound Road (CR 905A) near the bridge approach, before you enter Key Largo via the Card Sound Bridge.
Can I pay the Card Sound Road toll with a card in a rental?
The booth is staffed and designed for pay-on-site. Bring cash as a fallback, and use a bank card if it is accepted in your lane that day.
What receipt should I keep for a rental car toll query?
Keep the printed toll receipt from the booth, stored with your rental agreement, until your final rental charges have fully settled.
How is this different from SunPass tolls around Miami?
SunPass roads are often cashless gantries that bill a transponder or the number plate later. Card Sound Road is a staffed booth where you pay immediately.
What if I still get a toll charge after paying at the booth?
Check the date and time against your receipt. The charge may relate to a different cashless toll road used elsewhere in Miami or on your route.
