If a rental car without a Hi-Pass device enters a blue Hi-Pass lane, keep driving according to the road signs and deal with the missed toll at the exit. Note the entry tollgate when it is safe to do so, tell exit staff what happened, and keep the payment or handling record.
Confirm the car’s toll setup before driving
Korea uses staffed toll payment and the electronic Hi-Pass system. Before entering an expressway, ask the rental company whether the car has an active Hi-Pass device and how tolls are charged. A device mounted in the car does not by itself prove that it is active or that its payment arrangement covers your rental.
If the rental company says the car has no usable device, follow signs for an ordinary payment lane. Confirming this before departure is more reliable than trying to identify the equipment while approaching a tollgate.
If you enter the blue lane, continue safely
The official VISITKOREA driving guide tells a driver who entered a Hi-Pass lane by mistake to note the entry tollgate and explain the mistake to an employee at the exit tollgate.
Do not reverse, stop in a live lane, cross lane dividers, or handle a phone to write while the vehicle is moving. Follow the signs and staff directions. Record the tollgate name only after you can do so safely; a passenger can note it sooner. If you missed the name, tell the exit employee what you do know about the route and entry time rather than guessing it.
Keep these details together:
- Entry tollgate name and approximate time.
- Expressway route and direction of travel.
- Rental-car plate or contract reference.
- Any toll receipt, staff note, or later payment record.
Tell the exit staff which tollgate you entered
At a staffed exit, explain that the rental car has no Hi-Pass and give the entry tollgate name. A short phrase is: 내 차에 하이패스가 없습니다. 진입 톨게이트는 [name]입니다. It means, “My car does not have Hi-Pass. The entry tollgate was [name].”
Ask how that specific toll should be handled and retain the proof you receive. The tourism page gives the entry-gate-to-exit-staff route, but it does not establish a universal fee, fine, payment method, or immediate resolution for every tollgate and rental contract.
If you already left or the exit was unmanned
Do not invent an entry point or pay an unrelated demand. Save the route, time, entry and exit locations, rental details, and any toll notice or receipt. Contact the rental operator and ask which accepted billing or toll-settlement route applies to that rental.
The official page does not guarantee that every rental company accepts the same evidence, that support works with every overseas phone, or that one payment method is available to all foreign drivers. Keep the case open until the toll record and rental statement agree.
VISITKOREA’s English “Driving in Korea” page was checked October 6, 2026 KST and identifies the exit-staff route for a mistaken Hi-Pass entry. Current tollgate staffing and the rental company’s toll terms control the actual result.