California Weighs Mileage Tax Amid Road Charge Pilot

A state road charge pilot nears its final report as lawmakers and officials debate a per-mile tax on drivers.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Electric Vehicles

Isometric editorial illustration of a long straight highway receding toward the horizon, with a single unused fuel pump at the roadside, conveying California's road funding debate. — California lawmakers and officials are weighing a per-mile tax on drivers as a road charge pilot nears its final report and gas tax revenue shrinks. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Would you support paying a per-mile tax instead of some current gas taxes?

Assemblymember Carl DeMaio warned that Governor-elect Xavier Becerra and Democratic lawmakers are pursuing a mileage tax, while Becerra said everything should be on the table. Becerra's campaign spokesperson said he has not proposed a mileage tax.

Why it matters

A per-mile charge would shift how California funds roads as electric and fuel-efficient vehicles reduce gas tax revenue. Becerra argued electric vehicle owners, who avoid gas taxes, should help pay for the infrastructure they use.

A 6-cent-per-mile charge on 15,000 annual miles would cost at least $900 a year before credits or offsets. The final road charge pilot report, due by the end of 2026, has not yet been released.

The players

Xavier Becerra

Governor-elect of California and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, who said everything should be on the table regarding a mileage-based tax.

Carl DeMaio

Republican Assemblymember from San Diego who warned that Democratic lawmakers are pursuing a mileage tax and has been a prominent critic of state transportation funding proposals.

San Diego Association of Governments

The regional planning agency for San Diego County that adopted and later amended a transportation plan containing a proposed per-mile charge on motorists.

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

The state transportation agency that ran the road charge pilot program and said participants' personal information would be protected and destroyed after the study.

The details

The California road charge pilot ran from August 2024 through January 2025, testing odometer photographs, connected-vehicle technology, and plug-in devices with or without GPS to count miles. Caltrans said participants' personal information would be protected and destroyed after the study, and DeMaio said a mileage tax could rely on annual odometer checks or smog check readings.

December 2021: San Diego Association of Governments adopted a regional plan that included a potential per-mile charge.
September 2022: The board directed staff to remove the proposed charge after public backlash.
Fall 2023: The board formally adopted the amended transportation plan.
August 2024 through January 2025: California road charge pilot program ran.
End of 2026: Final road charge pilot report is due.

Roadmap

San Diego's 2021 regional plan proposed a per-mile charge that the board removed in 2022 after public backlash, and the statewide debate now revisits that idea. The road charge pilot is the state's test of whether mileage-based funding can replace declining gas tax revenue from electric vehicles.

A per-mile charge would replace or supplement the gas tax, so drivers of electric and fuel-efficient vehicles could pay for road use based on miles driven. Drivers should watch the final road charge pilot report due by the end of 2026 for details on how any future charge would be measured and billed.

The takeaway

Drivers should track the final California road charge pilot report due by the end of 2026, which will show how mileage would be counted and what it could cost. Any proposal to tax miles driven would affect household transportation budgets, particularly for those with long commutes.