Deadline to return Mackinac Bridge tokens for refund is Dec. 31, 2022

Previously-purchased bridge tokens can’t be refunded after this year

Some ferry rides to Mackinac Island will take you underneath the Mackinac Bridge (Keith Dunlap/GMG)

ST. IGNACE, Mich. – Anyone who still has tokens for the Mackinac Bridge and wants to return them for a refund must do so by the end of the year.

The Mackinac Bridge Authority says bridge tokens will no longer be refunded at the bridge after Dec. 31, more than three years after the authority stopped accepting tokens in toll lanes.

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Customers who still have bridge tokens and would like to return them for a refund can do so at the MBA office at the north end of the Mackinac Bridge. Tokens will be redeemed for $4 for the first 24 tokens, and then $1.50 per token after that.

Related: Tired of your desk job? You could work atop the Mackinac Bridge instead

Officials believe less than 1% of all tokens issued are still in circulation. The authority stopped collecting tokens for toll payment on Sept. 10, 2019, due to “dwindling demand.”

“Only a few customers bring in tokens anymore for reimbursement and there is quite a paperwork process each time they do,” said Kim Nowack, MBA bridge director. “We’ve given customers three years to sell back their tokens to us and it’s time to turn remaining tokens into collectors’ items.”

The tokens’ version or purchase price does not appear to matter when it comes to obtaining a refund. The authority says commemorative token sets are still available for purchase.

Related: Michigan’s Mackinac Island named best island in the Continental US


About the Author:

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.