Originally Posted by
MoreMilesPlease
Under FAQ's at EZPASS this is listed
https://www.e-zpassny.com/en/faq/account.shtml
I don't own a vehicle. Can I still get E-ZPassŪ? Yes. If you do not own a vehicle, you can still enroll in E-ZPassŪ. Your tag can be used in any vehicle with two axles, a maximum gross weight of 7,000 pounds and single rear tires (includes RV's with dual rear tires). Please ensure that the E-ZPassŪ tag is mounted as per the tag installation instructions in all vehicles in which the tag will be used.
So it looks like you can get an EZpass without actually owning a car. Seems like this would work for a foreign visitor.
Note that NY EZPass charges you $1 a month, not necessarily a deal-breaker but definitely an annoying nuisance charge.
Virginia does not and I do not really think that you need to register a vehicle with that one despite the language that says "All vehicles must be listed on your account to avoid the risk of a violation." IMO that seems to mean that if by some chance your EZPass does not register at a sensor, you will be charged with a violation. If the license plate is on record, the computers will not bother with you. So what you really need to do is always to make sure that you have the thing in the correct position at the correct time but that not registering the plate is not in and of itself a violation.
That said, I always register my rental car tag as soon as I can (I wish they had a mobile app like California) and remove it just as soon as I can after I return the car or whenever I know that I am no longer using a toll road.