The three are Ōtaki to north of Levin, Penlink in north Auckland, and the Takitimu North Link.
These will become the first new toll roads in years, and double the existing number of tolled highways, from three to six.
But tolls would not be put on the new Manawatū-Tararua Highway that replaces the old Manawatū Gorge highway.
At the same time, the government announced that existing roads can be tolled too, if they gain capacity or are extended by new projects.
This is a major change as currently existing roads cannot be tolled.
The 7km Penlink will join Whangaparāoa to State Highway One.
Takitimu North Link is a 7km route north of Tauranga.
The stretch to be tolled north of Wellington picks up State Highway One from where it has been upgraded to date as far as Ōtaki.
"Tolling on these roads will support the ongoing cost of delivering these roads and maintaining and operating them," Transport Minister Simeon Brown said.
"This will help motorists in Auckland, Tauranga, and Greater Wellington gain faster, safer, and more reliable journeys."
Each route would offer a free, viable alternative, as is the current requirement by law.
Earlier, suggestions the Manawatū-Tararua highway might be tolled sparked local outrage.
Brown said "late consultation and timing constraints" mean it would not be cost-effective to toll it till well after the road's completion, placing it outside expectations for new tolling.
Existing roads could be tolled
Currently, existing roads cannot be tolled, and toll revenue must be used only to help run the highway it applies to.
But the new changes announced by Brown would allow tolling of a whole corridor - a new highway and existing roads that connect to it.
"These changes will enable the ... [NZTA] to consider tolling in circumstances beyond what is currently possible," said Brown in a statement.
The government is already requiring every new highway project to consider using tolls, under its GPS (government policy statement) on land transport.
On top of that, the new policies will set an automatic inflation adjustment to toll fees and require trucks to use toll roads where a road was designed to divert traffic away from built-up or suburban areas.
A viable free alternative route must be available - as is the case now.
A $100m-plus tech upgrade is underway. Brown said the law would also be changed to toll the vehicle owner rather than the driver to make it easier to collect payments.
The legislation would be introduced next year.
