EXCLUSIVE

Ice-T blew through a bridge toll heading into New York City, and cops busted him for it ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Ice was arrested by Port Authority police Wednesday morning for toll evasion as he was approaching the George Washington Bridge on the New Jersey side. We're told he tried crossing in the E-ZPass lane ... for drivers who prepay tolls with a transmitter, but Ice's didn't work.

Ice-T apparently didn't realize that and continued driving his brand new McLaren sports car, but was quickly pulled over by cops.

Our sources say cops discovered the McLaren was not registered, so they arrested him for evading the toll and gave him a ticket for the unregistered vehicle. Not shockingly, the exotic car was spotted by passersby on the road.

Ice-T tells us he simply forgot to bring his E-Z Pass with him. He has 7 of them in his other cars, but didn't have it in the brand new McLaren ... which he says was just shipped from California.