Useful information
Dartford Crossing Charges: How and When to Pay
The Dartford Crossing is a familiar part of the journey for drivers using the eastern side of the M25. If you are travelling this way for the first time, however, the payment arrangements can be easy to miss. This guide explains the Dart Charge, when payment is due and what to do if a penalty notice arrives.
What is the Dart Charge?
The Dartford Crossing has two tunnels carrying northbound traffic and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge carrying traffic south. The bridge opened in 1991, a few years after the M25 orbital motorway was completed.
Before the bridge opened, traffic used the tunnels. The first opened in 1963 at a reported construction cost of about £13 million. A toll helped pay for the project; the original charge was two shillings and sixpence.
Growing demand led to a second tunnel opening alongside the first in 1980. Historical accounts put traffic through the two tunnels at around 65,000 vehicles a day at that time.
Until 2014, drivers stopped at booths to pay before continuing through the tunnels or over the bridge. The car toll was then £2, and traffic was reported at around 136,000 vehicles a day. Stopping to collect payments contributed to queues, especially at busy times.
Dart Charge replaced payment booths in November 2014. Drivers now pay separately from the journey, including online or by telephone. Automatic number plate recognition, known as ANPR, records vehicles using the crossing.
Charging hours and prices
Current Dart Charge rates by vehicle class
- Cars with or without trailers, motorhomes and minibuses with no more than 9 seats including the driver’s seat, class B: £3.50 per crossing, or £2.80 with a pre-pay account.
- Two-axle buses, coaches, vans and other goods vehicles, class C: £4.20 per crossing, or £3.60 with a pre-pay account.
- Buses, coaches and goods vehicles with more than two axles, class D: £8.40 per crossing, or £7.20 with a pre-pay account.
A pre-pay account gives regular users a lower crossing rate. Eligible Dartford and Thurrock residents can apply for a local scheme costing £25 a year for unlimited crossings or £12.50 for 50 crossings. Proof of eligibility is required.
Pay for an individual crossing by midnight on the following day. You can also pay in advance; a payment for a future crossing remains valid for 12 months.
Charges apply between 06:00 and 22:00 every day, including Christmas and other bank holidays. Crossing overnight is free. Dart Charge has its own charging timetable, separate from London’s Congestion Charge.
How to pay the Dart Charge
Use the official Dart Charge service reached through GOV.UK to pay online. Check that you are using the government service before entering your registration number and payment details.
You can pay by debit or credit card online, or call the Dart Charge contact centre on 0300 300 0120 between 08:00 and 20:00 daily. Payzone outlets accept cash. For advance payment by post, use the current form and instructions supplied by the official service.
Can you avoid the charge?
Ordinary crossings between 22:00 and 06:00 do not incur Dart Charge. There are also specific exemptions, described below. Depending on your start and destination, a route around the western side of the M25 may avoid Dartford; compare the whole journey, particularly when travelling between the M1 and M20.
The western route can add substantial distance and congestion around Heathrow, where the M3, M4 and M40 connect with the M25. Check a route planner and current traffic conditions before deciding whether a detour makes sense.
Alternative Thames crossings to the east of London are limited. The Tilbury–Gravesend passenger ferry ceased operating on 1 April 2024. Woolwich Ferry carries vehicles without a toll, but check operating hours and disruption before relying on it. Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels have separate TfL charges between 06:00 and 22:00, so they are not a free daytime alternative.
What happens if you do not pay?
Missing the Dart Charge deadline can result in a £70 penalty, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days. The normal payment period is 28 days; an overdue penalty can increase to £105. The original crossing charge remains payable as well.
If you believe a penalty is incorrect, follow the challenge procedure on the notice. Check the crossing date, registration number and payment record. Appeal figures from 2015 do not predict the outcome of a current case. Do not rely on receiving a warning or extra time: the crossing charge is due by midnight the next day, and any notice has its own deadlines.
Exemptions
Vehicles receiving free UK vehicle tax because of a disability are exempt from Dart Charge. A Blue Badge alone does not create that vehicle-tax exemption. Motorcycles, mopeds and quad bikes also cross free. Cyclists cannot ride through the tunnels or over the bridge themselves; a free vehicle service carries cyclists and their bicycles across.
Related guide: UK toll roads and bridges.
Information checked: October 2026. The current Dart Charge rates, payment deadlines, penalties and exemptions have been checked. Construction history is outside that check. Charges and conditions can change, so confirm the official arrangements before travelling.