Driving to Gatwick, Luton, Stansted or anywhere else across the Thames on the eastern side of London, you will likely cross the Dartford Crossing. There are no toll booths there. Payment is handled entirely online, by phone or in person, and you have until midnight the day after you cross to pay. Miss that window and a Penalty Charge Notice follows, £70 per crossing, rising to £105 if it is ignored. This guide from APH.com covers the current 2026 Dart Charge prices, every way to pay, what happens if you forget, and how to appeal a fine, so your airport trip stays fine free.
Beat fines at the Dartford Crossing. Image credit
Dart Charge, the quick answer
- Cars pay £3.50 per crossing, or £2.80 with a Dart Charge account.
- The charge applies daily from 6am to 10pm. It is free overnight, 10pm to 6am, every day including Christmas Day.
- You must pay by midnight the day after you cross.
- Miss the deadline and a £70 fine follows, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days, or rising to £105 after 28 days.
- Pay online at gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge, by phone on 0300 300 0120, or at a Payzone shop.
Dartford Crossing charge, the basics
The Dartford Thurrock River Crossing carries the M25 across the Thames between Kent and Essex. It is made up of two tunnels for northbound traffic and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge for southbound traffic. A toll called the Dart Charge applies to most vehicles using it, every day from 6am to 10pm, including weekends and bank holidays. Between 10pm and 6am, the crossing is free for everyone, including on Christmas Day.
Motorcycles, mopeds and vehicles registered in the disabled tax class cross free at any time. Emergency service and Ministry of Defence vehicles are also exempt. Almost everyone else pays, including electric vehicles. This is a road user charge rather than an emissions charge, so being electric or hybrid makes no difference.
There are no barriers or kiosks at the crossing itself. Cameras using automatic number plate recognition log every vehicle as it passes, and payment happens separately, online, by phone, in a shop, or through a pre pay account. Because nothing is collected at the crossing, it is entirely down to the driver to remember to pay.
Dart Charge prices in 2026
Prices rose by 40 percent on 1 September 2025, the first increase since the toll booths were removed in 2014. If the number in your head is still £2.50, it is out of date. Here is what a single crossing costs now.
| Vehicle type | Pay as you go | With a Dart Charge account |
|---|---|---|
| Motorcycles and mopeds | Free | Free |
| Cars, cars with trailers, vans, minibuses up to 9 seats | £3.50 | £2.80 |
| Two axle goods vehicles | £4.20 | £3.60 |
| Multi axle HGVs and coaches | £8.40 | £7.20 |
There is no discount for a return journey and no daily cap. Every crossing, in either direction, is charged separately. Local residents of Dartford or Thurrock can apply for a discounted account instead, £25 a year for unlimited crossings, or £12.50 a year for 50 crossings, provided they hold a Dart Charge account and can prove residency. Prices can change again, so always check the official Dart Charge charges page before you travel.
How to pay the Dartford Crossing charge
There are several ways to pay, and the right one depends on how often you use the crossing. Frequent flyers who drive through Dartford several times a year save money and hassle with an account. Occasional travellers, like a one off airport run, are usually better off paying per trip. Whichever you choose, pay by midnight the day after your crossing at the latest.
1. Set up a pre pay Dart Charge account
A Dart Charge pre pay account is the cheapest and most hands off way to pay for regular users. You deposit a minimum of £10 when you register, and each crossing is deducted automatically at the discounted account rate, £2.80 for a car instead of £3.50. You can top up manually or set auto top up so the balance never runs dry. You can also add extra vehicles to the same account. Set up takes a few minutes on the official Dart Charge site.
Keep an eye on your balance. If the account runs dry and you do not have auto top up switched on, the crossing is not automatically covered and you could still receive a fine. For anyone crossing more than a few times a year, though, an account is the simplest way to stop worrying about the deadline altogether.
2. Pay as you go, one off payment online
For an occasional trip, you can pay without an account at all. This suits a one off airport drop off or a single holiday journey where tying up £10 in a pre pay balance is not worth it. Visit the official Dart Charge payment page on GOV.UK, the only official site, enter your registration and the crossing date, and pay by card. You can pay up to 12 months ahead, on the day of travel, or any time up to midnight the day after.
If you already know your travel dates, pay for the outbound and return crossings in the same transaction so you do not forget the second leg. Save your confirmation email or a screenshot as proof of payment, just in case.
Planning ahead is the easiest way to avoid a slip up. If you have booked airport parking with APH and know you will cross at Dartford on the way, pay the toll for both directions while you are sorting the rest of your trip, rather than leaving it until you are rushing for a flight or driving home tired.
3. Pay by phone
Call the Dart Charge payment line on 0300 300 0120 and follow the automated instructions, or wait for an agent if you need help. The line is open every day from 8am to 8pm. You will need a debit or credit card, your vehicle registration and the crossing date. This also has to be done by midnight the day after crossing, so call as early as you can rather than leaving it to the evening, when wait times tend to be longer. Foreign cards are accepted over the phone, which is useful for visitors from abroad.
4. Pay in person at a Payzone retailer
Thousands of newsagents, convenience stores and petrol stations across the UK have a Payzone terminal that can take a Dart Charge payment in cash or by card. This suits anyone without internet access, such as a driver stopping at a service station shortly after crossing. Use the Payzone store locator, tell the retailer you want to pay the Dart Charge, give your registration number, and keep the receipt as proof.
5. Pay by post
Paying by post only works for a crossing you have not made yet, since a letter cannot arrive fast enough to beat a next day deadline. Send a cheque, payable to Dart Charge, along with your registration number and the date of the intended crossing, well ahead of your journey, to:
Dart Charge Customer Services, PO Box 842, Leeds, LS1 9QF, United Kingdom
Include a return address in case of any query. Given how time sensitive this is, most people use one of the faster methods above instead.
What happens if you do not pay on time
Miss the midnight deadline and a Penalty Charge Notice is posted to the vehicle’s registered keeper. Here is how the fine escalates.
- The initial fine is £70 per crossing, on top of the original toll.
- Pay within 14 days of the PCN date and it drops to £35.
- Leave it beyond 28 days and it rises to £105, with further enforcement costs, court action, debt collection or even clamping possible after that.
- Each unpaid crossing gets its own PCN, so a missed outbound and return trip means two separate fines.
If it is genuinely the first time your vehicle has ever received a Dart Charge PCN, it is worth checking the letter carefully and, if nothing is mentioned, contacting Dart Charge customer services on 0300 300 0120. First time leniency has been offered in the past, letting a driver settle just the original toll instead of the fine, but it is not guaranteed and should never be relied on for a second lapse.
If you believe a PCN is wrong, for example you already paid, the plate was misread, or you were not the registered keeper at the time, you have the right to appeal.
How to appeal a Dart Charge penalty
- Make an initial representation to Dart Charge customer services within 28 days of the PCN, quoting the reference number and attaching any evidence, such as a payment receipt, proof the vehicle was sold, or proof it was stolen at the time.
- If that is rejected and you still disagree, escalate to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, an independent adjudicator, within the timeframe given in the rejection letter. There is no extra cost to appeal at this stage beyond the original fine if you lose.
Stick to the 28 day windows at each stage or you risk losing the chance to challenge the fine. Enforcement is usually paused while an appeal is in progress.
For full detail on valid grounds and the process, visit the Traffic Penalty Tribunal website, which sets out how to submit evidence and what counts as a strong case.
Tips to avoid Dartford Crossing fines
- Open a Dart Charge account even for occasional use. It removes the need to remember each time and gets you the discounted rate. You can add several vehicles to one account.
- Only ever use the official site, gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge. Copycat sites appear in search results and add processing fees on top of the toll, sometimes charging significantly more, without the receipts or safeguards the government service provides. The official site never charges more than the standard toll, and highway signs only say to search Dart Charge online rather than giving the exact URL, which is part of why confusion persists. Bookmark the real link and ignore anything that looks similar but different.
- Set a location based reminder. On an iPhone, create a reminder, tap the info icon, turn on remind me at a location, and set it for the airport or your home address. It will alert you to pay as soon as you arrive. Android users can use a similar location reminder app, or simply a calendar alert for the next morning.
- Pay for both directions. The charge applies each way, there is no round trip rate. If you are paying manually rather than through an account, make sure you settle the return crossing too, not just the outbound one.
- Warn overseas visitors. There is no exemption for foreign registered vehicles, and unpaid charges are pursued across borders. If friends or family are driving a hire car through Dartford, make sure they know to pay online or by phone before the deadline.
- Watch for lease and hire car pitfalls. If you are driving a leased or rental vehicle, the PCN goes to the leasing or rental company first as registered keeper. They will then pass it to you along with their own admin fee, often £20 to £50 on top of the fine. Paying the toll yourself on time avoids that extra charge entirely.
Has removing the toll barriers improved traffic
Yes, largely. Before 2014, vehicles queued at cash barriers, causing significant tailbacks at peak times. With free flow charging, that queuing at the crossing itself has mostly gone, journey times through Dartford dropped by several minutes in each direction once the barriers came down, even though the wider M25 around junctions 1A and 31 remains one of the more congested stretches of motorway in the country at busy times. The trade off is that you now spend a few minutes paying online afterwards rather than waiting on the bridge approach. Looking further ahead, construction began in March 2026 on the Lower Thames Crossing, a new tunnel around 14 miles east of Dartford connecting Kent and Essex, though it is not expected to open until the early 2030s. For now, Dartford remains the only fixed road crossing of the Thames east of central London.
Dartford Crossing charge FAQs
Every day from 6am to 10pm, including weekends, bank holidays and Christmas Day. It is free overnight, 10pm to 6am, for everyone.
Cars pay £3.50 per crossing, or £2.80 with a Dart Charge account. Two axle goods vehicles pay £4.20, or £3.60 with an account. Multi axle HGVs and coaches pay £8.40, or £7.20 with an account. Motorcycles are free.
Online at the GOV.UK Dart Charge page, by phone on 0300 300 0120, at a Payzone retail outlet, or by post in advance. You can also set up a pre pay account for automatic payments, or pay up to 12 months ahead for a specific date.
Until midnight the day after you crossed. If you used the crossing on Monday, you have until 11.59pm on Tuesday to pay. Missing that deadline triggers a fine.
A £70 Penalty Charge Notice per crossing, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days, or increased to £105 after 28 days. You will still need to pay the original toll on top.
Yes. If you believe it was issued in error, you can challenge it through Dart Charge customer services within 28 days. If that is rejected, you can escalate to the independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Common successful grounds include a misread number plate, a payment system error, or not being the registered keeper at the time.
It escalates. Additional fines, court action and enforcement, including debt collection or clamping, can follow. Rental and lease companies also add their own admin fee if the PCN is issued to them first as registered keeper. It is not worth ignoring.
Yes. You have until midnight the day after you cross. You do not have to pay in advance, though you can. Just do not go past that following midnight.
Motorcycles and mopeds are free. Vehicles registered in the disabled tax class are exempt, based on the vehicle’s tax class rather than the driver. Emergency services and Ministry of Defence vehicles are also exempt. Everyone else pays, including electric vehicles, since this is a road user charge rather than an emissions charge.
Yes. Southbound over the bridge and northbound through the tunnels are both charged separately during chargeable hours, and there is no combined or return rate.
There is no dedicated Dart Charge app from the government. The official gov.uk site works fully in a mobile browser, and some third party apps can also handle payment, but the only site you should trust for account details and payment records is gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge.
0300 300 0120, open every day from 8am to 8pm. If calling from outside the UK, use +44 300 300 0120.
It is free between 10pm and 6am on every day of the year, including Christmas Day, the same as any other night. Between 6am and 10pm on Christmas Day, the standard charge still applies.
Yes, there is no exemption for vehicles registered outside the UK. Automatic number plate recognition captures international plates the same as UK ones, and unpaid charges can be pursued across borders through European debt recovery agencies.
The Penalty Charge Notice is issued first to the registered keeper, which for a rental or lease vehicle is the rental or leasing company. They will then transfer liability to you and typically add their own admin fee on top of the £70 PCN, often £20 to £50. Paying the toll directly and on time avoids this altogether.
The takeaway for anyone travelling with APH is simple, plan ahead and pay promptly. The Dartford Crossing is a key link to several South East airports, and a little preparation keeps it stress free and fine free.
This guide reflects prices and rules at the time of writing. Dart Charge fees and policies can change, most recently on 1 September 2025, so always confirm the current charges on the official Dart Charge website or by calling their helpline before you travel. APH is not responsible for changes made after publication.