The Dartford Crossing carries the M25 over the River Thames between Kent and Essex. It is made up of two tunnels, used for northbound traffic, and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, used for southbound traffic. There are no toll booths. Instead, cameras read your number plate and you pay separately online, by phone, or in a shop. This payment is called the Dart Charge. This guide covers the current 2026 prices, every way to pay, what happens if you miss the deadline, how to appeal a fine, and answers to the questions drivers search for most.
The short answer
- A car crossing costs £3.50 one off, or £2.80 with a Dart Charge account.
- You must pay by 11:59pm on the day after you cross.
- The crossing is free every day between 10pm and 6am.
- Miss the deadline and the fine is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.
- Motorcycles and mopeds cross free at any time.
How much does the Dartford Crossing cost in 2026?
Prices went up on 1 September 2025, the first increase since 2014, so figures you remember from before that date are out of date. These are the rates currently in force, taken directly from the official GOV.UK Dart Charge service.
| Vehicle | One off payment | Pay as you go account | Pre-pay account |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycles, mopeds, quad bikes | Free | Free | Free |
| Cars, motorhomes, minibuses up to 9 seats | £3.50 | £3.50 | £2.80 |
| Vans and goods vehicles, 2 axles | £4.20 | £4.20 | £3.60 |
| HGVs and coaches, more than 2 axles | £8.40 | £8.40 | £7.20 |
A car towing a caravan or trailer still counts as a class B vehicle and pays the standard car rate, the trailer is not charged separately. Electric and hybrid vehicles are not exempt and pay the same rate as an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle in their class.
Charges apply every day, including weekends, bank holidays, and Christmas Day, between 6am and 10pm. Between 10pm and 6am the crossing is free for every vehicle type, no account or registration is needed for the free period to apply.
Local resident discount
If you live within the council boundaries of Dartford or Thurrock, you can apply for a discounted account. The options are £25 a year for unlimited crossings, or £12.50 a year for 50 crossings, with extra blocks of 25 crossings available for £6.25 if you use them all. Whichever plan you choose, your total spend in a year is capped at £25. You need a Dart Charge account to apply, along with your vehicle log book and two proof of address documents, and you must reconfirm your details every two years.
How to pay the Dart Charge
You can pay before you travel, on the day you cross, or by midnight the day after at the latest. Regular users save money with an account, occasional users are usually better off paying per trip.
1. Set up a pre-pay Dart Charge account
A pre-pay account is the cheapest way to cross regularly. You add credit in advance, and each crossing is deducted automatically at the discounted rate of £2.80 for a car instead of £3.50. Registration happens on the official Dart Charge website, and you will need your vehicle details and a payment method for top ups. The discount only applies going forward, it will not cover crossings you made before setting the account up, so keep an eye on your balance to avoid a fine.
2. Pay online as a one off, or set up pay as you go
For a single trip, pay online through the official service at gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge. You can pay up to 30 days ahead of travel, on the day, or by midnight the following day. Alternatively, a pay as you go account links a card to your vehicle so the charge is billed automatically after every crossing, without a discount, but without the risk of forgetting either. This option is open to foreign registered vehicles as well.
3. Pay by phone
Call 0300 300 0120, open every day from 8am to 8pm, and have your vehicle registration and payment card ready. The same midnight the next day deadline applies. Lines get busy close to the cut off, so call earlier in the day rather than late at night.
4. Pay in advance for a planned trip
If you already know the date you will cross, for example on the way to the airport, you can schedule the payment ahead of time on the official site. This removes one more thing to remember on travel day. If you are booking airport parking with a service like APH, you can arrange the crossing payment alongside your booking, and it is worth doing the same for your return journey if you will cross Dartford again on the way home.
5. Pay at a Payzone shop
Payzone outlets, found in many newsagents and convenience stores, accept Dart Charge payments in person. Use the Payzone store locator, filter by transport and ticketing, then Dart Charge, to find a nearby branch. Take your vehicle registration number and ask staff to process the payment, then keep the receipt as proof.
Only ever use the official gov.uk service, the phone number above, or a genuine Payzone outlet. Some unofficial websites appear in search results and charge an extra fee on top of the toll without making that clear. If a third party site fails to pay on time, the fine is still your responsibility, so paying directly is safer as well as cheaper.
What happens if you forget to pay
Missing the deadline results in a Penalty Charge Notice, or PCN, sent to the vehicle’s registered keeper. The fine is £70. Pay within 14 days and it drops to £35. Leave it unpaid for 28 days and it rises to £105, on top of the original crossing charge. Each unpaid crossing gets its own separate PCN, so a return trip you forgot to pay for both ways can mean two fines.
Cameras record every vehicle that crosses, including foreign registered ones, and enforcement can follow international plates too. If you realise you have missed a crossing, pay it as soon as you can, doing so before a PCN is generated avoids the fine altogether.
Appealing a PCN
If you think the fine was issued incorrectly, you can pay or challenge it through the official PCN service, or by phone on 0300 1313 120 for payment only, or in writing using the representation slip on the notice, sent to Dart Charge Enforcement, PO Box 842, Leeds, LS1 9QF. Common grounds for a successful appeal include proof that you already paid, evidence you were not the registered keeper at the time, the vehicle being stolen, or a genuine exemption that was not applied. If your first appeal is rejected, you can escalate to the independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal, which is free to use and reviews the case impartially.
Who is exempt from the Dart Charge
- Motorcycles, mopeds, and quad bikes cross free at any time, no registration needed.
- Vehicles registered in the disabled tax class do not pay, this is checked automatically against the vehicle’s tax status, a Blue Badge on its own does not qualify a vehicle for the exemption.
- Emergency service and Ministry of Defence vehicles are exempt when registered to those organisations.
- Bicycles cannot ride through the tunnels or across the bridge, but a free transfer service is available, covered below.
Cyclists at the Dartford Crossing
Cycling through the tunnels or over the bridge is not allowed, but National Highways runs a free pickup service. Go to Kent Point, at the Crossing Offices Roundabout on South Orbital Road, Dartford, DA1 5PR, or Essex Point at 859 London Road, Grays, RM20 3AT. A yellow phone at each point connects directly to the control room, ask for the cycle transport service, then wait in the signed area. A vehicle usually arrives within about 15 minutes and carries you and your bike across. Large groups, tandems, or cargo bikes should contact the operator ahead of time so they can plan for extra capacity.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dartford Crossing free at night?
Yes. Every crossing between 10pm and 6am is free, every day of the year, for every vehicle type, including Christmas Day. From 6am the charge applies again, so timing matters down to the minute.
Do you pay the Dart Charge both ways?
Yes. Each direction is a separate chargeable crossing during chargeable hours, there is no return discount and no daily cap, so a round trip during the day means paying twice.
How long do I have to pay after crossing?
You have until 11:59pm on the day after you cross. Cross on a Monday and the deadline is midnight on Tuesday. Payment can also be made in advance, up to 30 days ahead of travel.
What is the Dart Charge fine if I forget to pay?
The Penalty Charge Notice is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days, and increased to £105 after 28 days. This is on top of the original crossing charge, and applies separately to every unpaid crossing.
Are electric vehicles exempt from the Dart Charge?
No. Electric and hybrid vehicles pay the same rate as any other vehicle in their class, unless the vehicle qualifies for the separate disability tax exemption.
Does the Dart Charge apply to foreign registered vehicles?
Yes. Cameras capture international plates in the same way as UK ones, and unpaid charges can still lead to enforcement action for overseas registered vehicles. A pay as you go account is available to foreign registered vehicles that cross regularly.
Who is liable for the Dart Charge in a hire car?
The rental agreement usually makes the driver responsible for tolls incurred during hire. Many rental companies will pay the charge on your behalf and then bill your card, often with an added admin fee. It is usually cheaper and clearer to pay the crossing yourself online as soon as you know the vehicle’s registration, rather than let the hire company handle it.
Is the Dart Charge the same as the London Congestion Charge?
No, they are entirely separate schemes run by different organisations. Roadside signs near Dartford use a red C symbol similar to the congestion charge logo, which has led some drivers to search online and mistakenly pay the London congestion charge instead. Paying the wrong charge does not settle your Dart Charge liability, and a fine can still follow. The only official Dart Charge site is gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge.
Why is there still a charge if the crossing was paid off years ago?
The original construction debt was repaid by 2003, but the government kept charging as a way to manage demand and congestion on this stretch of the M25. Toll booths were removed in 2014 in favour of the current camera based system, and rates were increased again in September 2025, the first rise since 2014.
Is there an alternative to the Dartford Crossing?
The free Woolwich Ferry and the Blackwall Tunnel are the nearest alternative Thames crossings, though both sit well to the west and add time to journeys east of London. A new tunnel, the Lower Thames Crossing, began construction in March 2026 between Kent and Essex, but it is not expected to open for several years, so the Dartford Crossing remains the only practical route across the Thames on the eastern side of London for now.
Travel tips for using the Dartford Crossing
- Build in extra time. The M25 around junctions 1A and 31 is one of the most congested sections of motorway in the UK, especially on weekday mornings and bank holiday weekends.
- If your schedule is flexible, crossing between 10pm and 6am avoids the charge entirely and usually means lighter traffic too.
- Flying from a London airport and planning to cross the night before your flight. Booking an Gatwick airport parking lets you cross late, avoid the charge, and leave the car in secure parking while you travel.
- Save your payment confirmation or receipt until you are confident the crossing has been correctly recorded, particularly for one off online payments.
This guide reflects Dart Charge rates and rules confirmed on GOV.UK as of 2026. Charges, exemptions, and processes can change, always check gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge for the latest official information before you travel.