The Dartford Crossing carries the A282 over the Thames between Kent and Essex. There are no barriers: you pay online, by phone or at a Payzone shop by midnight the day after you cross. Miss that and a £70 penalty charge notice follows, plus the crossing charge itself. It is one of the most-searched road fines in the UK.
The crossing charge is payable in addition to the penalty.
Where it applies
The Dartford Crossing on the A282: the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge southbound and the tunnels northbound.
When it applies
Charged 6am to 10pm every day, including weekends and bank holidays. Free from 10pm to 6am.
What it costs
| Vehicle | Charge |
|---|---|
| Motorcycles, mopeds and quad bikes (class A) | Free |
| Cars, motorhomes and minibuses with 9 seats or fewer (class B) | £3.50 (£2.80 pre-pay) |
| 2-axle goods vehicles, vans, buses and coaches (class C) | £4.20 (£3.60 pre-pay) |
| Goods vehicles with more than 2 axles (class D) | £8.40 (£7.20 pre-pay) |
Count droppable axles whether up or down; count trailer axles only on articulated vehicles. Pre-pay accounts get up to 20% off.
Paying: By midnight the day after you cross. You can also pay in advance; advance payments are valid for 12 months. Pay on GOV.UK (Dart Charge).
Exemptions, discounts and permits
- Vehicles that get free UK vehicle tax because of a disability cross free; this is checked automatically.
- Residents of Dartford or Thurrock council areas can pay £25 a year for unlimited crossings, or £12.50 for 50. You must have an account, renew documents every 2 years, and send a new V5C within 6 weeks of changing your plate or the discount is lost.
How to challenge the penalty
You challenge by making written representations to National Highways (Dart Charge) within 28 days of the date of service. A notice sent first class is treated as served on the second working day after posting (fourth working day for second class, tenth if posted abroad), unless you can prove otherwise (reg 3(4)).The authority must reply within 56 days or your representations are treated as accepted.
These are the grounds the law allows, under the Road User Charging Schemes (Penalty Charges, Adjudication and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/1783):
| Ground | When it fits | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| I was never the registered keeper | The vehicle has never been registered to you, for example the notice went to the wrong person or the plate was misread. | reg 8(3)(a)(i) |
| I had sold or transferred the vehicle before that date | You had already sold, scrapped or transferred the vehicle before the date on the notice. | reg 8(3)(a)(ii) and 8(5) |
| I became the keeper after that date | You bought the vehicle after the date of the journey on the notice. | reg 8(3)(a)(iii) and 8(6) |
| The vehicle was taken or used without my consent | The vehicle was stolen, or someone used it without your permission, including cloned plates. | reg 8(3)(b) and 8(7) |
| We are a hire firm and the vehicle was on hire | You are a vehicle-hire or lease firm and the hirer signed a statement accepting liability for these charges. | reg 8(3)(c), 6(5) and 8(8) |
| The charge was paid in time and in the right way | You paid the charge for that vehicle and that day within the payment window. | reg 8(3)(d) |
| No charge or penalty was payable | The vehicle meets the emission standard, is exempt or had an approved exemption or discount, did not enter the zone, or the crossing was outside charging hours. | reg 8(3)(e) |
| The penalty is more than the scheme allows | The notice demands more than the scheme's penalty amount, or refuses the discount you paid within time. | reg 8(3)(f) |
| The authority did not follow the rules | For example the notice is missing information the regulations require, a charge certificate came before it was allowed, or your representations were not answered within 56 days. | reg 8(3)(g) and 8(4); 56-day rule in reg 8(9)–(10) |
| There are compelling reasons to cancel | None of the grounds fits but there is a strong reason, such as a medical emergency, a signed diversion through the zone, or a payment system failure you can show. | reg 8(1)(b); adjudicator may recommend cancellation, reg 11(9) |
You can ask the authority to cancel for "compelling reasons" even when no ground applies (reg 8(1)(b)). The tribunal cannot cancel for that reason alone, but it can recommend cancellation and the authority must reply within 35 days (reg 11(9)–(14)).
Challenge online: official page. By post: Dart Charge Enforcement, PO Box 842, Leeds LS1 9QF (use the representation slip on the PCN).
- You cannot challenge a Dart Charge PCN by phone.
- A crossing between 10pm and 6am is free, so a PCN for that time is wrong.
- If you had an account, check its payment card and balance on the date of the crossing before writing.
If the authority says no
It sends a notice of rejection. You then have 28 days to appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, or to pay. See our guide to appealing to the tribunal.
The local resident discount trap
Many Dartford and Thurrock residents rely on the £25 annual discount and stop thinking about payment. The discount falls away if the annual fee is not paid, if documents are not re-sent every two years, or if a new number plate is not followed by the V5C within six weeks. After that every crossing is charged at the full rate and unpaid crossings become PCNs.
Who decides appeals
Dart Charge appeals go to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, the same tribunal as Clean Air Zones outside London, after National Highways has rejected your representations.
Worked example
You cross southbound in a car at 3pm on Friday and forget to pay the £3.50 by midnight on Saturday. A PCN for £70 arrives. Paid within 14 days it is £35 plus the £3.50 crossing charge. Left unpaid, it rises to £105, plus the charge.
Can I challenge this charge? Free check
Free. Your answers stay on this device. Nothing is sent to us.
Letters for Dartford Crossing
Built from your checker answers, with the right grounds and regulation numbers for your scheme. You see the start of the letter before you pay, then edit it and download it as Word or PDF.
Representation letter
Your formal challenge to the authority, citing each ground that fits with its regulation number, the evidence you enclose and a request to cancel.
Start my letterFull pack
The representation, a tribunal appeal statement, replies at the charge certificate and debt registration stages, witness statement and out-of-time wording, and a bailiff fee check.
Start the full packOne penalty per purchase, usable for 6 months. Full refund within 14 days if you haven't downloaded a letter. Templates you send yourself, not legal advice. See sample letters
Questions people ask
Is there a grace period?
You have until midnight the day after you cross. There is no further grace period.
I paid for the wrong date. Can I appeal?
Advance payments are used automatically for your next crossing, so check your account history first. If the payment was for the right vehicle but recorded against a different date, send the receipt with your representations.
Sources
Last checked: 13 November 2026. Every fact on this page was checked against these official pages. How we check
Road Fine Check is independent. Not affiliated with TfL, National Highways, any council or crossing operator. To pay a charge, use the official website.