Dart Charge price change
Dart Charge prices will change from 1 September 2025.
From 1 September 2025, Dart Charge prices will change to the following rates:
Cars and motorcycles
| Vehicle class | One-off payment | Pay as you go | Pre-pay account | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycles, mopeds and quad bikes | A | Free | Free | Free |
| Cars (including trailers), motorhomes and any minibuses that have 9 or fewer seats (including the driver’s seat) | B | £3.50 | £3.50 | £2.80 |
Buses, coaches, vans and other goods vehicles
| Vehicle class | One-off payment | Pay as you go | Pre-pay account | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles with 2 axles | C | £4.20 | £4.20 | £3.60 |
| Vehicles with more than 2 axles | D | £8.40 | £8.40 | £7.20 |
Local residents in Dartford and Thurrock who have applied for the Local Residents Discount Scheme will still benefit from reduced rates, from 1 September 2025 these are:
- £25/year for unlimited crossings
- £12.50 for 50 crossings/year
How much are the charges going up by?
Charges are increasing by up to 40%. This means the charge for cars will rise from £2.50 to £3.50 (or £2.80 for account holders). Pre-pay account holders will retain a discount of up to 22%.
Anyone can apply for a Dart Charge account. For example, a car driver who doesn’t have a pre-pay account now could limit the increase in the charge they pay per crossing to 30p.
Are any prices staying the same?
The rest of the charging scheme remains the same, including free crossings at night (10pm to 6am).
Why are the charges changing?
On 17 June 2025, the Roads Minister announced the Government’s decision to change the charges for all vehicles that currently pay to use the Dartford Crossing from 1 September 2025. For more information, read the Written Ministerial Statement.
What happens now?
Following the government’s announcement, National Highways will roll out the new prices, which will come into effect on 1 September 2025. These changes won't affect how you manage your account. We're working hard to make sure this goes smoothly.
You don’t need to do anything. Just keep making payments and managing your account as usual.
I’ve already paid for a crossing after 1 September — will I need to pay more?
If you've pre-paid for crossings scheduled on or after 1 September 2025, there'll be no need to top up the difference.
I have a pre-pay account with auto top-up — do I need to do anything?
No, your account will continue to work as normal. The updated rates will apply automatically from 1 September 2025.
There will be changes to the terms and conditions for pre-pay account holders to update the minimum balance threshold and minimum top-up. We'll write to all account holders to explain this further before 1 September 2025. There's no action you need to take.
I have a Local Resident Discount Scheme (LRDS) account — is there anything I need to do?
Not right now. The cost of your annual or 50-trip package will change (as per the prices above) from 1 September 2025. If you have an active plan, it won't change until it's due for renewal.
If I want to save money, what options do I have?
- Use the Crossing at night (10pm to 6am) — when it’s free
- Travel by motorbike or bicycle
- Consider public transport or alternative routes where available
- Set up a pre-pay account to make use of the discount available
Should I be worried that your systems will face issues again?
No. The issues following the switchover to the service provider in July 2023 have been resolved. These price changes won’t affect how you manage your account. We’re constantly striving to improve our service, correcting any issues quickly, always with customer feedback in mind.
How can I share any feedback on the changes?
The government isn't required to carry out a formal consultation on changes to the Dart Charge if the increase is in line with inflation.
This is set out in Regulation 11(2) of the relevant legislation, which allows adjustments that do not go above changes in the Retail Price Index.
National Highways is responsible for implementing this change. If you have any thoughts or suggestions about how we're doing this, we welcome all feedback so we can continue to improve our service.
How is Dart Charge income used?
All money collected by Dart Charge is passed directly to the UK Government and invested back into transport improvements. For more information on this, read the Written Ministerial Statement.
Wasn’t the toll supposed to end once the bridge was paid off?
Road charging decisions are not made by National Highways. There has always been a charge at the Dartford Crossing. Tolls were collected until 2003. Since then, a road user charge has been in place to manage high demand. Despite some claims, there was no commitment made by the government to remove charges in 1999.
Will charges rise again in the future?
Any future increases in charges at the Dartford Crossing will be decided and reviewed by the government.
Need more help?
Contact our customer service team on 0300 300 0120.
