Dartford Crossing

Prices changed on 1 September 2025. A one-way crossing costs:

• Cars, motorhomes, passenger vans and buses with less than 9 seats: £3.50 (£2.80 with an account)
• Goods vehicles with two axles, including vans and small trucks: £4.20 (£3.60 with an account)
• Goods vehicles with more than two axles: £8.40 (£7.20 with an account)

You pay each time you cross, so a return trip is two crossings.

The Dart Charge is the payment drivers pay to use the Dartford Crossing, crossing the Thames on the eastern section of the M25. You can read more about the charge on our Dartford Crossing page.

Regular users can get discounts with a prepaid account. There is no charge for the following:

• Disabled drivers who are not required to pay car tax (VED)
• Mopeds and motorbikes

If you’re a local with a car or small van, you get unlimited crossings for £20 per year, or £10 a year for 50 crossings. Cyclists can’t ride across, but free shuttles take them over.

No, cash payments have stopped being accepted. Caura is the quickest way to pay. It’s just two taps.

Yes, you have to pay each time you drive over the crossing. You can pay for a return journey in one transaction on Caura.

All of the Roads & Tolls on Caura use ANPR to automatically detect when your vehicle has driven through the charging zone. If your vehicle is liable, you will have to pay each time you make a trip through the toll area. Look out for signs to signal when you’re entering the toll zone.

For some tolls, certain types of vehicles may face different charges or be exempt from paying any charge altogether. For example, motorcycles, mopeds and quad bikes are all exempt from the Dart Charge. You can learn more about each charge and the price vehicles have to pay on GOV.UK.

Download Caura and find Dart Charge under Roads & Tolls, where you can pay for today, yesterday or tomorrow.

If you’ve paid for the wrong charge, or the wrong day, unfortunately we aren’t able to offer a refund. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider. We’re unable to recover funds so we aren’t able to offer a refund.

You can view any payments you’ve made by going to the History tab in Caura. Tap on any payment in the list to view more detail. From there, you can even export a receipt to your email.

Pay the Dart Charge by midnight the day after you cross, otherwise you’ll get fined £70, plus the original crossing fee. The penalty is sent to the address your vehicle is registered at. This amount halves if you pay it within 14 days, but rises to £105 if you don’t pay in the time limit.

If you think you've been fined unfairly, you can appeal.

There are a few ways to avoid paying:

• Cross at night, after 10pm and before 6am
• If you're heading for the M1 or similar, take the western side of the M25, which avoids the crossing
• The Woolwich Ferry is free and takes cars, if you're getting in or out of central London
• There's a foot ferry between Tilbury and Gravesend

If you're on the eastern section of the M25 where it crosses the Thames, you'll use the crossing. Signs warn you in plenty of time. There's no barrier or toll booth though, so remember to pay once you've crossed.

Currently, you can pay for either today, tomorrow or yesterday in-app on Caura. Make sure you pay for the right date for any trips you make, as we’re unable to offer a refund for any payments made for the wrong day by mistake.

Charges apply from 6am to 10pm all year round, 7 days a week, including the Christmas Day bank holiday. Crossing between 10pm and 6am is free.