Dartford Crossing prices in 2026
The full 2026 Dart Charge price list, by vehicle class, for both pay-as-you-go and pre-pay accounts. The numbers below come directly from gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge/charges and reflect the September 2025 increase.
Car (Class B)
£3.50
£2.80 pre-pay
2-axle goods (Class C)
£4.20
£3.60 pre-pay
Multi-axle HGV (Class D)
£8.40
£7.20 pre-pay
Motorcycle (Class A)
FREE
no registration required
The 2026 Dart Charge price list, in full
These are the rates that apply right now and every day of 2026 (until a future Statutory Instrument changes them). Pay-as-you-go is the rate you pay if you do nothing in advance. Pre-pay is what you pay on a Dart Charge account funded by a £15 minimum deposit.
| Vehicle class | Who it covers | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-pay | Pre-pay saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle (Class A) | Motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, quad bikes. Free in both directions, no registration needed. | Free | Free | n/a |
| Car (Class B) | Cars, vans up to 3.5t, motorhomes, minibuses with 9 or fewer seats including the driver. | £3.50 | £2.80 | 70p / crossing |
| 2-axle goods (Class C) | Goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes with 2 axles, including Sprinter long-wheelbase variants over GVW and small rigid lorries. | £4.20 | £3.60 | 60p / crossing |
| Multi-axle HGV (Class D) | Goods vehicles with 3 or more axles. Articulated lorries, large rigids, tankers, car transporters. | £8.40 | £7.20 | £1.20 / crossing |
| Disabled tax class | Vehicles in the DVLA Disabled Tax Class. Must register the V5C with Dart Charge first; only registered vehicles are free. | Free | Free | n/a |
Class is based on construction and use. A camper based on a Class B van chassis pays the Class B car rate; a coach with 10+ seats pays Class C. See the vehicle class guide for borderline cases.
When the price is zero
The 2026 price list has a permanent free window. 10pm – 6am (every day) every single day. ANPR cameras still read your plate but no charge is generated.
- Christmas Day overnight: free
- New Year's Day overnight: free
- Every bank holiday from 10pm to 6am: free
- The headline price still applies in daytime hours on holidays
When the 2026 price applies
Any crossing made between 6am and 10pm in either direction, with payment due by midnight the day after crossing. Miss the deadline and a £70 Penalty Charge Notice (reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days) replaces the £3.50 you would have paid.
- Weekday rush hour: full rate
- Weekend daytime: full rate
- Bank holiday daytime: full rate
- Christmas Day daytime: full rate (yes, really)
Why the 2026 price list is the same as the late-2025 one
On 1 September 2025, National Highways implemented the first across-the-board increase since the Dart Charge replaced the toll booths in November 2014. The cap on charges had stood at £6 for an HGV for eleven years. The 2025 revision rebased every class by about 40 per cent. No further increase has been announced for 2026, which is why the prices on this page are identical to the late-2025 ones.
| Class | Until 31 Aug 2025 | From 1 Sept 2025 (still 2026) | Rise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car (PAYG) | £2.50 | £3.50 | +40% |
| Car (pre-pay) | £2.00 | £2.80 | +40% |
| 2-axle goods (PAYG) | £3.00 | £4.20 | +40% |
| Multi-axle HGV (PAYG) | £6.00 | £8.40 | +40% |
| Resident pass (annual) | £20 | £25 | +25% |
The full Sept 2025 change is reported on the Dart Charge price increase 2025 page, including the Statutory Instrument that authorised it and the rationale set out at the time.
The 2026 local-resident pass
Dartford and Thurrock residents in eligible postcodes can buy an annual pass that's separate from the standard price list. It uses the same Dart Charge account infrastructure but is priced as a flat fee, not a per-crossing rate.
Unlimited crossings
£25/yr
Up from £20 before Sept 2025. Pays back after ~9 car crossings.
50-crossing tier
£12.50/yr
Up from £10. 25p / crossing, only worth it for very light residents.
Eligibility splits by borough: Dartford resident discount for DA postcodes, Thurrock resident discount for RM postcodes.
2026 prices by vehicle type
The class-by-class table above is the canonical reference. The pages below go into the edge cases for each vehicle type.
2026 price questions
What are the Dartford Crossing prices in 2026?+
Cars and light vans pay £3.50 pay-as-you-go or £2.80 with a pre-pay account. Two-axle goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes pay £4.20 (or £3.60 pre-pay). Multi-axle HGVs pay £8.40 (or £7.20 pre-pay). Motorcycles, mopeds and disabled-tax-class vehicles cross free. These rates have applied since 1 September 2025.
Did Dartford Crossing prices go up in 2026?+
No new increase has been announced for 2026. The rates in force across 2026 are the ones set on 1 September 2025, when National Highways raised every class by roughly 40 per cent. Cars went from £2.50 to £3.50, two-axle goods from £3.00 to £4.20, and multi-axle HGVs from £6.00 to £8.40.
When are crossings free at the Dartford Crossing?+
Every night between 10pm and 6am, every day of the year. Bank holidays, Christmas Day and weekends are not free during charging hours, despite a persistent rumour to the contrary.
Is there a fixed price for the year, or does it change?+
Prices are set by Statutory Instrument and revised at the discretion of the Secretary of State for Transport. The September 2025 change was the first since 2014. There is no published schedule for the next revision, but the next is most likely to follow either an inflationary review or a Lower Thames Crossing funding decision.
How do I get the pre-pay rate instead of the £3.50 standard?+
Open a Dart Charge pre-pay account at gov.uk/dart-charge with a £15 minimum deposit. The pre-pay rate applies automatically every time your vehicle is read by an ANPR camera at the crossing. You can hold up to 20 vehicles on one account.
Is the £25-a-year resident pass cheaper than pre-pay?+
Yes, if you cross more than about 9 times a year and you live in an eligible Dartford or Thurrock postcode. The £25 buys unlimited crossings; you would pay £25.20 for nine pre-pay car crossings at £2.80 each, so the pass breaks even almost immediately for any genuine resident commuter.
Oliver Wakefield-Smith
Founder, Digital Signet
Independent reference for Dart Charge prices and routing, sourced from gov.uk and updated against announced National Highways tariff changes.
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