Dartford Crossing local resident discount
If you live in Dartford Borough or Thurrock, you can pay £25 for unlimited car crossings or £12.50 for 50 crossings. The cheapest option for any resident who crosses more than seven times a year.
The short answer
The Dartford Crossing local resident discount costs £25 a year for unlimited crossings or £12.50 a year for 50 crossings. You qualify if your local council is Dartford Borough Council or Thurrock Council and your vehicle is registered at your address there. Apply online through the Dart Charge service or by post. Rates set 1 September 2025.
£25 a year, unlimited
Cars, vans and other private vehicles. As many crossings as you like.
£25
- Unlimited car crossings for 12 months
- Eligible: Dartford Borough or Thurrock council tax payers
- Break-even at 8 crossings/year vs PAYG
- Renew yearly
£12.50 a year, 50 crossings
Better value if you cross less than 50 times a year.
£12.50
- 50 crossings before the pass tops out
- Same eligibility (Dartford / Thurrock)
- Effective rate: 25p/crossing if you use all 50
- Go over 50? Buy 25 more for £6.25, capped at £25/year total
On the £12.50 plan you do not need to switch plans if you run out of crossings. Dart Charge tops the pass up in blocks of 25 more crossings for £6.25 each, and the total you can pay in a single year is capped at £25. Once you reach that cap the pass behaves like the unlimited £25 plan for the rest of the year.
Who qualifies
- You pay council tax in Dartford Borough or Thurrock.
- The vehicle is registered (V5C) at your council tax address.
- The vehicle is a car, motorhome, minibus (9 seats or fewer), or a privately owned or leased two-axle van. Company-owned vehicles and HGVs (more than two axles) are not eligible.
- You can register one vehicle per pass per resident.
- You apply directly through gov.uk and provide proof of address (council tax bill or similar).
Break-even maths
The £25 pass beats PAYG above 8 crossings a year (8 × £3.50 = £28). It beats pre-pay above roughly 9 crossings a year. For anyone with family on the other side of the Thames, the maths is overwhelming.
| Annual crossings | PAYG cost | Pre-pay cost | £25 pass saves vs PAYG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | £18 | £14 | £-8 |
| 10 | £35 | £28 | £10 |
| 24 | £84 | £67 | £59 |
| 50 | £175 | £140 | £150 |
| 104 | £364 | £291 | £339 |
| 260 | £910 | £728 | £885 |
Logging in, managing and renewing the pass
There is no separate residents-only portal. The pass lives inside the ordinary Dart Charge account, so you log in the same way you would to pay a crossing.
Log in online
Sign in at gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge. The local resident discount sits under your account management, alongside payment methods and vehicle details.
Manage by phone
Call 0300 300 0120 and choose the ‘Local Resident Discount Scheme’ option if you would rather renew or update details over the phone.
Yearly renewal
The pass runs 12 months from issue. Dart Charge sends a renewal notification when it is due (email or post, your choice); renew with the same V5C and proof of address.
If you let the pass lapse, crossings revert to PAYG £3.50 or pre-pay £2.80 depending on your account mode. Re-applications are not back-dated, so any gap between lapse and renewal is charged at the standard rate.
Resident discount questions
How much is the Dartford Crossing local resident discount?+
Two plans: £25 a year for unlimited crossings, or £12.50 a year for 50 crossings. The total you pay in a year will not be more than £25. These prices have applied since 1 September 2025, when the passes rose from £20 and £10.
What happens if I use all 50 crossings on the £12.50 plan?+
You do not switch plans. Dart Charge adds more crossings in blocks of 25 for £6.25 each, and the total you pay in a year is capped at £25. So two top-ups take a £12.50 pass to the £25 ceiling, after which crossings are effectively unlimited for the rest of the 12 months.
Who qualifies for the Dart Charge resident discount?+
You qualify if your local council is Dartford Borough Council or Thurrock Council and the vehicle is registered (V5C) at your address in that area. Cars, motorhomes and minibuses with 9 or fewer seats qualify, and so do privately owned or leased two-axle vans. Company-owned vehicles and anything with more than two axles (HGVs) are not eligible.
How do I apply for the local resident discount?+
The quickest route is online through the Dart Charge service at gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge. You can also apply by post using the application form on the gov.uk publication 'Apply for Dart Charge's Local Resident Discount Scheme'. You'll need your V5C and proof of address.
How do I log in to my local resident discount account?+
Use the same Dart Charge account you applied with. Go to gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge, sign in, and the local resident discount sits under your account management. There is no separate residents-only login. You can also manage the pass by phone on 0300 300 0120, selecting the 'Local Resident Discount Scheme' option.
How does the local resident discount renew?+
The pass runs for 12 months from the date of issue. Dart Charge sends a renewal notification when it is due, and you choose whether to receive it by email or by post. You renew by logging in to the same account with the same documents (V5C and proof of address). If you let the pass lapse, crossings revert to PAYG £3.50 or pre-pay £2.80.
Is the resident discount valid at the Lower Thames Crossing?+
No. The pass covers the Dartford Crossing only. The Lower Thames Crossing (2034 opening target) will set its own tolls and no resident-pass equivalent has been announced for it.