Minibuses split at 9 seats. A minibus with 9 or fewer seats including the driver pays the car rate: £3.50 pay-as-you-go, £2.80 pre-pay. Add a tenth seat and it becomes Class C at £4.20 / £3.60. This page covers how the classification works, the school and community use cases, and why a pre-pay account is worth setting up for any minibus that crosses more than once a month.
The threshold counts the driver as one of the 9 seats. So 8 passengers plus driver = Class B. 9 passengers plus driver = Class C.
PAYG
£3.50
Pre-pay
£2.80
PAYG
£4.20
Pre-pay
£3.60
Three things to know if you're running a community or school minibus and crossing the Dartford routinely:
Assumes 52 weeks a year crossing in both directions. Class B (9 seats or fewer) and Class C (10+ seats) shown side-by-side so you can pick the row that matches your minibus.
| Crossings / week | Class B PAYG | Class B pre-pay | Class C PAYG | Class C pre-pay | Pre-pay saves (Class C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1x | £182 | £146 | £218 | £187 | £31/yr |
| 2x | £364 | £291 | £437 | £374 | £62/yr |
| 4x | £728 | £582 | £874 | £749 | £125/yr |
| 10x | £1820 | £1456 | £2184 | £1872 | £312/yr |
Cars
£3.50 PAYG, £2.80 pre-pay.
Vans
Same 3.5t boundary, different chassis types.
Motorhomes
Weight-based, height limit 4.88m.
Fleet (up to 20)
School / church admin guide.
Pre-pay account
The 60p / crossing Class C saving.
Full 2026 price list
All classes side-by-side.
It depends on seats. A minibus with 9 or fewer seats including the driver pays the car rate: £3.50 PAYG or £2.80 pre-pay. A minibus with 10 or more seats is Class C and pays £4.20 PAYG or £3.60 pre-pay.
Because the Dart Charge follows the same Class B definition the DVLA uses for the standard category B (car) driving licence. A car licence permits up to 8 passengers plus the driver. The Dart Charge structure mirrors that to keep the classification consistent with what the driver is licensed to drive.
The Dart Charge rate is the same regardless of permit type. Section 19 (not-for-hire) and section 22 (community bus) minibuses are charged by seat count: under 9 seats is Class B (£3.50), 10+ seats is Class C (£4.20). The permit affects who can drive it, not how much you pay at the toll.
Yes for Dart Charge purposes. The system counts the seats on the V5C log book, not the body style. A 9-seat Volkswagen Touran, Ford Tourneo Custom, Citroen Berlingo and Volkswagen Caravelle all pay the £3.50 car rate. Some manufacturers register their 9-seat versions as 'minibus' on the V5C; same rate.
Yes. A pre-pay account holds up to 20 vehicles regardless of organisation type. £15 deposit, Direct Debit top-up, all minibuses on one account. The £2.80 rate applies per crossing for any Class B minibus (under 10 seats). Class C minibuses (10+ seats) get the £3.60 pre-pay rate on the same account.
Class C, £4.20 PAYG or £3.60 pre-pay per crossing. Above 17 seats (e.g. 22-seater coaches) is still Class C as long as it has 2 axles. Three-axle coaches become Class D at £8.40. For school transport that crosses regularly, the £15 pre-pay deposit saves 60p per crossing and is universally worth it.
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.
About the operator