Motorcycles cross the Dartford Crossing free
Class A vehicles (motorcycle, moped, scooter, quad bike) pay nothing at the Dartford Crossing. No registration, no app to download, no account to open. The ANPR cameras read the plate, see a motorcycle, and the charge stays at zero. This page covers the edge cases for bikes: tunnel-versus-bridge routing, mopeds, learner riders, trikes, and what happens if a Class A vehicle is mistakenly billed.
Cost per crossing
FREE
every direction, all hours
Registration
None
automatic exemption
Class
A
in the Dart Charge schema
Free hours bonus?
n/a
already free 24/7
What counts as Class A
The Dart Charge wording for Class A on gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge/charges is "motorbikes and similar, including mopeds, scooters and quad bikes". In practice, anything registered on the DVLA system as a motorcycle (Vehicle Tax Class 17, 36, or 19) qualifies. The list is broader than most drivers think.
- Full-licence sport bikes and naked bikes (any cc)
- Sport touring and adventure bikes (any cc)
- Cruisers, including 1800cc and over
- 50cc mopeds on a CBT (provisional licence) ride
- 125cc commuter bikes on an A1 licence
- Electric motorcycles (Zero, LiveWire, etc.)
- Trikes registered as motorcycles (Yamaha Niken, Piaggio MP3)
- Quad bikes registered as motorcycles (most road-legal quads)
- Sidecar combinations (still classed as one motorcycle)
Tunnel or bridge: the same rules as cars
Motorcycle routing follows the same direction rules as cars: northbound through the tunnels, southbound across the bridge. No separate motorcycle lanes, no filtering at the gantry, no "motorcycle bypass". You queue with everyone else, but you pay nothing.
Through the tunnels
No filtering between cars is permitted; the lanes are narrow and the speed limit is 50mph in the tunnels themselves. Watch for slower learners on mopeds in the offside lane.
Across the QE2 Bridge
Crosswinds on the bridge can be punishing for bikes, especially on the western (downstream) side. National Highways occasionally lowers the speed limit to 30mph in moderate winds and closes the bridge entirely above 60mph.
What to do when the bridge closes
The QE2 Bridge closes to all traffic in winds over 60mph and to high-sided vehicles in winds over 50mph. On those days, southbound motorcycles route through the tunnels alongside northbound. National Highways operates contraflow through the western tunnel, with all four lanes managed dynamically. Both directions remain free for bikes.
Check the bridge status before riding in winter via National Highways or @HighwaysSEAST on X.
If your motorcycle is wrongly billed
It's rare but it happens. If a motorcycle plate is recorded incorrectly (wet weather, debris on the plate) and the system bills the crossing as a car, you have two routes to fix it.
- Before any PCN. If the system has charged a Class B fee against your motorcycle, log into the Dart Charge website and use the "Challenge a charge" form. Attach a photo of the V5C log book showing the Vehicle Tax Class as motorcycle. Refunds typically clear within 10 working days.
- If a PCN has already been issued. Use the formal appeal route. Same V5C evidence. The PCN should be cancelled and any payment refunded. If the appeal is refused, you can take it to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal at no cost.
For the wider appeal process see fines and how to appeal.
For other vehicles
Cars
£3.50 PAYG, £2.80 pre-pay.
Vans
Class B if under 3.5t, Class C over.
HGVs
£8.40 multi-axle, £4.20 two-axle.
Motorhomes
Car rate unless over 4.88m tall.
Minibuses
Class B if 9 seats or fewer.
Free hours and traffic
Peak times and wind-closure rules.
Motorcycle questions
Is the Dartford Crossing free for motorcycles?+
Yes. All motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and quad bikes are Class A and cross the Dartford Crossing free of charge in both directions, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. No registration with Dart Charge is needed.
Do I need to register my motorcycle with Dart Charge?+
No. Unlike the Disabled Tax Class exemption, the motorcycle exemption is automatic. The ANPR cameras read the plate, the system recognises it as a motorcycle, no charge is generated, no PCN follows. Don't open a pre-pay account just for a motorcycle.
Can my motorcycle use the Dartford Tunnels?+
Yes, northbound. The two Dartford Tunnels carry all Class A and Class B traffic northbound, including motorcycles. The 4.88m height limit doesn't apply to any practical motorcycle. There are no separate motorcycle lanes; you join the same traffic as cars.
Can my motorcycle use the QE2 Bridge?+
Yes, southbound, in most conditions. The bridge is open to motorcycles whenever it's open to cars. It closes for high winds (typically over 60mph), at which point both directions divert through the tunnels and motorcycles go that way too.
What about a 49cc moped on a CBT licence?+
Permitted, free of charge. Mopeds are not allowed on the M25 main carriageway but they are allowed on the A282 spur between J31 and J1A, which is the section that crosses the Thames. The A-road reclassification exists partly to preserve moped and learner access. The toll is still free.
What about a trike or quad bike?+
Trikes and quad bikes are Class A and free, as long as they are registered as motorcycles for road tax purposes. A quad bike registered as a goods vehicle (a small minority) pays the appropriate Class C or D rate based on weight and axle count.
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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