The Dartford crossing is a free-flow toll bridge that takes you across the river Thames on the eastern section of the M25. All drivers will be charged per crossing, however there are some exemptions in place. Find a full exemptions list here.

There are no barriers or payments booths, so payments need to be made online. Forgot to pay the Dart charge? Find out how you can pay the Dart Charge PCN quickly to reduce the cost of the fine as well as contact details for the Dart Charge customer service.

I forgot to pay the Dart Charge, what happens now?

If you use the M25 Dartford Crossing and don’t pay the charge by midnight the day after you cross, you’ll be liable for a £70 Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). This will be sent to the address your vehicle is registered to.

Once you receive the PCN, head to the gov.uk website [1] where you will be required to enter the Penalty Charge Notice number and your vehicle registration number. You will then be asked to pay the PCN. We advise you to pay the Dart Charge penalty within 14 days to reduce the cost of the fine to £35.

How do I submit a Dart Charge appeal?

If you think you have been fined unfairly, you can submit a dart charge appeal by either filling out the online form [2] or by filling out the form attached to the PCN and posting it to:

Dart Charge Enforcement

PO BOX 842

Leeds

LS1 9QF

To submit an appeal, you would need:

• The Penalty Charge Notice letter
• The Penalty Charge number, which will start with the letters ‘IA’, ‘IB’, or ‘IK’
• The registration number of the vehicle that is referred to in the Penalty Charge Notice.

You will also have the option of including any supporting evidence, for example:

• A receipt or unique transaction number for your payment
• The name and address of the person you sold your vehicle to, along with a proof of sale document
• A crime reference for a stolen vehicle
• Your V5C form for an exempt vehicle
• A death certificate if the registered keeper is deceased
• Sufficient evidence that the vehicle was in a different location at the time of the fine.

Any other evidence can also be submitted to assist the Dart Charge team in understanding your case.

How do I contact the Dart Charge Customer Service?

The fastest way to get in touch with the Dart Charge Customer service is by contacting them via telephone using the details below:

Phone: 0300 300 0120

From outside the UK: +44 (0) 300 300 0120

Textphone: 18001 0300 300 0120

Their contact hours are Monday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm (excluding public holidays/bank holidays)

What’s the fastest way to make future Dart Charge payments?

The Caura app is the easiest and fastest way to pay the Dart charge.

All you need to do is enter your vehicle registration number, select ‘Roads & Tolls’, select ‘Dart Charge’ and pay using your preferred payment method. You can also buy a return journey with just one transaction by simply selecting ‘2 visits’ when selecting the number of trips.

If you’re driving through London and need to pay the Congestion or ULEZ charge, you can also do this in Caura within the ‘City Charges’ category. Find out more about London City Charges here.

When you make a payment in Caura, all payment receipts are stored in-app, ready for you whenever you need them. If you want to view a receipt, head to the ‘History’ tab in-app and tap on any payment in the list to view more details. From there, you can also export a receipt to your email.

For more information about the Dart Charge, click here.

Have questions? You can find and browse our FAQs section at the bottom of the page.

[1] https://www.dartford-crossing-charge.service.gov.uk/PcnPayment/SearchMultiplePCN

[2] https://pay-dartford-crossing-fine.service.gov.uk

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*Image credit Filckr user Dan Atrill