How do I check if I’ve paid the Dart Charge?
It depends on how you paid. Account holders can check their crossings online (National Highways’ Dart Charge help page). Without an account, your proof is the receipt sent when you paid.
| How you pay | How to check |
|---|---|
| Pre-pay or pay as you go account | Sign in and open ‘Account management’, then ‘Payment’, for your payment history, or choose ‘Check which crossing you’ve paid for’. |
| One-off payment, no account | Find the receipt email, including in your spam folder. Dart Charge can re-issue it on 0300 300 0120. |
| Paid in advance | Advance payments are valid for 12 months and are used automatically on your next crossing. |
| Someone else paid | Ask them for the receipt, and check it shows the right number plate. |
Where do I find my Dart Charge receipt?
If you paid without an account, your receipt is the email sent when you paid, so search your inbox and spam folder for it. Account holders can see every payment after signing in, under ‘Account management’, then ‘Payment’. If you can’t find a receipt, Dart Charge can re-issue it on 0300 300 0120.
Why isn’t my crossing showing yet?
Crossings take time to appear. National Highways says they don’t show on an account until after midnight on the day you crossed, and crossings by vehicles without an account can take longer because some number-plate images are checked by hand.
That doesn’t change your deadline. You can pay up to midnight the day after you crossed, whether or not the crossing is visible online yet.
Do I actually owe a Dart Charge?
Not for every crossing. The charge applies from 6am to 10pm every day, so crossing overnight is free, and motorcycles, mopeds and quad bikes never pay (GOV.UK). Each direction counts as a separate crossing, so a return trip is two charges. Prices and hours are on our Dartford Crossing page.
With a Dart Charge account, crossings are paid automatically, but not unconditionally. A pre-pay account is suspended if its credit falls below £2.80, and the account terms say having an account won’t stop a penalty if your balance can’t cover a crossing. On pay as you go, a declined or expired card can leave a crossing unpaid.
What if I can’t tell whether I’ve paid?
If the deadline hasn’t passed, paying again is usually the cheaper risk. A car crossing costs £3.50; a missed one leads to a £70 penalty on top of the charge.
If you then find you paid twice, ask for a refund. National Highways says you can request one through the Dart Charge contact form or on 0300 300 0120. It doesn’t publish a specific policy on duplicate payments, so keep both receipts.
Only pay through GOV.UK. National Highways warns that unofficial sites can charge more than the real price, and paying through them may mean your crossing isn’t paid correctly.
How do I know if a Dart Charge PCN is on its way?
Usually not until the letter arrives. Penalty charge notices are posted to the vehicle’s registered keeper at the address the DVLA holds, so if you’ve moved and haven’t updated your V5C logbook, the notice goes to your old address.
GOV.UK doesn’t say how soon after a crossing a PCN is sent. Each notice gives the date and time of the crossing and includes photos of the front and rear of the vehicle (GOV.UK). To pay or challenge it online you need the PCN reference number printed on it.
How much is a Dart Charge PCN?
£70, plus the crossing charge you didn’t pay. It’s reduced to £35 if you pay within 14 days and goes up to £105 if you don’t pay (GOV.UK).
Read your notice carefully. GOV.UK’s sample PCN shows that when it’s a vehicle’s first unpaid crossing, the notice can offer to cancel the penalty if you pay just the crossing charge within 14 days. Our guide to forgetting to pay the Dart Charge has the full penalty timeline.
How do I pay or challenge a Dart Charge PCN?
Pay online through GOV.UK’s Dart Charge fine service or by phone on 0300 1313 120, 8am to 8pm every day.
If you’d already paid, challenge it instead. Make a representation online or by post using the slip on the notice (you can’t challenge by phone) within 28 days of the date of service, and include your receipt or payment reference. If Dart Charge rejects it, you have 28 days from the notice of rejection to appeal to the independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal.
Can EveryDrive tell me if I’ve paid?
No. EveryDrive has no access to your Dart Charge account, so it can’t see payments or penalties. What it does is notice the crossing from your phone’s location, tell you whether your vehicle is charged, log the date and time, and remind you before midnight the next day, so you know exactly which crossing to check or pay for on GOV.UK.