Dart Charge PCN: How to Appeal (2026 Guide)

Dart Charge is a free-flow crossing charge for the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing (the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and Dartford Tunnel). There's no barrier — you pay after you cross, separately for each direction, by midnight the day after you cross. Miss it, and a Penalty Charge Notice follows: currently £70, discounted to £35 if paid within 14 days.

The appeal process runs in stages: an informal challenge first, then formal representations if that's rejected, then an appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal if the case still isn't resolved. Your discount is normally preserved while a challenge or representation is being considered — but if it goes all the way to Tribunal and you lose, the full amount usually becomes payable.

Grounds worth checking: whether the charge was actually paid (a payment reference is strong evidence), whether the PCN itself is missing information it's legally required to include under the Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2022, and — for hire or lease vehicles — whether liability was correctly transferred to the hirer under Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

If you crossed twice in one day — there and back — you may have received two separate PCNs. Each needs its own appeal, but they can be prepared together. See our guide on twin-crossing PCNs for more.