Dart Charge PCN: Payment and Appeals

Did you receive a Dart Charge Penalty Charge Notice and feel unsure about what to do next?

You’ve come to the right place! Each month, more than 130,000 people visit our site seeking advice on handling fines and parking tickets.

In this easy-to-understand guide, we’ll explain:

• What a Dart Charge Penalty Charge Notice is and why you might get one.
• If you need to pay it right away or if you can wait.
• The steps on how to make a strong appeal against the charge if you think it’s not right.
• Certain situations where you might not need to pay the charge.
• What could happen if you choose not to pay the charge.

Believe it or not, in 2021, Churchill Motor Insurance reported an 8% increase in penalty charge notices (PCNs) in Britain, with over 5.2 million issued.¹ You’re not alone in this.

We understand your situation, and we’re ready to help. Let’s get started!

Dart Charge Penalty Charge Notice and what to do

Check the vehicle, crossing date and payment evidence. A Dart Charge PCN follows a civil enforcement process; ignoring it can lead to debt registration and enforcement, not an ordinary magistrates’ prosecution for the unpaid PCN.

In this case, a Penalty Charge Notice Dartford Crossing fine could set you back a substantial amount of money.

The cashless payment system does fail sometimes, and motorists are paying the London Congestion Charge by mistake.

If you’re unsure what to do, I suggest you get legal advice from a solicitor.

So, before you pay PCN for Dart Charge, verify that you actually deserve the fine. Also, make sure you have enough Dart Charge PCN evidence to support your appeal.

Do you have to pay a Dart Charge Penalty Notice?

Not necessarily.

That said, the best way to pay for a Dartford Crossing is to pay directly from their official website.

Be sure to get an official receipt for the payment.

Otherwise, you don’t have any proof of payment if things go wrong and you get a Dart Charge penalty charge notice.

Also, you may be wondering whether you can pay Dart Charge without PCN documents, and the answer is yes. But you’ll need to retrieve the PCN number by contacting the authority.

Use the official GOV.UK service. Unofficial intermediary websites may charge additional fees and do not replace the need to confirm that the correct crossing or penalty has been paid.

Here’s a quick table that will help you better understand how to pay your PCN.

Action	Official route
Pay or challenge a Dart Charge PCN	GOV.UK Dart Charge PCN service
PCN telephone payments and enquiries	0300 1313 120, daily 8am–8pm. Representations cannot be made by phone.
Pay the ordinary crossing charge	GOV.UK crossing-charge service. This is separate from an already-issued PCN.

Can you appeal a Dart penalty charge?

Yes. When you believe a Dart penalty charge is incorrect, you have the right to appeal it.

For example, motorists were fined because the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system failed to work.

However, it’s not just the ‘misreading’ of number plates that causes the problem. There are other reasons why you could appeal the Dart charge. 

To challenge PCN Dart Charge fines, you should:

• Contact the authority within 28 days of the charge being served
• Provide the Dart penalty charge reference number
• Explain your reasons or grounds for Dart charge appeal

Just make sure you have sufficient evidence to support a PCN Dart Charge appeal.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

Appeal Process Steps

I’ve put together this table to help you better understand the appeal process. If you want to learn more about the steps you should take, please read our detailed guide.

When	Action
On receiving a council PCN	Read the notice, keep it, gather evidence and note all payment and challenge deadlines.
Windscreen or handed-to-driver PCN	An informal challenge may be available before the Notice to Owner. Early challenge can preserve a discount under the authority’s policy; 14 days is not a universal final appeal deadline.
Postal PCN or Notice to Owner	Normally make formal representations within 28 days as stated on the notice. Do not assume there is an extra informal stage.
Representations rejected	The Notice of Rejection explains how to appeal to the appropriate independent tribunal, normally within 28 days.
Appeal unsuccessful	Pay by the deadline given in the decision or obtain advice on any available review. Further statutory charges can follow if you do neither.
Other ticket type	Private parking charges and FPNs use different procedures; follow the actual notice.

Further guidance: Traffic Penalty Tribunal; Citizens Advice.

What happens if the authority rejects your appeal?

You have the right to get an independent adjudicator involved if the authority rejects your appeal against a Dart penalty charge.

You’ll find more information on how to appeal to the adjudicator in the rejection letter.

Note: An appeal to an independent adjudicator must be made within 28 days of receiving the rejection letter. It’s vital to respect all Dart Charge PCN time limits when filing an appeal.

What criteria does an independent adjudicator need to accept an appeal?

Use the statutory grounds stated on the notice and rejection letter. Depending on the facts, relevant grounds may include:

• You were not the person liable under the scheme at the time of the crossing, with supporting ownership or keeper evidence.
• Someone else used the vehicle without the owner’s permission
• A vehicle-hire firm satisfies the statutory requirements for transferring liability under a qualifying hire agreement; hire-company ownership alone is not enough.
• The charge was paid on time
• The penalty was more than it should have been

There are other compelling reasons for challenging a penalty charge Dartford crossing fine.

My advice? Follow the Dart PCN appeal criteria.

Contact the authority and file an appeal but don’t ignore the charge.

It’s important that you understand the difference between a Penalty Charge Notice and a Parking Charge Notice. To learn more about this, please check out our related article on this.

Can you file a complaint against the authority?

A service complaint is separate from a formal PCN representation or tribunal appeal. It does not replace the statutory process or suspend its deadline.

To clarify, you can’t complain just because you got a penalty charge for Dartford Crossing. You must either pay the charge or file an appeal against it.

Did you pay London Congestion Charge instead of the Dartford Crossing?

You’re not alone if you paid the London Congestion Charge by mistake.

The signage at the Dartford Crossing is confusing, to say the least. The reason? The signage has no web address, so motorists are paying the wrong charge.

The London Congestion Charge and Dart Charge are separate schemes. Paying one does not settle the other, so contact the relevant service promptly if you paid the wrong charge.

The Dart Charge PCN is normally £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days and increased to £105 at the charge-certificate stage if the statutory conditions are met. The original crossing charge is also due. Later enforcement can add further costs.

Did Dart charge take your payment twice?

Check your bank account when you think a payment has been taken twice when you used the Dart charge.

The AA has reported that tolls took duplicate payments all too often.

For a suspected duplicate crossing payment, contact Dart Charge through its official customer-support route and provide both payment references. National Highways is the responsible body; a payment complaint does not automatically stop a PCN deadline.

The current PCN contact-centre number is 0300 1313 120, open daily 8am–8pm. PCNs cannot be challenged by phone. Use the official PCN page for online or postal representations.

Dart Charge Penalty Charge Notice – What You Need To Know

References

1. Direct Line Group — Parking Fines Statistics