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United Kingdom Toll Roads Complete Guide

System: Mixed — point tolls, distance-based charges, and urban congestion/clean air zones
Operators: National Highways, Transport for London (TfL), Mersey Tunnels, local authorities
Currency: British Pound Sterling (GBP)
Coverage: Selected motorways, river crossings, tunnels, and urban clean air zones across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Technology: ANPR cameras (Dartford, London), RFID/transponder (M6 Toll TAG), barrier booths (Mersey, Humber), video billing

Do I Need to Pay Tolls in the UK? 2026 Update

The United Kingdom does not operate a national motorway toll system. The vast majority of roads, including motorways, are free to use. However, specific bridges, tunnels, one private motorway, and urban charging zones do require payment — and the penalties for missing them can be steep.

Key toll points in 2026: The Dartford Crossing (M25 Thames crossing) is the busiest paid crossing in the UK, charging cars £2.50 per crossing via the DART-Charge ANPR system with no cash option. The M6 Toll in the West Midlands is the only tolled motorway, charging cars up to £7.90 for the full 27-mile route. London operates the Congestion Charge (£15/day) and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ, £12.50/day for non-compliant vehicles) as separate daily area charges.

2026 Update: The Dartford Crossing DART-Charge rate for cars remains £2.50, unchanged from 2023. London's ULEZ boundary has covered all London boroughs since August 2023 and rates remain at £12.50/day for non-compliant vehicles in 2026. The M6 Toll rate for Class 1 cars rose to £7.90 for a full daytime journey effective January 2026.

UK Toll Costs: Current Rates

Toll charges in the UK vary considerably by facility type. The table below covers the main paid facilities as of 2026.

Dartford Crossing (DART-Charge) — 2026 Rates

Vehicle Class	Description	Charge per Crossing	Notes
Class A	Motorcycles	Free	No charge applies
Class B	Cars, vans up to 3.5t (up to 9 seats)	£2.50	Pre-pay or pay by midnight next day
Class C	2-axle vehicles over 3.5t, buses/coaches	£3.00	Includes minibuses over 9 seats
Class D	HGVs with 3 or more axles	£6.00	Pre-pay account discounts available

M6 Toll (Motorway) — 2026 Rates

Vehicle Class	Full Route (Day)	Full Route (Night)	Notes
Class 1 — Cars, taxis, motorcycles	£7.90	£5.30	Night rate 11pm–6am
Class 2 — Vans, minibuses (3.5t–12t)	£11.10	£7.60	2-axle vehicles
Class 3 — HGVs 2 axle over 12t	£12.70	£8.60	Day rate Mon–Fri 6am–11pm
Class 4 — HGVs 3+ axles	£14.20	£9.80	M6 Toll TAG available for frequent users

London Congestion Charge and ULEZ — 2026 Rates

Charge Type	Daily Rate	Operating Hours	Area
Congestion Charge (CC)	£15.00	Mon–Fri 7am–6pm; Sat–Sun 12pm–6pm	Central London zone
Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)	£12.50 (cars/vans); £100 (HGVs/coaches)	24 hours, 7 days a week	All London boroughs (inside M25)
Low Emission Zone (LEZ)	£100–£300 (heavy vehicles only)	24 hours, 7 days a week	Greater London

ULEZ Exemptions: Petrol cars meeting Euro 4 standards (generally registered after 2006) and diesel cars meeting Euro 6 standards (generally after 2015) pay nothing. Zero-emission vehicles are fully exempt.

Other Major UK Toll Crossings — 2026 Rates

Crossing	Cars	HGVs	Notes
Mersey Tunnels (Queensway and Kingsway)	£2.10	£4.20–£8.40	FastTag transponder available; cash accepted
Mersey Gateway Bridge (A533)	£2.10	Up to £8.40	ANPR only; no cash; Silver Jubilee Bridge also tolled
Humber Bridge	£1.60 (TAG) / £1.80 (cash)	£9.60–£17.60 (TAG)	Cash accepted; Humber Bridge TAG discount
Tamar Bridge (Cornwall/Devon)	£2.00 (one-way, westbound)	£4.00–£8.00	Tag Pass available; eastbound free
Itchen Bridge (Southampton)	£1.00 (cars)	£2.00	Cash or contactless; managed by Southampton CC

To calculate toll costs across UK roads, motorways, and crossings for cars, vans, and HGVs, use the TollGuru UK toll calculator:

UK Toll Calculator

How to Pay UK Tolls

1. DART-Charge (Dartford Crossing):

• Pay online at dart-charge.com or via the DART-Charge app before midnight on the day after travel
• Set up a DART-Charge pre-pay account for automatic deductions and discounts (£20 top-up gives a 14% discount)
• Pay by phone on 0300 300 0120
• No cash or barrier payment — entirely ANPR-based

2. M6 Toll:

• Barrier toll plazas at junction entry/exit points — cash and card accepted at all lanes
• M6 Toll TAG (RFID transponder) available for regular users with monthly invoicing
• Some lanes designated TAG-only during peak hours

3. London Congestion Charge and ULEZ:

• Pay online via the TfL website, the TfL Pay to Drive in London app, or by phone on 0343 222 2222
• Pay by midnight on the day of travel (or the following day for residents with Auto Pay)
• Fleet accounts available for businesses with multiple vehicles
• ULEZ is checked automatically by ANPR — no payment required for exempt vehicles

4. Mersey Gateway and Mersey Tunnels:

• Mersey Gateway: ANPR only — pay online at merseyflow.co.uk or set up a pre-pay account
• Mersey Tunnels: Cash, card, or FastTag transponder accepted at barrier booths
• Merseyflow pre-pay account required for Silver Jubilee Bridge (no cash)

5. Humber Bridge:

• Cash and card at barrier booths (southbound only — northbound free)
• Humber Bridge TAG account for discounted pre-pay rates

Enforcement and Penalties

Penalty charges escalate quickly across all UK toll systems. The table below summarises the key penalty structures for 2026.

Facility	Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)	Discount for Early Payment	Escalation
Dartford Crossing	£70	£35 if paid within 14 days	Debt recovery and court action after 28 days
London Congestion Charge	£160	£80 if paid within 14 days	Doubles to £160 after 28 days; debt collection
London ULEZ	£160 (cars/vans); £1,000 (HGVs)	£80 / £500 if paid within 14 days	Debt recovery after 28 days
Mersey Gateway	£40	£20 if paid within 14 days	Court summons after 28 days

Foreign vehicles: UK enforcement agencies share data with counterparts in Ireland and EU member states. Registered keepers of foreign-registered vehicles may receive PCNs via their home country's vehicle licensing authority. Repeated non-payment can result in vehicle seizure at the border.

Recent Changes (2026)

M6 Toll Rate Increase (January 2026):

• Class 1 (cars) full route day rate increased to £7.90 from £7.60, the first increase since 2024
• Night rates also adjusted in line with CPI
• M6 Toll TAG monthly fee remains unchanged at £2.50/month

ULEZ and London Charges:

• ULEZ daily rates (£12.50 cars, £100 HGVs) held flat for 2026 following the full London rollout in August 2023
• Congestion Charge (£15/day) unchanged in 2026
• TfL reviewing potential Congestion Charge operating hour extension — no confirmed change as of May 2026
• Scrappage scheme for ULEZ-non-compliant vehicles closed to new applicants in 2024; no replacement announced

Dartford Crossing:

• Rates unchanged (£2.50 Class B cars) for 2026
• Government confirmed the Lower Thames Crossing (new A122 road tunnel to the east of Dartford) remains in development — construction targeted for late 2020s

Clean Air Zones (CAZ) expansion:

• Bradford, Bristol, Bath, Birmingham, Portsmouth and Sheffield maintain active Class D CAZs in 2026, charging non-compliant cars £9–£10/day
• Newcastle/Gateshead Class C CAZ charges HGVs and buses only (cars exempt)
• Further local authority CAZ announcements expected throughout 2026

Planning Your Journey

Typical daily cost scenarios:

• London visitor driving into central London in a non-compliant car: £15 (CC) + £12.50 (ULEZ) = £27.50/day
• Birmingham to Manchester via M6 Toll (car, daytime): £7.90 one way, £15.80 return
• Single crossing of the Dartford Crossing: £2.50 (must pay by midnight the following day)
• Liverpool city crossing via Mersey Tunnel (car): £2.10 per direction

Avoiding tolls:

• M6 Toll alternative: The free M6 (via Birmingham city centre) adds 20–45 minutes during peak hours but avoids the £7.90 charge
• Dartford Crossing: No practical alternative crossing exists within reasonable distance for A-road users on the M25 corridor
• London CC/ULEZ: Zero-emission vehicles (BEV, hydrogen) are fully exempt from both charges
• Rental cars: Always check whether your rental vehicle is ULEZ-compliant before driving in London — most post-2015 diesel rentals meet Euro 6 and are exempt

Smart Motorways note: UK smart motorways (all-lane running on former hard shoulder) are free to use. Variable speed limits are enforced by cameras but no toll applies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there tolls on UK motorways generally?

No. The M6 Toll is the only tolled motorway in the UK. All other motorways (M1, M25, M4, M5, M62, etc.) are free to use. You may encounter toll crossings (bridges, tunnels) on certain routes, but there is no national motorway vignette or per-kilometre charge.

Do I need to pay the London ULEZ?

You only pay the ULEZ (£12.50/day) if your car or van does not meet the emission standards — Euro 4 petrol (typically registered after 2006) or Euro 6 diesel (typically after September 2015). Check your vehicle registration on the TfL ULEZ checker before travelling. Zero-emission vehicles pay nothing. The Congestion Charge (£15/day) is a separate charge applied in the central zone during operating hours, regardless of engine type.

I forgot to pay the Dartford Crossing — what should I do?

You have until midnight on the day after your crossing to pay £2.50 online at dart-charge.com. If you miss that window, you will receive a £70 Penalty Charge Notice (reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days). Do not ignore a PCN — it escalates to debt recovery and can affect your credit file.

Does the Congestion Charge apply at weekends?

Yes, but with reduced hours. The Congestion Charge applies Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays 12pm to 6pm. It does not apply on Christmas Day, bank holidays, or between 6pm and 7am on any day.

Do hire cars or foreign-registered vehicles pay UK tolls?

Yes. Hire car companies pass on toll and penalty charges to renters, often with additional admin fees of £10–£25 per incident. Foreign-registered vehicles are subject to all UK tolls and Clean Air Zone charges, with PCNs issued to the registered keeper via international data sharing agreements.

Are electric vehicles exempt from UK tolls?

Zero-emission vehicles are fully exempt from the London ULEZ and Low Emission Zone but are not exempt from the Congestion Charge, the M6 Toll, or bridge and tunnel crossing fees. EV drivers still pay £2.50 at Dartford and up to £7.90 on the M6 Toll.

Is road pricing or a national road toll coming to the UK?

The UK government launched a review of road pricing in 2025 as fuel duty revenue is expected to fall with EV adoption. No firm policy has been announced as of May 2026, but a distance-based national road charging system remains under active discussion. Current indications suggest any scheme would not launch before the late 2020s.

UK vs. Neighbouring Countries

Country	System Type	Typical Cost (Car)	Key Feature
United Kingdom	Point tolls + urban charges	£2.50–£7.90 per facility	No national motorway toll; ULEZ covers all London
Ireland	Point tolls + eFlow ANPR	€1.90–€3.10 per toll plaza	eFlow tag for M50; cash at most motorway plazas
France	Distance-based autoroute tolls	€0.07–€0.10/km	Télépéage (Liber-t) tag; extensive péage network
Belgium	Viapass OBU for HGVs; cars mostly free	Cars: free on motorways; HGVs: €0.07–€0.17/km	LEZ charges in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent for cars
Netherlands	Mostly free; tunnel tolls only	Westerscheldetunnel: €6.00 (car)	Road pricing scheme under legislative review for 2026+
Norway	Extensive AutoPASS point tolls	NOK 10–80 per toll station	EVs pay reduced but non-zero rates since 2023
Denmark	Oresund Bridge toll only	DKK 385 (car, one-way)	BroBizz tag for discounts; motorways otherwise free

Official Resources

• DART-Charge (Dartford Crossing) — Official payment portal for the M25 Thames crossing
• Transport for London: Congestion Charge — Daily charge information, payment, and exemptions
• Transport for London: ULEZ — ULEZ zone checker, payment, and scrappage information
• M6 Toll — Official site for UK's only tolled motorway: rates, TAG accounts, and journey planner
• Merseyflow — Payment portal for Mersey Gateway Bridge and Silver Jubilee Bridge
• Humber Bridge Board — Toll rates and TAG account information for the Humber Bridge
• National Highways — Operator of England's strategic road network; smart motorway information

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