A toll bridge is a bridge where you pay to cross, and in the UK no two of them collect the money the same way. By our count of GOV.UK's list on 16 October 2026 there are 14 toll bridges on A roads and minor roads, plus the Dartford Crossing on the M25. Merseyflow says the Mersey Gateway has no payment booths, GOV.UK says you cannot pay at the Dartford barriers, and Warburton takes payment online or by phone: all three want it by the day after you cross. This guide gives the GOV.UK list, what a car pays on seven crossings as their operators show it on 16 October 2026, and what a missed payment costs. It covers the UK; tolls elsewhere are in Tolls explained.
Which UK toll bridges are there?
GOV.UK's page "Toll road charges" (last public update 28 April 2015) groups the bridges by road. Tunnels and the M6 Toll are on the same page; they are left out here.
| Group | Toll bridges on the GOV.UK list |
|---|---|
| Motorway | Dartford Crossing (M25, Dartford, Essex) |
| A roads | Batheaston Bridge (A4, Bath), Humber Bridge (A15, Hull), Tamar Bridge (A38, Plymouth), Dunham Bridge (A57, Lincolnshire), Mersey Gateway (A533, Halton), Itchen Bridge (A3025, Southampton) |
| Minor roads | Whitchurch Bridge (B471, Pangbourne), Clifton Suspension Bridge (B3129, Bristol), Whitney-on-Wye Bridge (B4350), Swinford Bridge (B4044, Oxfordshire), Warburton Bridge (B5159, Greater Manchester), Aldwark Bridge (North Yorkshire), Kingsland Bridge (Shrewsbury), Cartford Bridge (Preston) |
Some entries link to the operator's own page for charges. The Severn bridges are not on the list: GOV.UK announced on 2 October 2018 that their tolls would end on 17 December 2018.
Three ways the toll is collected
A barrier or booth. Clifton Suspension Bridge says it is open and manned 24 hours a day. Motor vehicles pay £1 by contactless card at the barrier, and the toll houses take chip and PIN; its FAQ says it no longer accepts cash. Pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders cross free. The bridge has a weight limit of 4 tons gross, and the barriers take vehicles up to 2.4 metres wide. At the Itchen Bridge, Southampton City Council takes coins (10p to £2, no change given), contactless or a prepaid SmartCities card at the booth, and Dunham Bridge's price board says to stop at the toll booth.
A toll in one direction. The Tamar Bridge toll is payable one way only, on the trip from Saltash in Cornwall to Plymouth in Devon, and the bridge takes card payments. Motorcycles cross free.
No booth, pay afterwards. Merseyflow's FAQ says its free-flow system has no payment booths and reads number plates: you pay in advance, or by 11.59pm the day after you cross. GOV.UK gives the same deadline for the Dartford Crossing, midnight the day after, for crossings between 6am and 10pm every day, and you need your vehicle registration number to pay. Warburton Bridge asks for payment by midnight the day after the crossing, online, in its app or by an automated phone line.
Bridge tolls: what a car pays
These are the prices on the operator pages on 16 October 2026. The Humber Bridge's toll page showed only a bot check that day and the Whitney-on-Wye link did not open, and we found no readable price page for the other bridges, so they have no figure here.
| Crossing | Car toll | How and when |
|---|---|---|
| Dartford Crossing | £3.50 one-off or pay as you go, £2.80 pre-pay (GOV.UK) | Online, by phone or in cash at a Payzone store, by midnight the day after |
| Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee Bridge | £2.40 each way unregistered, for a car or small van (Merseyflow FAQ) | Online, in advance or by 11.59pm the day after |
| Tamar Bridge | £3.00 cash or card, £1.50 with a TamarTag; one way only | At the bridge |
| Itchen Bridge | £1.20 for a car, small van or small 4x4 up to 1.33 metres at the front axle; free on Christmas Day | Coins, contactless or SmartCities card at the booth |
| Dunham Bridge | 70p for a car; £1.50 for a van, motorhome or car with a trailer (price board dated 1 August 2026) | At the toll booth |
| Clifton Suspension Bridge | £1 | Contactless or chip and PIN at the barrier |
| Warburton Bridge | £1 for a car, van or bus up to 3 tonnes; at most two passages charged per calendar day | Online, in the app or by phone, by midnight the day after |
Some details change the bill. Merseyflow says anyone, wherever they live, can pay a £5 one-off fee for a pre-pay sticker account and save up to 10%, and drivers of cars and small vans can buy an unlimited monthly pass for £110 or an off-peak pass for £75. Halton residents can register for £12 a year. Warburton gives residents of three local postcode areas a 50% discount. Clifton says it has asked the Department for Transport to let it raise the toll from £1 to £1.50 per crossing.
What an unpaid toll costs
At the Dartford Crossing GOV.UK says the fine is £70, reduced to £35 if you pay within 14 days and increased to £105 if you do not pay it, on top of the crossing charge. Merseyflow's summary of the changes from 1 April 2025 gives a penalty charge notice of £50, £25 for registered customers who pay within 14 days, and a charge certificate of £75. Its FAQ, which carries no date, speaks of a penalty charge notice "of up to £75", and its debt recovery page of a sliding scale that "starts at £25 plus the original toll/charge fee". Warburton says an unpaid toll brings an Unpaid Toll Charge Notice that increases over time, and gives no amount. Bus lane camera notices are covered in bus lane fines and points.
Pay the operator, not a lookalike
Merseyflow says its own website is the only place to register for an account or buy a monthly pass. Southampton City Council warns of messages that ask for a SmartCities card payment and says card renewals are always free. GOV.UK's Dartford page points to its guide on avoiding internet scams.
What BlitzBuddy does
BlitzBuddy does not pay or check a toll. Its speed camera warnings work in the five countries where it warns and switch on by themselves when you arrive; in the UK, Ireland and every other country you get none. BlitzBuddy is free, with no ads and no subscription. It is available for iPhone; the Android version is coming soon.
Planning a longer trip? Read the French toll tag guide, the guide to the international driving permit for Thailand and how low emission zones work. More guides are collected under driving abroad.
Sources
- Toll road charges, GOV.UK
- Pay the Dartford Crossing charge (Dart Charge): Paying the charge, GOV.UK
- Pay the Dartford Crossing charge (Dart Charge): Charges, GOV.UK
- Pay the Dartford Crossing charge (Dart Charge): Fines, GOV.UK
- Severn Crossings to go toll-free on 17 December 2018, GOV.UK
- Toll/Charge, Merseyflow
- FAQs, Merseyflow
- Toll charge and scheme detail changed on 1 April 2025, Merseyflow (pdf)
- Penalty charges and debt recovery, Merseyflow
- Tamar Bridge tolls, Tamar Crossings
- Itchen Bridge toll, Southampton City Council
- Dunham Bridge tolls, Dunham Bridge Company (price board image)
- Crossing the Bridge, Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust
- Pay your toll, Warburton Bridge
- Help and FAQs, Warburton Bridge
Sources read on 16 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which UK bridges have a toll?
GOV.UK's toll road page lists 14 toll bridges on A roads and minor roads (our count on 16 October 2026), plus the Dartford Crossing on the M25.
Can I pay a toll bridge with cash?
It depends on the bridge. The Tamar Bridge takes cash or card, and the Itchen Bridge takes coins but gives no change. Clifton Suspension Bridge no longer takes cash. GOV.UK says you cannot pay at the Dartford barriers, but you can pay in cash at a Payzone store.
How much is the Dartford Crossing for a car?
GOV.UK gives £3.50 for a car as a one-off payment or pay as you go, and £2.80 with a pre-pay account. You pay for a crossing between 6am and 10pm, every day, by midnight the day after.
What happens if I forget to pay a bridge toll?
You can get a penalty on top of the toll. At the Dartford Crossing GOV.UK says the fine is £70, reduced to £35 within 14 days and raised to £105 if unpaid. Merseyflow and Warburton set their own charges.
Is there still a toll on the Severn bridges?
No. GOV.UK announced on 2 October 2018 that tolls on the Severn Crossings would end on 17 December 2018, and the Severn bridges are not on its current list of UK toll roads.
