Penalty sent to the wrong address, or never received

Penalty notices go to the address on the DVLA record. If you moved without updating your V5C, or the post went astray, the first letter you see may be a charge certificate or an order for recovery, by which point the normal challenge window has closed. The law has a route for exactly this.

Why "I never got it" does not work at the first stage

Under the England regulations a notice posted first class is treated as served on the second working day "unless the contrary is proved" (SI 2013/1783 reg 3(4)). TfL relies on the equivalent rule in the Interpretation Act. So the clock usually runs whether or not you opened the letter.

Where it does work: after an order for recovery

Once the debt is registered and you receive an order for recovery, you have 21 days to file a statement that you did not receive the penalty charge notice (England: reg 19(2)(a); London: reg 19(2)(a)). If accepted, the order and the charge certificate are cancelled and the PCN is cancelled too. The authority may then issue a fresh notice, which gives you a new 28 days and a new chance to pay at the discount or challenge.

GOV.UK lists the forms: TE13 for Dart Charge, Mersey Gateway and Clean Air Zone PCNs; PE3 for London low emission zone PCNs; plus TE14 if you are outside the 21 days.

Update your address

Update your V5C with the DVLA. Under the England regulations you can also notify the charging authority of a change of address in writing (reg 3(5)).

Scotland

Scottish LEZ penalty notices must be served within 28 days of the detection date, with a short extension only if the DVLA was slow (SSI 2021/177 reg 6(2)–(3)). If a notice reached you long after the journey, check the dates.