Birmingham runs a Class D zone, which means older cars pay as well as vans, taxis and lorries. The charge is £8 a day for a car and the penalty for not paying is £120. Birmingham does not send reminders, so most penalties go to drivers who did not know their car was non-compliant or that they had crossed into the zone.
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal and the council both list the Birmingham PCN as £120, reduced to £60 within 14 days.
Where it applies
Every road inside the A4540 Middleway ring road. The Middleway itself is not in the zone, so you can drive round the ring road without paying.
When it applies
All day, every day. Each charging day runs midnight to midnight.
What it costs
| Vehicle | Charge |
|---|---|
| Cars, taxis and vans (LGVs) that do not meet the standard | £8 a day |
| Coaches, buses and HGVs that do not meet the standard | £50 a day |
The national Clean Air Zone standard is Euro 4 for petrol and Euro 6 for diesel cars and vans, and Euro VI for buses, coaches and HGVs. Check your exact vehicle on GOV.UK.
Paying: Within a 13-day window: up to 6 days before, on the day, or by 11:59pm on the 6th day after. There is no auto-pay. Pay or check on GOV.UK. Check your vehicle: GOV.UK vehicle checker.
Exemptions, discounts and permits
- The worker exemption ended on 31 May 2022 and the resident exemption ended on 31 May 2023. They cannot be used for journeys after those dates.
- Temporary exemption permits remain only for recovery vehicles, community transport and school transport.
- Families attending appointments at Birmingham Children's Hospital can get a one-day exemption voucher from the hospital front desk, redeemed on the day or within six days.
- National exemptions apply automatically: disabled and disabled passenger tax class vehicles, historic vehicles, military vehicles, ultra low emission vehicles and CVRAS-retrofitted vehicles.
How to challenge the penalty
You challenge by making written representations to Birmingham City Council within 28 days of the date of service. A notice sent first class is treated as served on the second working day after posting (fourth working day for second class, tenth if posted abroad), unless you can prove otherwise (reg 3(4)).The authority must reply within 56 days or your representations are treated as accepted.
These are the grounds the law allows, under the Road User Charging Schemes (Penalty Charges, Adjudication and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/1783):
| Ground | When it fits | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| I was never the registered keeper | The vehicle has never been registered to you, for example the notice went to the wrong person or the plate was misread. | reg 8(3)(a)(i) |
| I had sold or transferred the vehicle before that date | You had already sold, scrapped or transferred the vehicle before the date on the notice. | reg 8(3)(a)(ii) and 8(5) |
| I became the keeper after that date | You bought the vehicle after the date of the journey on the notice. | reg 8(3)(a)(iii) and 8(6) |
| The vehicle was taken or used without my consent | The vehicle was stolen, or someone used it without your permission, including cloned plates. | reg 8(3)(b) and 8(7) |
| We are a hire firm and the vehicle was on hire | You are a vehicle-hire or lease firm and the hirer signed a statement accepting liability for these charges. | reg 8(3)(c), 6(5) and 8(8) |
| The charge was paid in time and in the right way | You paid the charge for that vehicle and that day within the payment window. | reg 8(3)(d) |
| No charge or penalty was payable | The vehicle meets the emission standard, is exempt or had an approved exemption or discount, did not enter the zone, or the crossing was outside charging hours. | reg 8(3)(e) |
| The penalty is more than the scheme allows | The notice demands more than the scheme's penalty amount, or refuses the discount you paid within time. | reg 8(3)(f) |
| The authority did not follow the rules | For example the notice is missing information the regulations require, a charge certificate came before it was allowed, or your representations were not answered within 56 days. | reg 8(3)(g) and 8(4); 56-day rule in reg 8(9)–(10) |
| There are compelling reasons to cancel | None of the grounds fits but there is a strong reason, such as a medical emergency, a signed diversion through the zone, or a payment system failure you can show. | reg 8(1)(b); adjudicator may recommend cancellation, reg 11(9) |
You can ask the authority to cancel for "compelling reasons" even when no ground applies (reg 8(1)(b)). The tribunal cannot cancel for that reason alone, but it can recommend cancellation and the authority must reply within 35 days (reg 11(9)–(14)).
Challenge online: official page.
- Only the registered keeper, or someone with their written permission, can make representations.
- Send a separate representation for each PCN number.
- The council says it considers challenges under its Discretion Policy, so explain any compelling reasons as well as any legal ground.
If the authority says no
It sends a notice of rejection. You then have 28 days to appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, or to pay. See our guide to appealing to the tribunal.
No reminder, no notification
Birmingham says plainly that you will not get a text or email telling you that you drove in and need to pay. The responsibility to know whether your vehicle is chargeable sits with the driver. That is why "I didn't know" is rarely accepted, and why the legal grounds and compelling reasons below matter more.
Worked example
You drove a 2010 diesel car to Broad Street on 4 June and did not pay. You had until 11:59pm on 10 June. The PCN is posted on Friday 19 June 2026 and treated as served on Tuesday 23 June (the second working day). Pay £60 until 6 July, or make representations by 20 July. Unanswered after 56 days, your representations count as accepted.
Can I challenge this charge? Free check
Free. Your answers stay on this device. Nothing is sent to us.
Letters for Birmingham CAZ
Built from your checker answers, with the right grounds and regulation numbers for your scheme. You see the start of the letter before you pay, then edit it and download it as Word or PDF.
Representation letter
Your formal challenge to the authority, citing each ground that fits with its regulation number, the evidence you enclose and a request to cancel.
Start my letterFull pack
The representation, a tribunal appeal statement, replies at the charge certificate and debt registration stages, witness statement and out-of-time wording, and a bailiff fee check.
Start the full packOne penalty per purchase, usable for 6 months. Full refund within 14 days if you haven't downloaded a letter. Templates you send yourself, not legal advice. See sample letters
Questions people ask
Is the Middleway in the zone?
No. The zone is everything inside the A4540 Middleway, not the ring road itself.
I live in the zone. Am I still exempt?
No. The resident exemption ended on 31 May 2023.
How long does the council have to answer?
56 days from receiving your representations. If it misses that deadline the law treats them as accepted (reg 8(10) of the 2013 Regulations).
Sources
Last checked: 13 November 2026. Every fact on this page was checked against these official pages. How we check
Road Fine Check is independent. Not affiliated with TfL, National Highways, any council or crossing operator. To pay a charge, use the official website.