Bristol's small Class D zone has charged older cars since 28 November 2022. The daily charge is £9 for cars, taxis and vans and £100 for lorries, buses and coaches. A missed payment brings a £120 penalty and the unpaid charge on top. The council says more than 88% of vehicles entering already comply, so a PCN usually means an older diesel or a vehicle wrongly recorded.
The 50% discount applies to the £120 penalty only. You still pay the full £9 or £100 charge on top.
Where it applies
A small area of central Bristol (a "Small CAZ D"). The council publishes the exact boundary as a map; check your route on it before relying on memory.
When it applies
All day, every day.
What it costs
| Vehicle | Charge |
|---|---|
| Private petrol and diesel cars, taxis, vans under 3.5 tonnes | £9 a day |
| HGVs over 3.5 tonnes, buses and coaches | £100 a day |
As a guide the council says Euro 4, 5 and 6 petrol vehicles (about 2006 or newer), Euro 6 diesels (about late 2015 or newer), fully electric and hydrogen vehicles, CVRAS-retrofitted vehicles and motorbikes are not charged.
Paying: Up to 6 days before, on the day, or in the 6 days after, on GOV.UK. Pay or check on GOV.UK. Check your vehicle: GOV.UK vehicle checker.
Exemptions, discounts and permits
- Blue Badge exemptions ended on 31 March 2023. Vehicles in the disabled tax class remain nationally exempt.
- Patients and visitors to the Bristol Royal Infirmary complex (including the Children's Hospital, Heart Institute, Eye and Dental hospitals, Haematology and Oncology Centre, St Michael's and the Central Health Clinic) may be exempt. Apply through University Hospitals Bristol.
- Specialist vehicle exemptions (tax classes 4, 8, 11 and 12) and a financial assistance exemption for vehicles awaiting replacement or retrofit, both by application.
- Exemptions are recognised by the cameras; you do not display anything.
How to challenge the penalty
You challenge by making written representations to Bristol 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. By post: Parking Services (PCN Appeals), PO Box 3399, Bristol City Council, Bristol BS1 9NE.
- Bristol puts the PCN on hold and freezes the amount while it considers your appeal.
- PCN numbers start BS5 or BS6 and are 10 digits. One form per PCN.
- If you were following a signed diversion through the zone you should not be charged; appeal the PCN on that basis.
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.
Road diversions into the zone
Bristol says that if roadworks or a closure divert you into the zone and you follow the signed diversion route, you should not pay: cameras on the route are suspended. If you still received a PCN, appeal it; if you paid, ask for a refund. Leave the signed route and the charge applies.
Worked example
A 2009 diesel car drives through the zone on 1 October and nothing is paid. The PCN shows a date of service of 15 October. Paid by 28 October it costs £60 plus the £9 charge, £69 in total. After that it is £129. A charge certificate takes the penalty to £180, plus the £9.
Can I challenge this charge? Free check
Free. Your answers stay on this device. Nothing is sent to us.
Letters for Bristol 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
Does the discount cover the £9?
No. Bristol applies the 50% discount to the penalty only. The unpaid daily charge is always due in full.
Are foreign vehicles fined?
Yes. Bristol says it issues PCNs to non-UK vehicles.
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.