The Ultra Low Emission Zone covers every London borough. If your car, van or motorcycle does not meet the emission standard you owe £12.50 for each day you drive in it, and a missed payment turns into a £180 penalty charge notice. This page sets out what TfL can and cannot charge you for, the exact time limits, and which challenges the law requires TfL to accept.
The £180 replaces the daily charge; you do not pay the £12.50 on top. A separate PCN can be issued for each day.
Where it applies
All 32 London boroughs and the City of London. The M25 itself is not in the zone, so you can drive round London on the M25 without paying, but leaving it at any junction towards London takes you into the ULEZ.
When it applies
24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day (25 December). Each charging day runs from midnight to midnight, so a trip across midnight counts as two days.
What it costs
| Vehicle | Charge |
|---|---|
| Cars, motorcycles, vans and specialist vehicles up to and including 3.5 tonnes | £12.50 a day |
| Minibuses up to and including 5 tonnes | £12.50 a day |
| Lorries over 3.5 tonnes; buses and coaches over 5 tonnes | No ULEZ charge (the separate LEZ applies) |
The standard is Euro 4 for petrol cars and vans, Euro 6 for diesel cars and vans, and Euro 3 for motorcycles. Euro 4 became mandatory for new petrol cars in 2005 and Euro 6 for new diesel cars in September 2015, but the date your vehicle was built is only a guide: the Euro standard on your V5C (section D.2) or from the manufacturer is what counts.
Paying: By midnight on the third day after the journey, or up to 90 days in advance. Auto Pay bills you monthly and stops missed payments. Pay on the TfL website. Check your vehicle: TfL vehicle checker.
Exemptions, discounts and permits
- Vehicles in the "disabled" or "disabled passenger vehicle" tax class: grace period until 24 October 2027, automatic for UK vehicles.
- Wheelchair-accessible cars and vans with a permanent conversion (ramp, lift, hoist, swivel seat or accelerator ring): grace period until 25 October 2027, one vehicle, must apply.
- People on qualifying disability benefits (PIP standard or enhanced mobility, DLA higher mobility and others) or meeting medical criteria: grace period until 25 October 2027, one vehicle, must apply.
- Not-for-profit community transport minibuses: 100% discount until 24 October 2027, must register.
- London-licensed taxis are exempt. Blue Badge holders are not exempt on the badge alone: they need one of the grace periods above or a compliant vehicle.
How to challenge the penalty
You challenge by making written representations to Transport for London (TfL) within 28 days of the date of service. TfL treats a notice as served when it would be delivered in the ordinary course of post (Interpretation Act 1978, section 7), normally about two working days after posting.
These are the grounds the law allows, under the Road User Charging (Enforcement and Adjudication) (London) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/2313):
| 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 13(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 13(3)(a)(ii) and 13(4) |
| I became the keeper after that date | You bought the vehicle after the date of the journey on the notice. | reg 13(3)(a)(iii) and 13(5) |
| 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 13(3)(b) |
| No penalty charge was payable | The vehicle meets the standard, is exempt, was registered for a 100% discount or grace period, was not driven in the zone, or the journey was outside charging hours. | reg 13(3)(c) |
| The vehicle was taken or used without my consent | The vehicle was stolen, or someone used it without your permission, including cloned plates. | reg 13(3)(d) |
| 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 13(3)(e) |
| We are a hire firm and the vehicle was on hire | You are a hire firm, the vehicle was hired under a hiring agreement and the hirer signed a statement of liability for penalty charges. | reg 13(3)(f) |
| Special circumstances (TfL discretion) | None of the six grounds fits. TfL says it will consider mitigating circumstances, but the tribunal cannot, so this only helps at the TfL stage. | TfL challenge guidance; not a ground in reg 13(3) |
The London regulations have six fixed grounds and no "compelling reasons" ground. TfL says it will still consider mitigating circumstances, but the adjudicators at London Tribunals cannot consider mitigation or use discretion, so put everything to TfL first.
Challenge online: official page. By post: Ultra Low Emission Zone, PO Box 553, Darlington DL1 9TZ (complete, sign and date the representation section of the PCN).
- TfL freezes the PCN while it considers your representation, so challenging inside the first 14 days does not lose you anything you would not otherwise lose.
- If the registered keeper is a company, say who you are and your position in the company.
- TfL says it will not accept that you forgot to pay, did not know how, got lost, did not know about the ULEZ or disagree with it.
If the authority says no
It sends a notice of rejection. You then have 28 days to appeal to the London Tribunals (Road User Charging Adjudicators), or to pay. See our guide to appealing to the tribunal.
The penalty is issued per day, not per trip
TfL charges by charging day. If you drove in on Monday and Tuesday and paid neither day, expect two PCNs of £180 each. If you paid Monday but typed the wrong number plate, the Monday payment does not count for your vehicle and a PCN is still issued: that is one of the reasons TfL lists for issuing a PCN.
Paying by post less than 10 days before travel is another listed reason. If you paid that way, keep proof of when you posted it.
Where mitigation works and where it does not
London's regulations give six fixed grounds. "I had a good reason" is not one of them. TfL will look at mitigating circumstances when you make representations, but if TfL rejects you, the adjudicator at London Tribunals has no power to cancel for mitigation. Put any hardship, medical or payment-system evidence in the first letter to TfL.
Worked example
You drove a 2012 diesel car into Ealing on 2 March and forgot to pay. The PCN is dated 9 March and served about two working days later, on 11 March. You can pay £90 until 24 March (14 days from service), or challenge by 7 April (28 days). If you do nothing, a charge certificate for £270 can follow.
Can I challenge this charge? Free check
Free. Your answers stay on this device. Nothing is sent to us.
Letters for London ULEZ
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
Do I have to pay the £12.50 as well as the PCN?
No. For the ULEZ the penalty charge is the whole amount due for that day. TfL's table lists £180, or £90 within 14 days, with no daily charge added.
I sold the car before the date on the PCN. What do I do?
Make representations on the ground that you had ceased to be the person liable before that date, and include the buyer's name and address if you have it, as the regulations require. Send the DVLA confirmation or V5C/2 slip.
Can I appeal straight to London Tribunals?
No. You must make representations to TfL first. Only after TfL sends a notice of rejection can you appeal, within 28 days of that notice.
I have a Blue Badge. Am I exempt?
Not automatically. Blue Badge holders pay unless the vehicle meets the standard or is registered for one of TfL's disability grace periods, which run until October 2027.
I never got the PCN and now have a charge certificate.
You can no longer make representations, but you can make a statutory declaration that you did not receive the PCN. See our guide to charge certificates.
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.