TfL PCN: how to challenge a Transport for London penalty
Transport for London issues its own Penalty Charge Notices on the red routes it manages — 852,842 of them in 2024/25 — plus separate penalties for the Congestion Charge, ULEZ and the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels. A red route, bus lane or box junction PCN is £160, cut to £80 if paid within the time printed on it (14 or 21 days). A challenge goes to TfL first, then free to London Tribunals.
Official TfL links
- View a PCN ↗ — with your PCN number and number plate
- Pay a PCN ↗
- Challenge a PCN ↗ — within 28 days
- Appeal to London Tribunals ↗ — if TfL rejects your challenge
TfL PCNs — key facts
- Red route, bus lane or box junction PCN
- £160 — £80 if paid within 14 or 21 days (the PCN says which); £240 after a charge certificate
Source: Transport for London · current · verified
- TfL PCNs issued
- 852,842 (parking 415,850 · bus lane 82,736 · moving traffic 354,256)
Source: London Councils (annual PCN statistics 2024-25) · 2024-25 · verified
- Challenge window
- 28 days
Source: Transport for London · current · verified
- Independent appeal
- London Tribunals (Environment and Traffic Adjudicators), free, within 28 days of a Notice of Rejection
Source: London Tribunals · current · verified
- Congestion Charge, ULEZ or tunnel PCN
- £180 — £90 within 14 days; £270 after a charge certificate
Source: Transport for London · current · verified
Three kinds of TfL penalty — three sets of rules
The law behind a TfL penalty depends on what it was for, and that decides which grounds you can use:
- Red route parking and loading — Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 and the 2022 England regulations. TfL must decide formal representations within 56 days or they are treated as accepted, and you can also ask it to cancel for compelling reasons.
- Bus lanes and moving traffic (box junctions, banned turns) — the London Local Authorities Acts. The grounds are narrower: London Tribunals says its adjudicators “cannot allow appeals for other reasons, e.g. mitigating circumstances”.
- Congestion Charge, ULEZ and the Blackwall/Silvertown tunnels — road user charging under the Road User Charging (Enforcement and Adjudication) (London) Regulations 2001: six grounds, no statutory deadline for TfL’s decision, and appeals to the Road User Charging Adjudicators.
What TfL enforces on its roads
TfL manages London’s red routes — 5% of its roads, carrying up to 30% of its traffic. On them it monitors parking, loading, yellow box junctions, bus lanes, cycle lanes, banned turns, Blue Badge bays and stopping on red lines. Other roads are enforced by the borough council, so check which authority is named on your PCN before you challenge.
The Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels
Since 7 April 2025 TfL has charged for the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels between 6am and 10pm, every day except Christmas Day. Charges rose on 21 September 2026: a car pays £4.20, or £1.55 off-peak with Auto Pay (peak is 6am–10am northbound and 4pm–7pm southbound on weekdays). Pay by midnight on the third day after the journey. An unpaid charge brings a £180 penalty (£90 within 14 days, £270 after a charge certificate) under the same road user charging rules as the Congestion Charge.
Grounds for challenging a TfL red route, bus lane or box junction PCN
For red route, bus lane and moving-traffic PCNs these are the grounds that matter most. Congestion Charge, ULEZ and tunnel penalties have their own grounds — see those guides.
- The contravention did not happen — for a box junction, your exit was clear when you entered, or you stopped only while waiting to turn right, held by oncoming traffic; for a bus lane, it was outside its hours or your vehicle was permitted.
- The signs or road markings were missing, obscured or did not comply with the regulations.
- You were not the owner or registered keeper at the time, or the vehicle was used without your consent (stolen, or on cloned plates).
- The vehicle was on hire and the hirer had signed a statement of liability.
- The penalty was more than the amount that applies.
- For red route parking and loading only: TfL made a procedural mistake, or there are compelling reasons to cancel.
How to challenge it, step by step
- 1
View the evidence
Use TfL’s View a PCN service with your PCN number and number plate, and check the photos or video against what actually happened.
- 2
Pay or challenge — not both
Paying the £80 discounted amount in time ends the matter. If you have a ground, challenge instead: paying is treated as accepting the penalty.
- 3
Make representations within 28 days
Challenge online or in writing, stating your ground and attaching your evidence.
- 4
Appeal to London Tribunals if rejected
If TfL sends a Notice of Rejection, you have 28 days to appeal free to London Tribunals, whose adjudicators are independent of TfL.
Got a Congestion Charge, ULEZ or tunnel PCN?
The free calculator works out the service date, the last day to pay £90 and the 28-day deadline for TfL’s road user charging penalties.
Open the free calculator →TfL PCN — frequently asked questions
How much is a TfL PCN?
£160 for a red route, bus lane or box junction PCN, reduced to £80 if you pay within 14 or 21 days (the PCN says which), rising to £240 after a charge certificate. Congestion Charge, ULEZ and tunnel penalties are £180, £90 within 14 days, and £270 after a charge certificate.
How do I see the evidence for my TfL PCN?
Use TfL’s “View a PCN” service with your PCN number and your vehicle’s number plate.
How long do I have to challenge a TfL PCN?
28 days. If TfL rejects your representations, you then have 28 days from the Notice of Rejection to appeal to London Tribunals, which is free.
Is a TfL PCN the same as a council PCN?
Similar, but not the same. TfL enforces its own red routes and boroughs enforce their own roads. Bus lane and moving-traffic PCNs in London come under the London Local Authorities Acts, and Congestion Charge, ULEZ and tunnel penalties under road user charging rules — each with different grounds.
Can I appeal a TfL box junction PCN?
Yes. You only contravene the rule if you enter the box and have to stop because your exit isn’t clear. Stopping while waiting to turn right, held only by oncoming traffic or other vehicles waiting to turn right, is allowed — ask to see the footage.
Write your TfL challenge
AppealIQ drafts your representations to TfL under the rules for your type of PCN — and an appeal statement for London Tribunals if TfL rejects you.
1 free letter every month, then £2.99 per extra letter — no subscription. See pricing
Related guides
AppealIQ is an independent service and is not connected to Transport for London or London Tribunals. This guide is general information, not legal advice; amounts and rules are shown with their source and the date we checked them — always go by the notice you received and the official site.