ULEZ fine: how to challenge a ULEZ Penalty Charge Notice
London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone covers every London borough, 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. Drive a vehicle that doesn’t meet the emissions standard in it without paying the £12.50 daily charge by midnight on the third day after, and TfL issues a £180 Penalty Charge Notice — £90 if paid within 14 days of service. Before paying, check whether your vehicle met the standard or was exempt: that is a ground for cancelling it.
Official TfL links
- Check your vehicle ↗ — whether it meets the ULEZ standard
- Challenge a ULEZ PCN ↗ — within 28 days of service
- Pay a PCN ↗
- ULEZ penalty charges ↗
ULEZ PCN — key facts
- Daily charge
- £12.50; 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day
Source: Transport for London · current · verified
- Where
- All London boroughs and the City of London (not the M25)
Source: Transport for London · since 29 August 2023 · verified
- Pay by
- Midnight on the third day after the journey, or up to 90 days in advance
Source: Transport for London · current · verified
- Penalty
- £180 — £90 if paid within 14 days of service; £270 if not paid or challenged within 28 days
Source: Transport for London · current · verified
- Challenge
- Representations to TfL within 28 days of service, on one of six grounds
Source: Transport for London · current · verified
- Independent appeal
- Road User Charging Adjudicators (London Tribunals), free, within 28 days of a Notice of Rejection
Source: London Tribunals · current · verified
Did your vehicle actually meet the standard?
The ULEZ standards are Euro 4 (NOx) for petrol cars, vans and minibuses, Euro 6 (NOx and PM) for diesel cars, vans and minibuses, 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 some older vehicles meet the standard too. Run the registration through TfL’s vehicle checker.
If the vehicle met the standard, no charge was payable, so no penalty charge is payable either — a statutory ground. Back it up with evidence of the vehicle’s Euro standard, such as its certificate of conformity.
Exemptions, discounts and grace periods
If your vehicle was exempt, or covered by a discount or grace period on the day, no charge was payable. Several of these have to be applied for — check that yours was registered in time.
- Vehicles in the “disabled” or “disabled passenger vehicle” tax class: exempt under a grace period until 24 October 2027.
- Wheelchair-accessible vehicles, and people receiving certain disability benefits who apply: no charge until 25 October 2027.
- Wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles carrying out a private hire booking: grace period until 24 October 2027.
- Historic vehicles — those built before 1 January 1973, and historic tax class vehicles.
- London-licensed taxis are exempt.
Paid — but for the wrong day or the wrong plate?
Charging days run from midnight to midnight, so a payment for the wrong day, or against a mistyped registration, can leave the actual journey unpaid. If you paid the charge for that vehicle and that day, that is a ground. If the payment went against the wrong day or plate, explain it with the receipt: TfL lets you give other reasons when none of the six grounds fits, but an appeal to the adjudicator turns on the statutory grounds.
The six grounds for challenging a ULEZ PCN
These are the grounds in the Road User Charging (Enforcement and Adjudication) (London) Regulations 2001. There is no “procedural impropriety” or “mitigating circumstances” ground, so lead with evidence that one of these applies.
- You were not the registered keeper at the time — you had sold the vehicle, or bought it later.
- You had paid the ULEZ charge for that vehicle and date.
- No penalty charge is payable — for example the vehicle met the standard, was exempt, or was covered by a registered discount or grace period.
- The vehicle was used without your consent — for example it had been stolen, or carried cloned plates.
- The penalty is more than the amount that applies.
- You are a vehicle hire firm and the vehicle was hired out under an agreement in which the hirer accepted liability.
How to challenge it, step by step
- 1
Check the vehicle and the date
Run the registration through TfL’s vehicle checker, and check the date, time and images on the PCN — a misread plate shows up there.
- 2
Gather the evidence
The payment receipt, proof of the Euro standard, the discount or exemption registration, a V5C/2 or bill of sale, or a crime reference number.
- 3
Make a representation within 28 days
Challenge online through TfL, choosing the ground that fits. TfL freezes the PCN at the amount outstanding while it investigates.
- 4
Appeal to the adjudicator if rejected
You have 28 days from the Notice of Rejection to appeal free to the Road User Charging Adjudicators at London Tribunals.
Work out your ULEZ PCN deadlines
Enter the date on the notice to see the likely service date, the last day to pay £90 and the 28-day deadline.
Open the free calculator →ULEZ PCN — frequently asked questions
How much is a ULEZ fine?
£180, reduced to £90 if you pay within 14 days of the PCN being served. If it isn’t paid or challenged within 28 days, it rises to £270. That is for cars, vans and motorcycles; heavier vehicles covered by the Low Emission Zone pay more.
How long do I have to pay the ULEZ charge?
Until midnight on the third day after the journey, or up to 90 days in advance. Auto Pay bills you monthly for any charges you owe.
My car is ULEZ compliant but I got a fine — what do I do?
Check the registration with TfL’s vehicle checker, then make a representation on the ground that no penalty charge is payable, with evidence of the vehicle’s Euro standard. Also compare the images with your car — a misread plate is a common cause.
Can I appeal a ULEZ PCN if I forgot to pay?
Forgetting isn’t one of the six grounds. If none of them applies, paying £90 within 14 days of service is the cheapest option. You can still set out other reasons in a representation, but an appeal to the adjudicator turns on the statutory grounds.
Does TfL have to reply to a ULEZ challenge within 56 days?
No. Unlike council parking PCNs, the regulations for ULEZ set no deadline for TfL’s decision and no rule that an unanswered representation is accepted. TfL freezes the PCN at the amount outstanding while it investigates.
Are disabled drivers exempt from ULEZ?
Vehicles in the “disabled” or “disabled passenger vehicle” tax class are exempt under a grace period until 24 October 2027, and people receiving certain disability benefits can apply for an exemption until 25 October 2027.
Challenge your ULEZ PCN
AppealIQ writes your representation to TfL on the right statutory ground — and an appeal statement for the Road User Charging Adjudicators if TfL rejects it.
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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.