You must pay an £18 daily London Congestion Charge if driving a petrol, diesel, or hybrid vehicle within the central zone between 07:00-18:00 Mon-Fri and 12:00-18:00 Sat-Sun and bank holidays. It is free on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Electric vehicles (EVs) must register for the Cleaner Vehicle Discount.
How do I check if I have to pay Congestion Charge?
Using the congestion charge checker is as easy as entering your number plate. This will tell you whether or not you need to pay the charge. You can also enter a London postcode or address to see if it falls within the Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ).
If you don't pay the London Congestion Charge by midnight on the third day after you travel, you'll get a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for £180, which is reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days; if you don't pay the PCN, it increases, and can lead to court action and bailiffs. The initial fine amount might differ slightly depending on the specific scheme (like Birmingham's Clean Air Zone), but the core process involves a warning period, a penalty, and escalating enforcement if ignored.
How do I avoid paying the London Congestion Charge? You can avoid paying the London Congestion Zone Charge by travelling between 18:00 and 7:00 Monday to Friday, and 18:00 to 12:00 Saturday to Sunday (and bank holidays). There is no charge between Christmas Day or New Year's Day, either.
The automated payment system will record the number of charging days a vehicle travels within the charging zone each month and automatically take payment from your debit card, credit card or via direct debit each month. You can pay up to 90 days in advance. So, for example, you could pay for one day, a month or a year.
Do I need to pay Congestion Charge if I live in London?
Yes, London residents living within the Congestion Charge zone can get a 90% discount, but they must register with Transport for London (TfL) and meet specific criteria like being on the electoral register and having their main home in the zone. Starting March 2027, this 90% discount for new applicants will be restricted to electric vehicles, though existing registrants can keep their discount for non-EVs if renewed annually.
To see if your car is Euro 5 or 6, check your registration document (V5C) for the standard in section D.2, or use the GOV.UK vehicle enquiry or TfL's checker (tfl.gov.uk) by entering your license plate; generally, cars registered from Jan 2011 are Euro 5, and those from Sept 2015 onwards are Euro 6, but Euro 6 became standard for all new car sales from Sept 2015.
The London Congestion Charge is generally £18 per day if paid on the day or in advance, increasing to £21 if paid by midnight of the third day after travel; this applies during charging hours (Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat-Sun & bank holidays 12pm-6pm, closed Christmas) for vehicles entering central London, with discounts available for electric vehicles and some exemptions, notes Transport for London (TfL) official page and RAC.
Yes, Teslas currently get a 100% discount on the London Congestion Charge as zero-emission vehicles but this exemption ends on December 25, 2025, after which they will pay the full charge (with potential future discounts). Drivers must register their Tesla with Transport for London (TfL) to claim the current 100% Cleaner Vehicle Discount, paying a £10 annual fee for the benefit, and will then need to pay the standard fee from late 2025.
Will I get a notification to pay Congestion Charge?
No, you generally won't get a notification to pay the standard London Congestion Charge; it's your responsibility to pay by midnight the next day (or by midnight on the third charging day for a higher fee) to avoid a £180 Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) sent to the registered keeper. You must proactively pay online, via app, or set up Auto Pay to get reminders and automatic payments, otherwise, you'll receive a PCN if you're caught entering the zone without paying.
What do I do if I forgot to pay the Congestion Charge?
If you do not pay the PCN within 28 days of the date of service, the original penalty amount will increase by 50% and a charge certificate will be sent to the registered keeper of the vehicle. You have 14 days from the date of service in which to pay this.
You can use your Oyster card on all Thameslink trains within the London Zones 1-6 – as well as on buses, Tubes, Trams, The Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services in London.
Vehicles with 9 or more seats are eligible for 100% discount of the Congestion Charge and the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels charge. While some 9+ seater vehicles are automatically exempt from certain charges, others will need to apply to receive a discount.
To avoid congestion charges on Google Maps, enter your destination, get directions, tap the three dots (menu), select Route options, and check the box for Avoid tolls, which often reroutes you around zones like London's Congestion Charge or Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ). However, some users find this feature unreliable for specific zones like London's ULEZ and recommend checking official maps (like Transport for London's website) or using Waze for more accurate, localized data.
London Congestion Charge App London Congestion Charge App allows for hassle-free and easy on-the-go congestion zone travel, charge tracking and management. Be you a minicab driver, a delivery person or just an occasional driver - you'll find this app tremendously useful for your everyday trips to downtown London.
Do I need to pay Congestion Charge to go to London City Airport?
London City Airport is not in the London Congestion Charge zone, but drivers entering central London must have permits when driving within the congestion zones (look out for the Congestion Charge signs). The charge is payable on a daily basis.
Waze tries to avoid congestion charges by default but isn't perfect; it avoids them if your settings are correct (no exemptions, private vehicle) and the zone is active, but may route you through if it's outside charging hours, your destination is inside, or due to glitches. The key is checking your "Toll passes & exemptions" in settings, ensuring "London C Charge Exempt" isn't enabled and your vehicle type is "Private," as the standard "Avoid Tolls" setting doesn't fully cover congestion zones.
