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★ Key takeaway
London ULEZ charges £12.50 per day for non-compliant cars, vans and motorbikes under 3.5 tonnes across all 32 London boroughs. Pay via TfL website, app or Auto Pay any time on the travel day or up to 3 days before or after. Miss the deadline and the penalty is £180, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days. |
The London Ultra Low Emission Zone, the daily emissions charge covering all London boroughs since 29 August 2023, requires drivers of non-compliant vehicles to pay £12.50 per day before crossing into the zone. Transport for London operates the ULEZ payment system through three main channels: a one-off online payment, the TfL Pay to Drive in London app, or an Auto Pay account that bills monthly. The charge applies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with the only exception being Christmas Day. This payment guide breaks down each method, the deadline rules, the late penalty structure, and how Auto Pay works alongside the Congestion Charge for drivers entering central London.
KEY FIGURES
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When does the £12.50 ULEZ charge actually apply
The London ULEZ charge of £12.50 applies to non-compliant cars, motorbikes, vans and minibuses under 3.5 tonnes that drive within the zone at any time. Heavier vehicles such as lorries, buses and coaches over 3.5 tonnes pay £100 per day under a separate Low Emission Zone scheme that overlaps the ULEZ area. The charge runs 24 hours, every day of the year, with the only exception being 25 December, the single charge-free day. The zone now covers all 32 London boroughs and the City of London, following expansion on 29 August 2023, according to Transport for London's published rules.
A vehicle is compliant and avoids the daily emissions fee if it meets Euro 4 for petrol, Euro 6 for diesel and Euro 3 for motorbikes, as confirmed on the TfL vehicle checker at tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle. Most petrol cars first registered after January 2006 already pass, and most diesel cars from September 2015 onwards qualify. Drivers can verify their plate before the trip rather than guess.
How to pay the ULEZ charge online or via the TfL app
Drivers can pay the £12.50 ULEZ charge online at tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/pay-to-drive-in-london, where TfL's payment portal accepts debit and credit cards including Visa, Mastercard and American Express. The single most important rule, set by TfL in its 2026 payment terms, is the 4-day payment window: the charge can be paid any time on the day of travel, on the 3 days before, or by midnight on the 3rd day after travel. Miss that window and the system automatically issues a Penalty Charge Notice of £180.
The TfL Pay to Drive in London app, available on iOS and Android, performs the same job from a phone. Drivers enter the registration plate, the date and confirm the payment. The app stores past payments, sends reminders if Auto Pay is set up, and allows multiple vehicles per account. Saved card details mean a daily payment usually takes under 30 seconds.
Auto Pay: how the £10-a-year automatic system works
Auto Pay is TfL's automatic billing service that detects when a registered vehicle enters a charging zone and bills the driver monthly by direct debit. It costs £10 per vehicle per year, charged the first time the car is detected in any TfL charging zone in a given billing cycle, according to the TfL Auto Pay terms updated in 2026. The service covers ULEZ, the Congestion Charge and the LEZ together, so a single account handles all three.
Auto Pay statements are issued on or after the 5th of each month, with payment taken from the registered debit card or bank account a few days later. The benefit is that drivers never miss a deadline and never receive a £180 PCN by accident, since TfL's ANPR cameras automatically log the entry and bill the registered account. The drawback is the £10 annual fee per vehicle, which is only worth paying for drivers who enter the zone more than once a year in a non-compliant vehicle.
Penalty Charge Notice: what happens if the £12.50 is missed
If a driver fails to pay the £12.50 charge by midnight on the 3rd day after travel, TfL issues a £180 Penalty Charge Notice for ULEZ contraventions, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days of issue, according to TfL's 2026 enforcement schedule. The PCN is sent by post to the registered keeper at the DVLA address, which means the registered keeper must keep their V5C details current to avoid missing notices.
Drivers have 28 days to pay or appeal a PCN. Appeal grounds are limited and listed by TfL, including incorrect vehicle plate read, vehicle not in the zone, charge already paid, or exemption applied. If the appeal is rejected, the case can be escalated to London Tribunals, the independent adjudication service for London PCNs.
Weekend, bank holiday and Christmas rules in 2026
The ULEZ charge applies on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays in the same way as weekdays, according to TfL guidance. The single exception is Christmas Day, 25 December, when the charge does not apply. The zone is fully active from 00:01 on 26 December onwards, including Boxing Day. New Year's Day, Easter Monday and all August bank holidays are charging days at the standard £12.50 rate.
A common confusion concerns vehicles entering the zone shortly before midnight. According to TfL's published rules, the charge applies once per calendar day, midnight to midnight. A vehicle entering the zone at 23:55 on a Tuesday and remaining inside until 00:30 on Wednesday triggers two daily charges, since two separate calendar days have been touched. Drivers timing late evening journeys should plan around this rule to avoid an unnecessary second £12.50.
Refunds, mistaken charges and how to claim back
If a driver pays the £12.50 ULEZ charge for a compliant vehicle by mistake, TfL will refund the payment on request, according to the TfL refund process at tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact. Drivers submit the registration plate, the date of payment and the reason for the refund. TfL verifies the vehicle's compliance status against the DVLA record and refunds the charge to the original payment card, typically within 10 working days.
A different scenario is when an Auto Pay account is incorrectly charged after the registered vehicle was sold or scrapped. The new keeper should be charged, not the previous one. The previous keeper logs into Auto Pay, removes the vehicle, and submits a refund request with proof of sale or scrappage. Keeping V5C records and the disposal notice from the buyer makes this straightforward.
| Method | Cost | Best for | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single online payment | £12.50 per day | 1-2 visits a year | Easy to forget within 3-day window |
| TfL app | £12.50 per day | Occasional driver with smartphone | Same as online |
| Auto Pay | £12.50 per day plus £10/year | Regular non-compliant entry | £10 wasted if vehicle becomes compliant |
| Pay nothing (compliant vehicle) | £0 | Euro 6 diesel or Euro 4 petrol | None if checker confirms |
| ★ EDITOR'S VERDICT For a driver entering the London ULEZ in a non-compliant vehicle once or twice a year, the simplest answer is the single payment via TfL.gov.uk or the Pay to Drive in London app, paid the day before travel to remove the risk of missing the 3-day deadline. For anyone driving into the zone more than once a month, Auto Pay's £10 annual fee pays back quickly by removing PCN risk entirely. Drivers who think their car is compliant should always run the plate through TfL's vehicle checker before assuming, since one mistaken trip costs £90 minimum. |
| This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or motoring advice. Always verify with the relevant local authority before making decisions. |
Frequently asked questions
Can the ULEZ charge be paid after travel?
Yes. The TfL payment window allows the £12.50 charge to be paid any time up to midnight on the 3rd day after travel, in addition to the day itself and the 3 days before. After that the system raises a £180 PCN.
Does Auto Pay cover the Congestion Charge as well?
Yes. A single Auto Pay account covers ULEZ, the Congestion Charge and the LEZ together. The £10 annual registration fee per vehicle is charged once per billing year, regardless of which zone triggers the entry.
What is the penalty for not paying ULEZ on time?
The PCN for ULEZ non-payment is £180, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days of issue, as set by Transport for London in its 2026 enforcement rules. Drivers have 28 days to pay or appeal.
Is there a charge on Christmas Day or Boxing Day?
There is no ULEZ charge on 25 December. Boxing Day, 26 December, is a standard charging day at £12.50 from 00:01, along with all other bank holidays.
How is the ULEZ charge enforced?
Enforcement is by ANPR cameras across the zone, which read number plates and check them against the DVLA database. If the vehicle is non-compliant and unpaid by the deadline, a PCN is issued automatically to the registered keeper.
Can a passenger pay the ULEZ charge for the driver?
Yes. Anyone can pay the £12.50 daily charge for any vehicle through the TfL website or app, as long as they have the registration plate and the date of travel. Liability for non-payment, however, sits with the registered keeper.
Are visitors from outside the UK exempt?
No. Foreign-registered vehicles must pay the £12.50 charge if they enter the zone in a non-compliant vehicle. TfL works with European registration databases to issue PCNs to overseas keepers, although enforcement abroad is more complex.
Sources
- Transport for London, Ultra Low Emission Zone, tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone (accessed 2026)
- Transport for London, Pay to Drive in London, tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/pay-to-drive-in-london (2026)
- Transport for London, Auto Pay terms, tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/auto-pay (2026)
- Transport for London, Penalty Charge Notice for ULEZ, tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/red-routes/penalty-charge-notice (2026)
- Transport for London, Check your vehicle, tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle (2026)
- Transport for London, ULEZ expansion announcement, 29 August 2023 (TfL press, 2023)
- London Tribunals, parking and traffic adjudication service, londontribunals.gov.uk (2026)
Internal links: Clean Air Zones UK overview · London ULEZ disabled and Blue Badge exemption 2026 · Euro 6 vehicle CAZ compliance check 2026