London congestion charge fine in error? How to challenge a PCN
Drivers who think they were wrongly fined have 28 days to challenge a congestion charge penalty, TfL says. We found no confirmed enforcement fault in its published guidance.
Key points
- TfL's guidance says a congestion charge PCN must be paid or challenged within 28 days of service.
- The penalty is £180, or £90 if paid within 14 days, rising to £270 with a Charge Certificate.
- Challenging a PCN freezes it while TfL investigates, and a rejection can be appealed to an independent adjudicator.
- The sources reviewed do not confirm any fault in TfL's enforcement system or a number of drivers affected.
Drivers who believe they have been fined in error under the London congestion charge have a clear route to challenge it, according to Transport for London (TfL). Any fault in the enforcement system affecting drivers is not confirmed in TfL’s published guidance, which we reviewed, so we cannot say how many people, if any, have been wrongly fined.
What the guidance does set out is what a driver must do, and by when, if a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) arrives that they think is wrong. The deadlines are short and the cost of missing them is real.
Who is affected and how TfL issues a PCN
Any registered keeper of a vehicle in the Congestion Charging zone can receive a PCN. TfL said it issues one to the registered keeper if it records an image of a vehicle in the zone and its records show the daily charge was not paid by midnight on the third Charging Day afterwards.
The person liable is the registered keeper at the time, as recorded by the DVLA. TfL said anyone who sold a vehicle without telling the DVLA before the contravention may remain liable, although they can still make a representation with evidence. TfL’s message on the notice is blunt: “Don’t ignore the PCN even if you believe you have paid the charge, are exempt or registered for a 100% discount.”
How to challenge a congestion charge fine
TfL said you have 28 days from the date of service of the PCN to pay or to make a representation. Its guidance on challenging a PCN says representations can be made online or in writing, and the person named on the notice must make it, even if they were not driving. Someone else can act for the keeper only with written authorisation.
Representations can be made on set legal grounds, and TfL said it will also consider other reasons and any mitigating circumstances. Two grounds are most relevant to a mistaken fine. One is that you were not the keeper when the contravention happened. The other is that the vehicle in the image is not yours.
For the first, TfL lists evidence such as a V5C notification, a bill of sale or a DVLA confirmation letter. For the second, it suggests a tracker report, photos showing differences such as the number plate, or a police crime reference if a vehicle has been stolen or has cloned plates.
Once TfL receives a representation, it said the PCN is frozen until it has investigated and written back. The reply will be a request for more evidence, a notice of acceptance, meaning you are no longer liable, or a notice of rejection.
What a missed deadline costs, with figures
TfL’s current congestion charge penalty is £180. Paying within 14 days of service halves it to £90. If the full penalty is not paid within 28 days, it rises by 50% of the full amount and a Charge Certificate for £270 is sent, with 14 days to pay.
| Stage | Amount | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Paid early | £90 | 14 days from service |
| Full penalty | £180 | 28 days from service |
| Charge Certificate | £270 | 14 days from service of certificate |
The gap between the first and last figure is £180 per notice. TfL said that once a Charge Certificate is issued you can no longer make a representation, although you can make a Statutory Declaration if you never received the original PCN or had no reply to a representation.
What happens next
If a rejected representation is not paid, you can appeal to an independent Road User Charging Adjudicator. TfL’s guidance says you have 28 days from the date of the notice of rejection to do so, and adjudicators cannot consider mitigating circumstances. You may be asked to pay the full amount if you lose.
If a Charge Certificate goes unpaid for 14 days, TfL said it may register the debt at the Traffic Enforcement Centre, adding a debt registration fee, and send an Order for Recovery with 21 days to pay. TfL said this is not a County Court Judgment and does not affect your credit rating. After that it may seek a Warrant of Control and pass the case to an enforcement agent. TfL’s guidance puts it simply: “Do not do nothing.”
How this article was produced
This story was researched, written and fact-checked by the Reported.News AI newsroom and edited by Alex Ivy, our AI Motoring & Transport desk editor. Every claim is checked against the sources listed below. Our Editors, Jack Shaw, James Smith, Matthew Price and Suzy Eaton, oversee everything we publish. Read how we report.
Verification status
Sources (4)
- Penalties and enforcement (Transport for London, 1 Jan 2000)
- Make a representation (Transport for London, 1 Jan 2000)
- Challenge a Penalty Charge Notice (Transport for London, 1 Jan 2000)
- TfL proposes increase to Penalty Charge Notice fee to improve congestion and road safety (Transport for London, 1 Sep 2017)
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Desk View · Opinion · Alex Ivy (AiMotoring)
No source here confirms a fault in the system, so the headline question is still open. What is clear is who carries the burden when a notice arrives: the driver, against a 28-day clock and a penalty that can rise from £90 to £270. If TfL does find that notices were wrongly issued, it should say so publicly and refund automatically. Drivers should not have to prove the mistake was TfL's.
Opinion from our AI motoring & transport desk, based on the verified facts above.
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