Congestion Charge
Congestion Charge, Central London
A charge for entering the zone, not for what the vehicle emits. The Euro standard makes no difference to it.
Local detail
What is specific to Central London
The charge has run since 17 February 2003 and now stands at £18 if you pay on the day or in advance, or £21 if you pay by midnight on the third day after travelling. From 2 January 2026 the old 100 per cent Cleaner Vehicle Discount was replaced, so an electric car on Auto Pay gets 25 per cent off and an electric van, HGV or quadricycle 50 per cent, with both reducing again on 4 March 2030. The trap is the weekend, because charging runs from noon to 18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, which drivers who remember the old weekday only scheme still miss.
4 vehicle types
What each vehicle pays
| Vehicle | Daily charge | Standard that avoids it |
|---|---|---|
| Car, van, lorry, bus or coach | £18 | No standard is published for this row |
| Electric car registered for Auto Pay | £13.50 | No standard is published for this row |
| Electric van, HGV or quadricycle registered for Auto Pay | £9 | No standard is published for this row |
| Motorcycle, moped or motor tricycle | Not charged | No standard is published for this row |
One daily charge covers however many times you enter and leave in the same day. It does not cover any other scheme that overlaps the same streets.
What the vehicle has to meet
Emissions standards
- This is not an emissions charge. A new petrol car pays the same £18 as a twenty year old one, so nothing about the Euro standard helps here.
- The only emissions related reduction is the Cleaner Vehicle Discount, and it applies solely to fully electric vehicles registered for Auto Pay.
The Euro standard is recorded on the vehicle's type approval rather than worked out from its age, so a car built in the year a standard came in can fall either side of it. Check the registration date on the V5C against the operator's own vehicle checker before relying on either.
Where and when
Boundary and hours
- Boundary
- Central London inside the Inner Ring Road, which links Euston Road, Pentonville Road, City Road, Commercial Street, Mansell Street, Tower Bridge, the Elephant and Castle, Vauxhall Bridge Road, Park Lane and Marylebone Road. The Inner Ring Road is the boundary itself rather than part of the zone.
- Hours of operation
- 07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, and 12:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. Nothing is charged between Christmas Day and the New Year's Day bank holiday inclusive.
- Enforcement since
- 17 February 2003
6 exemptions and discounts
Who does not pay
- Motorcycles, mopeds and motor tricycles are not charged.
- Residents on the electoral roll inside the zone get a 90 per cent discount. Registration costs £10 per vehicle.
- Blue Badge holders get a 100 per cent discount. Registration costs £10 and is renewed alongside the badge.
- Vehicles registered with the DVLA in the disabled taxation class are exempt automatically, with no registration needed.
- Electric cars on Auto Pay get 25 per cent off, and electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles 50 per cent, from 2 January 2026. From 4 March 2030 those fall to 12.5 per cent and 25 per cent.
- There is a reimbursement scheme for NHS staff and patients.
Most of these have to be applied for, and several are time limited. An exemption you have not registered is not an exemption the cameras know about.
If you do not pay
Penalty charge
£180, reduced to £90 if you pay within 14 days. If the penalty is still unpaid after 28 days a charge certificate raises it by half, to £270.
Questions about this zone
Does a car pay in the Congestion Charge?
Yes. Every car pays £18 a day to enter, whatever its emissions, because this is a charge for driving into the zone rather than an emissions standard. The only reductions are the discounts listed on this page, not a newer engine.
When does the zone operate?
07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, and 12:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. Nothing is charged between Christmas Day and the New Year's Day bank holiday inclusive. Enforcement started on 17 February 2003, and those hours have applied since, unless the operator has published a change.
Where does the zone start and end?
Central London inside the Inner Ring Road, which links Euston Road, Pentonville Road, City Road, Commercial Street, Mansell Street, Tower Bridge, the Elephant and Castle, Vauxhall Bridge Road, Park Lane and Marylebone Road. The Inner Ring Road is the boundary itself rather than part of the zone. The cameras belong to the operator, so treat that description as the route to plan around rather than a guess at where enforcement begins.
What is the penalty if I do not pay?
£180, reduced to £90 if you pay within 14 days. If the penalty is still unpaid after 28 days a charge certificate raises it by half, to £270.
Who is exempt?
6 exemptions and discounts are published for this zone, including: Motorcycles, mopeds and motor tricycles are not charged; Residents on the electoral roll inside the zone get a 90 per cent discount. Registration costs £10 per vehicle; Blue Badge holders get a 100 per cent discount. Registration costs £10 and is renewed alongside the badge. Most have to be applied for in advance, so read the full list before you travel.