How much is a bus lane fine outside London?

In England outside London, the statutory penalty is £70 and the discounted amount is £35 when paid within 21 days. The full charge is due within 28 days. These figures come from the English road-traffic regulations and must not be copied onto a Welsh or Scottish notice without checking the issuing authority's rules. A charge certificate raises the English outside-London amount to £105. The postal notice gives the dates and payment service for the specific case.

How much is a London bus lane fine?

The London bus-lane penalty is £160, reduced to £80 during the 14 day discount period. It is a single traffic penalty rather than one of the higher and lower parking bands. The full amount is due within 28 days. If a valid charge certificate is issued, the current amount becomes £240, which is derived from the published £160 charge and the statutory 50 per cent increase. London Tribunals handles the independent appeal after TfL or the borough rejects representations.

Can I appeal a bus lane PCN?

Yes. Make formal representations to the authority using the instructions on the postal PCN. Unlike a windscreen parking ticket, there is usually no earlier informal stage because the bus-lane PCN itself arrives by post. If the authority rejects the representation, appeal to London Tribunals for London cases or the Traffic Penalty Tribunal for eligible cases outside London in England and Wales. Scottish council rejections use the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland. The Notice of Rejection identifies the correct body and deadline.

Does entering a bus lane always produce a PCN?

No. The restriction applies according to the signs and traffic order. A lane may operate only at stated times or allow particular vehicles, and a camera image may not show the whole approach. Review the sign, road markings, full video and order before deciding a challenge. Brief entry is not automatically exempt, but evidence of police direction, an obstruction, an emergency or another authorised manoeuvre may matter. State the exact factual or statutory ground rather than arguing that the entry was only short.

How long do I have to pay a bus lane PCN?

The full payment or representation period is normally 28 days. In England outside London, the published discount is available for 21 days. London uses a 14 day discount. The notice states when the period begins, usually by reference to service rather than the day you happened to open it. If representations are rejected, the rejection gives a new date for paying or appealing. A later charge certificate gives 14 days to pay the amount increased by 50 per cent.

Can I view the bus lane camera video?

The postal PCN should explain how to view the evidence or request it from the authority. Watch the whole clip, including the approach, entry and exit, rather than relying on a still photograph. Save or record the access details and take screenshots if permitted. Asking for evidence does not necessarily pause the payment or representation period, so submit a timely representation if the deadline is near and explain that further evidence has been requested.

Does a bus lane PCN add penalty points?

A council bus-lane Penalty Charge Notice is civil enforcement and does not add driving-licence points. That distinguishes it from a police Fixed Penalty Notice for an endorsable motoring offence. The registered keeper is generally liable through the civil process even if another person drove, subject to the statutory grounds on the notice. A private parking charge is different again. Check the issuer before assuming that every document called a fine has the same licence consequence.

What if I never received the bus lane PCN?

If the first document you receive is a charge certificate or Order for Recovery, act immediately. In England and Wales, the Order for Recovery includes the statutory declaration or witness-statement route for specified procedural failures, including not receiving the PCN. The form must be truthful and submitted by its deadline. It can reset the process but does not itself cancel the allegation. Also check that the V5C address for the vehicle is current, because changing only the driving-licence address is not enough.

Bus lane penalties

A bus lane PCN arrives by post

A bus lane PCN in England is £70 outside London and £160 in London, using statutory and London Councils rates checked on 7 September 2026. Early payment reduces the amount to £35 outside London or £80 in London. The authority sends the registered keeper the notice with the evidence, payment deadline and appeal route.

£70

Outside London bus lane PCN

legislation.gov.uk, Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022 (as of 7 September 2026)

£160

London bus lane PCN

London Councils, Parking and traffic charges in London (as of 7 September 2026)

21 days

Outside London discount period

Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Parking PCN and appeal process (as of 7 September 2026)

Checked on 7 September 2026.London Councils, Parking and traffic charges in London (as of 7 September 2026)

How much is a bus lane PCN in England?

Bus lane penalty, discount and late amount
Area	Full charge	Discounted	Discount window	After certificate	Source
Outside London, England	£70	£35	21 days	£105	legislation.gov.uk, Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022 (as of 7 September 2026); Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Parking PCN and appeal process (as of 7 September 2026); legislation.gov.uk, Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022 (as of 7 September 2026)
London	£160	£80	14 days	£240	London Councils, Parking and traffic charges in London (as of 7 September 2026); London Tribunals, Bus lane penalty charge notice enforcement process (as of 7 September 2026); London Councils, Parking and traffic charges in London (as of 7 September 2026); GOV.UK, Parking fines and penalty charge notices: Paying a ticket (as of 7 September 2026)

The £240 London charge certificate amount is derived from the published £160 charge and the published 50 per cent statutory increase.

Outside London in England, the longer 21 day discount period applies to a postal bus lane PCN. London uses a 14 day discount period. In both areas the full penalty must normally be paid or challenged within 28 days.

Outside London the £70 charge comes from the 2022 English regulations on the civil enforcement of road traffic contraventions. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal groups bus lane notices with camera parking and moving traffic notices, which is why all three get the longer discount outside London. A driver who pays within the window pays half, whichever of the three it is.

Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Parking PCN and appeal process (as of 7 September 2026); London Tribunals, Bus lane penalty charge notice enforcement process (as of 7 September 2026)

Example

A London bus lane PCN paid at each enforcement stage

Discounted amount: £80
Full amount: £160
Charge certificate: £240

Payment within the 14-day London discount window is £80.
After the discount ends, the full penalty is £160.
A charge certificate adds 50 per cent, so the derived amount is £240.

The same London allegation can require £80, £160 or £240, depending on when it is resolved.

How do you challenge a bus lane PCN?

Use the authority's representation form and do it within the period printed on the postal notice. If the authority rejects the representation, its Notice of Rejection explains how to appeal to the independent tribunal within 28 days.

Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Parking PCN and appeal process (as of 7 September 2026); London Tribunals, Bus lane penalty charge notice enforcement process (as of 7 September 2026)

Ask to see the video, because a still image may not show the whole manoeuvre or the sequence of signs.
Check the restriction times and permitted vehicles on the signs, not only the road markings.
Explain any obstruction, police direction or emergency clearly and attach evidence.
Keep proof of submission and a copy of every document sent to the authority or tribunal.

How do I pay a bus lane fine?

Pay the authority named on the postal PCN. Its official website normally accepts the notice number, vehicle registration and a card payment. The notice lists any other route, such as an automated telephone line or post. A London borough PCN and a TfL notice must go to the issuer shown, even though both use the London rate.

Check the amount before confirming. In England outside London, £35 applies during the 21-day prompt period and £70 during the ordinary 28-day period. In London those figures are £80, £160, 14 days and 28 days. The date printed on the notice controls the case.

If you intend to make representations, do that before paying. Payment normally closes the statutory case. If a rejection reoffers a payment period, use the new amount and date in that letter. Save the payment receipt with the PCN number and check that the authority shows a zero balance.

Use the council or TfL address printed on the PCN, not a sponsored search link.
Enter the PCN number and registration exactly, including any zeroes and letters.
Check the event, issuer, amount and deadline before authorising payment.
Complete any extra payment-reference field required by a phone or postal route.
Keep the receipt and confirm the case balance is clear.

What should I check before challenging a bus lane PCN?

Start with the full video. It should identify the vehicle and show the alleged use of the restricted lane. Compare it with the date, time, location and registration on the notice. Then inspect the approach in person or through reliable dated photographs. A sign after the point of no return does not answer what the driver could see before entering.

Read the sign for operating hours and permitted classes. Some lanes allow taxis, motorcycles or other vehicles, while others do not. The traffic order is the legal instrument behind the signs and can contain exemptions or define the lane precisely. Ask the authority for the relevant order if the allegation turns on a vehicle class, boundary or suspended restriction.

Explain forced or directed entry with evidence. Useful material includes dashcam footage, photographs of an obstruction, police details, breakdown paperwork or a witness account. Do not overstate a harmless mistake as an emergency. If the vehicle was sold, hired, stolen or displaying a cloned registration, use the specific ownership ground and documents on the PCN.

Bus lane evidence checklist
Issue	Evidence	Question to answer
Vehicle and location	Full video and clear stills	Is this vehicle shown in the named lane?
Signs and times	Approach photographs and traffic order	Was the restriction adequately conveyed and active?
Permitted vehicle	V5C, licence or authority record	Did the order allow this vehicle class?
Obstruction or direction	Dashcam, photos, police or recovery record	Was the manoeuvre required or authorised?
Owner or keeper	Sale, hire or theft documents	Is the recipient legally liable?

Use the formal grounds printed on the PCN. Tribunal process sources checked 7 September 2026.

How do I appeal a rejected bus lane PCN?

Submit formal representations to the issuing authority within the period on the postal PCN. Give the statutory ground, a short chronology and labelled evidence. Keep a copy and submission receipt. A request to view footage alone may not count as a representation, so say clearly that you challenge the PCN.

If rejected, the Notice of Rejection gives 28 days to pay or appeal to the independent tribunal. London cases go to London Tribunals. Eligible bus-lane cases outside London in England and Wales go to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. The tribunal can decide the legal liability, while a council may also have broader discretion over mitigation.

In Scotland, challenge the council first and use the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland after a Notice of Rejection. Rates and later recovery documents are Scottish, so do not copy the England figures into the representation. Wherever the notice was issued, use its case code and appeal service.

What happens if I ignore a bus lane PCN?

Once the 28 day payment and representation period ends, the authority can continue the statutory process. A charge certificate increases the penalty by 50 per cent. That produces £105 outside London or £240 in London at the rates shown above.

If the increased amount remains unpaid, the authority can register the debt and seek enforcement. That later process is not a fresh opportunity to argue whether the vehicle used the bus lane, except where a statutory statement applies because a required document or response was missing.

In England and Wales, an Order for Recovery gives 21 days to pay or file the appropriate statement on a permitted procedural ground. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal notes that an older bus lane PCN, issued before the 2022 regulations, comes with a statutory declaration rather than a witness statement. If neither payment nor the form arrives, the authority can obtain a warrant and instruct enforcement agents, whose fees are added to the charge certificate amounts in the table.

A late discovery often begins with an old V5C address. Updating a driving licence does not update the vehicle record. Correct the V5C, verify the debt through the issuing authority and follow the recovery form. Do not use a statement ground that is not true merely to reopen the original allegation.

Example

An outside-London bus lane PCN ignored until an enforcement agent calls

Paid within the discount window: £35
Full charge: £70
After a charge certificate: £105
Registration fee: £11

The 21 day discount passes, so £70 is due.
No payment or representation by day 28, so a charge certificate raises it to £105.
Registration adds £11, and no response to the Order for Recovery within 21 days leads to a warrant.
The agent's compliance fee of £79 and enforcement fee of £247 are then added.

The debt reaches £442, from a notice that could have been settled for £35.

Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Parking PCN and appeal process (as of 7 September 2026); London Councils, Parking and traffic charges in London (as of 7 September 2026); legislation.gov.uk, Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022 (as of 7 September 2026); legislation.gov.uk, Civil Proceedings Fees Order 2008, Schedule 1, fee 8.10, as substituted from 13 July 2026 (as of 13 July 2026); legislation.gov.uk, Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, Schedule, Table 1, as substituted from 1 May 2026 (as of 1 May 2026)

Are bus lane fines different in Wales and Scotland?

Yes. The monetary table on this page covers England because the outside-London figure comes from the English 2022 regulations and the London figure comes from London Councils. For a Welsh bus-lane PCN, use the issuing council's published amount and the dates on the notice. A rejected eligible Welsh case can go to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

Scotland has its own council process. mygov.scot says council PCNs, including bus lane notices, normally give 28 days to pay and a 50 per cent reduction for payment within 14 days. A rejected challenge can go to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland. The later reminder and court recovery route is not the English Traffic Enforcement Centre route.

Northern Ireland is outside these tables and tribunal routes. A notice there must be handled through the issuer and the instructions it provides. The safest UK-wide rule is to identify the authority first, because the words bus lane do not create one national rate or one appeal body.

Is a private car park notice a bus lane PCN?

No. A bus lane Penalty Charge Notice is statutory civil enforcement by an authority. A private Parking Charge Notice is a contract claim and uses the operator, POPLA or IAS appeal route.

Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Parking PCN and appeal process (as of 7 September 2026); GOV.UK, Private parking code of practice consultation: how the current system works (as of 7 September 2026)

Common questions

How much is a bus lane fine outside London?: In England outside London, the statutory penalty is £70 and the discounted amount is £35 when paid within 21 days. The full charge is due within 28 days. These figures come from the English road-traffic regulations and must not be copied onto a Welsh or Scottish notice without checking the issuing authority's rules. A charge certificate raises the English outside-London amount to £105. The postal notice gives the dates and payment service for the specific case.
How much is a London bus lane fine?: The London bus-lane penalty is £160, reduced to £80 during the 14 day discount period. It is a single traffic penalty rather than one of the higher and lower parking bands. The full amount is due within 28 days. If a valid charge certificate is issued, the current amount becomes £240, which is derived from the published £160 charge and the statutory 50 per cent increase. London Tribunals handles the independent appeal after TfL or the borough rejects representations.
Can I appeal a bus lane PCN?: Yes. Make formal representations to the authority using the instructions on the postal PCN. Unlike a windscreen parking ticket, there is usually no earlier informal stage because the bus-lane PCN itself arrives by post. If the authority rejects the representation, appeal to London Tribunals for London cases or the Traffic Penalty Tribunal for eligible cases outside London in England and Wales. Scottish council rejections use the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland. The Notice of Rejection identifies the correct body and deadline.
Does entering a bus lane always produce a PCN?: No. The restriction applies according to the signs and traffic order. A lane may operate only at stated times or allow particular vehicles, and a camera image may not show the whole approach. Review the sign, road markings, full video and order before deciding a challenge. Brief entry is not automatically exempt, but evidence of police direction, an obstruction, an emergency or another authorised manoeuvre may matter. State the exact factual or statutory ground rather than arguing that the entry was only short.
How long do I have to pay a bus lane PCN?: The full payment or representation period is normally 28 days. In England outside London, the published discount is available for 21 days. London uses a 14 day discount. The notice states when the period begins, usually by reference to service rather than the day you happened to open it. If representations are rejected, the rejection gives a new date for paying or appealing. A later charge certificate gives 14 days to pay the amount increased by 50 per cent.
Can I view the bus lane camera video?: The postal PCN should explain how to view the evidence or request it from the authority. Watch the whole clip, including the approach, entry and exit, rather than relying on a still photograph. Save or record the access details and take screenshots if permitted. Asking for evidence does not necessarily pause the payment or representation period, so submit a timely representation if the deadline is near and explain that further evidence has been requested.
Does a bus lane PCN add penalty points?: A council bus-lane Penalty Charge Notice is civil enforcement and does not add driving-licence points. That distinguishes it from a police Fixed Penalty Notice for an endorsable motoring offence. The registered keeper is generally liable through the civil process even if another person drove, subject to the statutory grounds on the notice. A private parking charge is different again. Check the issuer before assuming that every document called a fine has the same licence consequence.
What if I never received the bus lane PCN?: If the first document you receive is a charge certificate or Order for Recovery, act immediately. In England and Wales, the Order for Recovery includes the statutory declaration or witness-statement route for specified procedural failures, including not receiving the PCN. The form must be truthful and submitted by its deadline. It can reset the process but does not itself cancel the allegation. Also check that the V5C address for the vehicle is current, because changing only the driving-licence address is not enough.