UK road tolls
Durham Road User Charge Zone (Durham congestion charge)
Durham Road User Charge Zone (Durham congestion charge) in North East England, Durham City peninsula (Saddler Street, Market Place, the Baileys, Palace Green) lists a car tariff of £5.00 per day with these conditions: Entering the zone between 10.00am and 2.00am any day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day; one charge covers the day. Durham County Council publishes the position recorded here as of 7 September 2026; payment and exemption rules depend on the crossing.
GOV.UK, Durham Road User Charge Zone (Durham congestion charge) tariff and travel information (as of 7 September 2026)How much is the Durham congestion charge, and when does it apply?
| Vehicle class | Price | Payment method or tariff | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All non-exempt motor vehicles (cars, vans, goods vehicles, coaches) | £5.00 GBP per day | Standard tariff | Entering the zone between 10.00am and 2.00am any day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day; one charge covers the day. | GOV.UK, Durham Road User Charge Zone (Durham congestion charge) tariff and travel information (as of 7 September 2026) |
| Motorcycles, mopeds, sidecars and bicycles | £0.00 GBP per day | Standard tariff | Automatically exempt. | GOV.UK, Durham Road User Charge Zone (Durham congestion charge) tariff and travel information (as of 7 September 2026) |
| Local bus services, taxis and private hire vehicles | £0.00 GBP per day | Standard tariff | Exempt once registered with the council. | GOV.UK, Durham Road User Charge Zone (Durham congestion charge) tariff and travel information (as of 7 September 2026) |
Where is the Durham charge point, and what does the £5 cover?
The charge applies to vehicles using Saddler Street to enter the Durham City peninsula. Beyond it are the Market Place and the way up to Durham Cathedral. If the charge is not paid, a Penalty Charge Notice goes to the vehicle's registered keeper.
The council describes the £5 as a daily charge for using the zone between 10am and 2am, seven days a week. Nothing is due between 2am and 10am, and there is no charge at all on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day. For most of its life the scheme was much lighter, as the table shows.
| Before 17 April 2025 | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Charge | £2 | £5 a day |
| Hours | 10am to 4pm | 10am to 2am |
| Days | Monday to Saturday | Every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day |
Original terms from Durham County Council's Highways Committee minutes of 21 March 2025; the start date and current charging days and hours from the sealed amendment order. Both read 26 September 2026.
How do I pay the Durham congestion charge, and by when?
- Pay in advance (up to 2 weeks before) or within 24 hours of entering the zone (the council's online-account conditions say by midnight on the day of use).
- Online road user charge account (Pay Smart), PayByPhone location code 804250 (same day only), in person at The Parking Shop, Suite 1, Forster House, Durham, or by phone on 0191 384 6633. Camera enforced, no barrier.
When must I pay the Durham charge?
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal says the road user charge can be paid in advance or within 24 hours of entering the zone. The council's online road user charge account is at permits.paysmarti.co.uk/acct/durhamcc. Check the council's current payment instructions before travelling if you need another way to pay.
What is the fine for not paying the Durham congestion charge?
Registered keeper may receive a £50 Penalty Charge Notice if the charge is not paid within 24 hours of entering the zone; £25 within 14 days of issue; representations within 28 days.
What happens if I forget to pay the Durham charge?
If the charge is not paid within 24 hours of entering, the registered keeper may receive a £50 Penalty Charge Notice. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal says the penalty is reduced by 50% if paid within 14 days of the PCN issue date, making it £25. The full £50 applies after that period.
If you disagree with the notice, make representations to Durham County Council within 28 days of the PCN issue date, following the instructions on the notice. If the council rejects them, it sends a Notice of Rejection; you then have 28 days to pay or appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Gather payment confirmation, proof of exemption or evidence that you had sold the vehicle before it entered.
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal handles appeals against Durham road user charge penalties after the council has rejected representations.
What mistakes lead to a Durham congestion charge fine?
Each of these can turn a £5 visit into a £50 notice.
- Remembering the old hours: 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday, is gone. The charge now runs until 2am and on Sundays and bank holidays too, apart from three days at Christmas and New Year.
- Leaving a Friday evening visit unpaid until Monday: payment is due within 24 hours of entering.
- Relying on a Blue Badge in the windscreen: the vehicle must be registered for the exemption before relying on it.
- Forgetting to register again with a new Blue Badge: the vehicles stay registered only until the old badge expires.
- Riding in on a trike or quad: the automatic exemption names two-wheeled motorbikes, with or without a sidecar, and mopeds, so check with the council before relying on it for anything else.
Can Durham residents register an exemption?
- No resident or local discount is published; Blue Badge holders can register up to two vehicles for exemption.
Can residents or visitors register an exemption?
The charging order lists qualifying resident vehicles, visitor vehicles and vehicles owned or leased by local organisations among those that can apply to be registered as non-chargeable. Registration is required before relying on an exemption. Check the council's eligibility rules for the vehicle you intend to use.
Who is exempt from the Durham congestion charge?
- Two-wheeled motorbikes (and sidecars), mopeds and bicycles.
- Postal service (Royal Mail) vehicles, liveried police, fire and ambulance vehicles, liveried Durham County Council vehicles, powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
- On registration: Blue Badge holders (up to two vehicles), NHS and disabled vehicles exempt from vehicle tax, Dial-A-Ride, bullion vehicles, registered recovery and liveried breakdown vehicles, taxis and private hire vehicles, local bus services, non-liveried emergency vehicles and utility company vehicles on operational duty.
- No charge on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, or between 2.00am and 10.00am.
How do Blue Badge holders and taxis register for the Durham exemption?
The charging order automatically exempts two-wheeled mopeds and motorcycles, including those with sidecars; security and bullion vehicles; vehicles collecting or delivering post for a universal service provider; liveried police, fire, ambulance and Durham County Council vehicles; and powered wheelchairs or scooters used by disabled people.
Other vehicles must be registered with the council first. The charging order lists qualifying resident and visitor vehicles, vehicles owned or leased by local organisations, Blue Badge holders' vehicles, certain disabled and NHS vehicles, recovery and breakdown vehicles, and hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. Check the council's current requirements before entering the zone.
- Check the automatic list above. If your vehicle is on it, there is nothing to do.
- If it is on the registration list, apply to the council for inclusion on its register of non-chargeable vehicles.
- When a new Blue Badge arrives, register again: the vehicles stay registered only until the old badge expires.
- Wait for confirmation of the exemption before relying on it.
When did Durham start charging drivers to enter the peninsula?
The UK's first congestion charge, introduced in October 2002 at £2 (10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday), cutting peninsula traffic by about 90% from 2,000 to 200 vehicles a day. Following a Durham City Road User Charging Scheme Order 2014 amendment consultation and a Highways Committee endorsement on 21 March 2025, the charge rose to £5 and hours were extended to 10am to 2am seven days a week, the rates now shown on the council site.
Why does Durham charge drivers to reach the Market Place and Cathedral?
The first charge began in October 2002, and the council credits it with cutting vehicles on the peninsula from about 2,000 a day to 200, a 90% reduction. The amendment changing the charging days and hours came into force on 17 April 2025.
The 2025 change was about how the city is now used. The Highways Committee papers point to more outlets trading seven days a week, evening goods deliveries and surveys showing more vehicles at the times with most people on foot, and note that the scheme had not changed since 2002. The consultation drew 86 unique objections and 59 responses in favour, and on 21 March 2025 the committee set the objections aside and endorsed the proposal in principle.
The same proposals tightened the pedestrian zones. Vehicle access to the Market Place went from one continuous 18-hour period to two periods of 6 hours, and Elvet Bridge went from 16 hours to a single 8-hour period.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| October 2002 | The charge starts at £2, 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday |
| 2 September 2013 | New penalty regulations for road user charging in England begin, excluding Durham's 2002 order |
| 21 March 2025 | The Highways Committee endorses, in principle, £5 a day from 10am to 2am, seven days a week |
| 17 April 2025 | The amendment order changing the charging days and hours comes into force |
| Now | £5 a day, charged every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day |
Durham County Council Highways Committee, 21 March 2025; the sealed amendment order; SI 2013/1783 on legislation.gov.uk. All read 26 September 2026.
Common questions
- Can I pay the Durham congestion charge the next day?
- Yes, if payment reaches the council within 24 hours of entering the zone. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal confirms that deadline. Miss it and the registered keeper may be sent a £50 Penalty Charge Notice.
- Is the Durham congestion charge per entry or per day?
- The council describes it as a daily charge of £5 for using the zone between 10am and 2am, so it is priced by the day rather than by each trip into the peninsula. A vehicle that only uses the zone between 2am and 10am owes nothing. Keep your payment confirmation for the date in question: any penalty notice goes to the registered keeper, not to whoever was driving.
- Do motorbikes pay the Durham congestion charge?
- Two-wheeled motorbikes, including those with a sidecar, and mopeds are exempt automatically, so there is nothing to register and nothing to pay. The exemption list does not mention three-wheelers or quad bikes, so check with the council before relying on one of those. Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs used by disabled people are also exempt automatically.
- Does the Durham congestion charge apply on Sundays and bank holidays?
- Yes. Before 17 April 2025 the charge ran only 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday. The current scheme charges £5 from 10am to 2am every day of the week, bank holidays included, with only Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day free.
- Do taxis and delivery vans pay the Durham charge?
- Hackney carriages and private hire vehicles must be registered with the council before relying on their exemption. Vehicles delivering or collecting post for a universal service provider are exempt automatically. An ordinary delivery van pays the daily charge unless it qualifies for an exemption.
- Can I pay the Durham charge in advance for a graduation or a wedding?
- Yes. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal says the road user charge can be paid in advance or within 24 hours of entering. Check the council's online account for the available advance dates. Each chargeable vehicle needs its own payment for the day.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Durham Road User Charge Zone (Durham congestion charge) tariff and travel information (as of 7 September 2026)
- Durham County Council, Highways Committee, 21 March 2025: road user charge and pedestrian zones (as of 26 September 2026)
- Durham County Council, Durham City road user charging scheme order and amendment (as of 26 September 2026)
- Durham County Council, Sealed road user charge amendment order (as of 26 September 2026)
- Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Durham Road User Charge Zone PCN and appeal process (as of 26 September 2026)
- Imperial Civil Enforcement Solutions, Durham road user charge online account (as of 26 September 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, SI 2013/1783, regulation 1 (as of 26 September 2026)