Transport for London PCN: Payment, Challenges and Appeals

Did you just get a Transport for London Penalty Charge and are feeling worried? You’ve come to the right place. Every month, over 130,000 people visit this site looking for guidance on fines and parking tickets.

In this article, we will explain:

• What a Transport for London Penalty Charge is.
• If you need to pay these parking fines.
• How you can appeal against this charge.
• What could happen if you choose not to pay the fine.
• Ways to avoid getting a Penalty Charge in future.

In 2021, Churchill Motor Insurance reported an 8% increase in penalty charge notices (PCNs) across Britain, with over 5.2 million issued.¹ So, rest assured, you’re not alone.

We’ve got plenty of useful advice and examples to help you decide what to do next!

What is Transport for London (TfL)?

Transport for London is a government body responsible for the capital’s transport network, including buses, trains, cycling routes, and the London Underground network.

They also oversee the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) and London Congestion Charge, a fee motorists pay when they enter central areas of London.

ULEZ expanded across all London boroughs on 29 August 2023. It is separate from the central London Congestion Charge and the Low Emission Zone for larger vehicles.

If your vehicle does not meet the emissions standards and you drive within these areas, you will have to pay a daily charge of £12.50.

What is a TfL Penalty Charge Notice?

A Transport for London Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is a fine issued by the authority when a motorist breaks the rules.

You might be issued TfL fines for parking on a red route, not paying the London Congestion Charge by the deadline, entering an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in a vehicle that does not meet the emissions standard, and not paying the daily ULEZ penalty.

This penalty will likely be sent to the registered vehicle owner’s address.

Transport for London gets this information by using your car registration plate and asking the DVLA. After this, you have to pay TfL penalty charge notice fines within the deadline or choose to appeal it.

A Transport for London unpaid penalty charge will result in a charge certificate being sent to you.

Is a TfL Penalty Fare the same thing as a PCN?

A penalty fare concerns travel without the required valid ticket or payment. Missing a touch-out can instead produce an incomplete journey and maximum fare; that is not automatically a road-traffic PCN or penalty fare. Check the type of charge shown on your TfL account.

A TfL PCN is specifically for motorist offences.

What happens if you forgot to pay the London Congestion Charge?

If you forget to pay a London Congestion Charge, which must be done by midnight on the third day after you travel, you will be issued a Transport for London Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

To avoid forgetting to pay after your journey, you can pay the charge in advance if you wish. 

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The Congestion Charge is £18 if paid in advance or on the day, or £21 if paid by midnight on the third day after travel. Charging hours are 7am–6pm on weekdays and noon–6pm at weekends and bank holidays, with no charge from Christmas Day to the New Year’s Day bank holiday inclusive. Discounts and exemptions can apply.

A Congestion Charge PCN is £180, reduced to £90 if paid within the applicable 14-day discount period. An unpaid penalty can rise to £270 at the charge-certificate stage. Use the notice’s payment or challenge instructions.

Or, if you think you have valid grounds, you can appeal it.

It’s far wiser to lodge a TfL penalty charge dispute or, if not, pay the fine rather than ignore it.

Here you can see this forum user on MoneySavingExpert has received a PCN for not paying the congestion charge and is looking for advice on whether to appeal.

What are Red Routes in London?

Red routes are just 5% of the roads in London but handle daily heavy traffic and congestion.

Red-route restrictions depend on the signs and markings. Double red lines generally prohibit stopping at any time, while single red lines have signed operating times. Marked bays may permit parking or loading under their stated conditions; a dispensation is not required for every lawful stop.

How much is a TfL penalty?

TfL does not use one penalty for every scheme. Red-route traffic PCNs are generally £160, while Congestion Charge and ULEZ PCNs are £180. Low Emission Zone penalties for larger vehicles can be higher. Identify the scheme and check your notice.

The daily road-user charge and the penalty for failing to pay it are separate amounts. Do not pay the daily charge and assume that an already-issued PCN has also been settled.

A 50% discount gives £80 for a £160 penalty or £90 for a £180 penalty. The discount period depends on the scheme and notice; follow the printed deadline.

You can pay TfL fines in many ways, including online and over the phone. 

Once your Penalty Charge Notice payment is received, that’s it; the matter doesn’t go any further.

What happens if you don’t pay the charge?

A charge certificate can increase the penalty by 50% once the statutory conditions are met. It is not an automatic consequence of the first 28 days passing: a timely challenge or appeal affects the permitted next steps. Follow each notice’s deadline.

A charge certificate increases the original penalty by 50%: £160 becomes £240 and £180 becomes £270. It normally gives a further 14 days to pay.

If the increased penalty remains unpaid, TfL can register the debt and issue an Order for Recovery. Registration through the Traffic Enforcement Centre is not an ordinary CCJ recorded against your credit file.

The debt is registered at the Traffic Enforcement Centre, and a small fee is added to your debt. You’ll then have 21 days to pay the debt. 

Further enforcement can follow if the Order for Recovery is not dealt with and a warrant is obtained. Get advice promptly and follow any permitted witness-statement or statutory-declaration procedure.

When bailiffs get involved, they add their own fees, which can be very expensive.

It’s also worth noting you can run a TfL penalty charge check via the authority’s website if you need to know a TfL PCN appeal status.

Plus, you can retrieve a TfL lost Penalty Charge Notice online.

Can you put in an appeal?

You can appeal a Transport for London Penalty Charge Notice as long as you lodge your appeal within the initial 28 days.

You can challenge the fine in writing by making an appeal online or by post, along with any supporting evidence you may have.

This could include photographs, videos, mechanic invoices, witness statements, vehicle ownership documents, medical emergency proof (if that was the reason for the violation), or witness statements.

We have a great online template you can use to help you write your appeal letter: PCN Appeal Letter Template – Free Sample.

Appeal Process Steps

There’s a due process that must be followed whenever an appeal is made. Here’s a quick table summarizing the different stages of it.

When	Action
On receiving a council PCN	Read the notice, keep it, gather evidence and note all payment and challenge deadlines.
Windscreen or handed-to-driver PCN	An informal challenge may be available before the Notice to Owner. Early challenge can preserve a discount under the authority’s policy; 14 days is not a universal final appeal deadline.
Postal PCN or Notice to Owner	Normally make formal representations within 28 days as stated on the notice. Do not assume there is an extra informal stage.
Representations rejected	The Notice of Rejection explains how to appeal to the appropriate independent tribunal, normally within 28 days.
Appeal unsuccessful	Pay by the deadline given in the decision or obtain advice on any available review. Further statutory charges can follow if you do neither.
Other ticket type	Private parking charges and FPNs use different procedures; follow the actual notice.

Further guidance: Traffic Penalty Tribunal; Citizens Advice.

If you make a representation outside the 28-day PCN period, it will be considered ‘late’, and TfL do not have to consider it.

If your appeal is late, make sure that you provide evidence to outline why your representation is late. Valid reasons they may consider are illness or a holiday.

Keep in mind that forgetting is not a valid reason.

Transport for London will respond to your TfL PCN appeal by accepting it and cancelling the fine, rejecting it, or requesting more information.

What if the appeal was rejected?

If your appeal is rejected, you will receive a notice of rejection which will tell you what to do next.

You can either pay the PCN or appeal to London Tribunals within 28 days of receiving a notice of rejection.

If you want to appeal to London Tribunals, you should complete the form that came with the notice of rejection, providing any evidence and send them to:

London Tribunals
PO Box 10598
Nottingham
NG6 6DR

London Tribunals will notify you of the hearing date. It is then up to Transport for London to contest your appeal or not.

If they contest it, you’ll get a copy of the evidence they send to the adjudicators, who will consider this as well as your evidence.

If an Adjudicator at London Tribunals allows your appeal, TfL will cancel the PCN.

However, if your appeal is rejected and you do not pay, TfL will continue to enforce it. You will normally receive a charge certificate as a result.

How to win a TfL PCN challenge

Appeal grounds depend on the particular TfL scheme. Do not assume TfL applies a universally higher legal threshold than councils. Explain the relevant grounds and evidence, or ask for discretion where appropriate.

There are six Congestion Charge appeal reasons you can make a TfL London PCN appeal and win your challenge if they accept it.

These are:

• I was not the keeper at the time of the contravention, e.g. I have never been the keeper, I ceased to be the keeper, I became the keeper after the date of the contravention.
• I had paid the Congestion Charge due for the vehicle used on that date in the time and manner required by the charging scheme.
• No penalty charge is payable under the charging scheme, e.g. I was not within the charging area during charging hours.
• The vehicle was used or kept without my consent, e.g. stolen.
• The penalty charge exceeds the amount payable in the circumstances of the case, e.g. I have been requested to pay a penalty charge amount above that detailed in the regulations.
• We are a vehicle hire firm, and the vehicle was hired under an agreement at the time, and the person liable signed a statement of liability for any resulting penalty charges.

If none of the six grounds are applicable, you can still make a representation explaining your circumstances.

Should you appeal or pay the TfL PCN?

You can make representations if you believe the PCN is wrong and can also explain mitigating circumstances for TfL to consider. The tribunal’s powers and statutory grounds are distinct from TfL’s discretion.

If the notice is valid and you decide not to challenge it, pay by the applicable deadline. If you are unsure about a ground or deadline, get advice before it expires.

Even if you fit the criteria, you may be worried you have insufficient evidence and will be rejected. This can be confusing, especially when you consider that there is a 50% fine discount on offer for paying within the first 14 days.

The ultimate decision should be made on a case-by-case basis.

Even if you qualify to file a TfL PCN appeal, you may choose the reduced fine to avoid a stressful process and having to pay more later. 

The one thing you should not do is ignore TfL penalty charges.

You either pay or make a TfL Penalty Charge Notice appeal against the charge.

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What about council Penalty Charge Notices?

PCNs can also be issued by a local council.

You may have received a PCN from a local authority for something like parking contraventions or bus lane violations.

A local council Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is the official name for a parking fine issued by the council and is different to a PCN issued by a transport agency such as Transport for London for contraventions in the capital.

London Contact Details

You’ll find the TfL Penalty Charge Notice contact number in the table below.

References

1. Direct Line Group – 10 parking fines issued every minute across Britain