Clear Air Zone Charges - Do I Have to Pay?

Did you get a Clean Air Zone Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and don’t know what to do next? This guide is here to help. Every month, more than 130,000 people visit our website for advice on fines and parking tickets.

In this piece, we’ll help you get to grips with:

What a Clean Air Zone PCN is and the reasons you might have one.
If you need to settle it straight away.
How to fight against the charge if you believe it’s not right.
Cases where you might not need to pay.
What could happen if you decide not to pay.

We understand that getting a PCN can be both worrying and a bit baffling. But you might find comfort in knowing that you’re not alone. In fact, In 2021, Churchill Motor Insurance reported an 8% increase in penalty charge notices (PCNs) in Britain, with over 5.2 million issued. ¹

Don’t worry; we’re here to help you figure things out.

Most Appeals Succeed

In some circumstances, you might have a legitimate reason not to pay your fine.

It’s a bit sneaky, but the last time I needed legal advice, I paid £5 for a trial to chat with an online solicitor called JustAnswer.

Not only did I save £50 on solicitor feeds, I also won my case and didn’t have to pay my £271 fine.

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*Around 35,000 people dispute their tickets each year with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, and a striking 64% of those appeals are successful, so it’s well worth a try.

Clean Air Zones in the UK

There are a number of CAZ in cities across the UK, with more planned. At the time this page was published, this list of zones was correct.

Class B:
- Portsmouth
Class C:
- Bath
- Bradford
Class D:
- Birmingham

How is CAZ enforced?

Local authorities enforce CAZ using signs that tell motorists they are about to enter a Clean Air Zone.

Councils also use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to identify cars that enter and leave a zone before checking them against a database.

Successful Appeal Case Study

Situation

Initial Fine	£100
Additional Fees	£171
Total Fine	£271

The Appeal Process

Scott used JustAnswer, online legal service to enhance his appeal. The trial of this cost him just £5.

Total Fine	£271
Cost of legal advice	£5

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What Vehicles Are Exempt From Clear Air Zone Rules?

Unlike a LEZ or ULEZ, a clean air zone restricts all types of vehicles from entering the zone.

Unless it is one of the types of vehicles that are expressly allowed. This is an important distinction between CAZ and U/LEZ. As the latter exempts electric and hybrid vehicles.

Do You Have To Pay a Clean Air Zone Penalty Charge?

If you receive a penalty charge notice for driving in a clean air zone, such as a ULEZ PCN, you are probably going to have to pay it.

When your vehicle is seen in a clean air zone, and it is not on the exempt list, it will be very difficult to prove your innocence.

Check out why this motorist got 4 Clean Air Zone PCNs in one day because they didn’t know the rules on how to pay.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

However, sometimes a PCN will be sent by mistake, and in such cases, you could challenge it.

Appeal Process Steps

Certain types of PCNs can be successfully appealed for various reasons. For instance, the timing of when the PCN was issued in relation to the offense can sometimes be grounds for appeal.

Here’s a quick table that will help you understand each step of the appeal process. If you want to learn more about your PCN, be sure to read our specialized guide.

Process:	Steps you should take:
When you receive the ticket…	You should gather as much evidence as you can to support your appeal claim and prove that the ticket was unfairly issued.
If you were given the ticket in person/attached to your car…	You must make an informal appeal (sent to the local authority/council that issued the PCN) within 14 days. This should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given.
If it was posted to you…	You will be given 21 days to submit an informal appeal (from the day you received the letter). Your informal appeal should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given.
If the informal appeal is rejected…	You will receive a Notice to Owner and will have 28 days to respond to this with a formal appeal. You can conduct the formal appeal online or via paper form. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal can send you one of these forms.
If the formal appeal is rejected…	You will receive a Notice of Rejection. From here, you are free to challenge the council’s verdict at an independent tribunal.
If the independent tribunal disagrees with your appeal…	You should pay the ticket within 28 days of the tribunal rejecting your appeal. If you don’t, the fine will be increased by 50%. If you don’t have the money to pay the fine, you should contact Citizens Advice or another debt charity.

As mentioned above, when your appeal is considered, one of three things will then happen, as explained below.

You will receive a letter accepting your appeal. At this stage, you have won, and won’t have to pay the PCN.
You will receive a letter requesting that you provide more evidence.
You will receive a notice of rejection, that your appeal has been unsuccessful.

If your appeal is rejected, you then have the option to escalate the appeal to an independent tribunal.

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What Happens if You Don’t Pay the PCN?

A PCN for a clean air zone charge is an official document from the relevant local authority. In my experience, you should not just ignore it.

If you don’t pay it or challenge it, the local authority will pursue you for the debt.

You could end up in court if you don’t pay it, as it is a form of debt, and the council that sent the PCN is a creditor.

Eventually, you will get a County Court Judgement (CCJ) against you.

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How To Make a Clean Air Zone PCN Payment

You should pay the PCN within 28 days.

If you don’t, you will be sent a charge certificate, which must be paid within 14-days. And the charge will have increased by 50%.

A PCN can typically be paid online. You will need your penalty charge notice number, and a valid credit or debit card to pay online.

Depending on the local authority that sent the PCN, there may be other ways to pay and details of these other payment methods will be shown on the PCN itself.