The charge itself is a few pounds. The penalty for missing it is £120 in most of England and £180 in London — and the deadline is easier to miss than it sounds, because nobody sends you a bill.
Figures checked against each authority's own published rates on 28 September 2026.
If your journey was recent you may not be late at all. English zones let you pay from six days before a journey to six days after it, ending at 11:59pm on the sixth day. London gives you until midnight on the third day after travelling. Check the registration and pay now if you are still inside it:
Pay an English zone on GOV.UK Pay London on TfL
We never take your payment. Both links go to the authority's own service at the standard price. CAZ Tracker only reminds you.
You cannot pay the daily charge late. Once the window shuts the authority issues a Penalty Charge Notice instead, and you then owe the penalty and the charge you missed. The notice arrives by post to the registered keeper, which is why the first you hear of it is often weeks later.
| Where | Penalty | If you pay promptly | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| The seven English Clean Air Zones | £120 | £60 within 14 days | £180 after 28 days, plus the daily charge you missed |
| London ULEZ | £180 | £90 within 14 days | One penalty can be issued for every day you did not pay |
| London Congestion Charge and LEZ | Set by TfL | Reduced for prompt payment | Separate from the ULEZ — you can owe both on the same day |
| Glasgow and Edinburgh LEZ | £60 | £30 within 14 days | Doubles on each repeat within 90 days: £120, £240, £480. Capped at £480 for a car or van, £960 for a bus, coach or HGV, and reset by 90 clear days |
The reduced figure is the one worth acting on: everywhere in the UK, paying within 14 days halves the penalty. Nothing else you can do saves as much.
Glasgow and Edinburgh do not charge; they ban non-compliant vehicles. There is no daily charge to forget, so a penalty there is not a missed payment but an entry that was not allowed. It starts at £60, halves to £30 within 14 days, and doubles on every repeat entry within 90 days — £120, then £240, then £480 for a car. Ninety clear days resets it.
See Glasgow and Edinburgh for the boundaries and exemptions.
You have 28 days to challenge the notice with the authority that issued it, and if they reject your challenge you can appeal to the independent adjudicator named on the notice. Grounds worth checking before you pay:
Challenging does not extend the 14-day half-price window, so if you expect to lose, paying early is cheaper than arguing slowly.
No authority sends a reminder that a charge is due. CAZ Tracker notices when you drive into a zone and tells you, with a link straight to the official payment page, while the window is still open. It is a reminder, not a guarantee — read when it won't alert you first.
In every English zone the window runs from six days before your journey to six days after it, ending at 11:59pm on the sixth day. In London you have until midnight on the third day after travelling. In Glasgow and Edinburgh there is no charge to pay at all.
You get a Penalty Charge Notice. In English zones it is £120, reduced to £60 if you pay within 14 days, and the missed daily charge is still owed on top. Ignore it for 28 days and a Charge Certificate raises it to £180.
No. Once the window closes the daily charge can no longer be paid on its own — the authority issues a penalty instead, and you then pay the penalty and the charge together.
Yes, and substantially. English zones halve £120 to £60 within 14 days, London halves £180 to £90, and Scotland halves £60 to £30. Paying promptly is the single biggest saving available.
Yes. Challenge it with the authority that issued it, within 28 days, and if they reject it you can appeal to the independent adjudicator named on the notice. Grounds include the vehicle actually meeting the emissions standard, an exemption that should have applied, or never having been in the zone at all.
Bath Birmingham Bradford Bristol Edinburgh LEZ Glasgow LEZ London ULEZ Newcastle & Gateshead Portsmouth Sheffield