London Congestion Charge: times, cost and how to pay

Driving in the Congestion Charge zone during charging hours costs £18 a day if you pay in advance or on the day you travel. If you pay later, the charge rises to £21, and you must pay it by midnight on the third day after your journey. The charge applies from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and from 12pm to 6pm at weekends and on bank holidays.

Congestion Charge times

Transport for London sets the charging hours below. Drive in the zone outside these hours and there is nothing to pay.

• Monday to Friday: 7am to 6pm
• Weekends and bank holidays: 12pm to 6pm
• Christmas period: no charge from Christmas Day up to and including the New Year’s Day bank holiday

How much the Congestion Charge costs

The price depends on when you pay. Paying ahead of your trip, or on the day itself, costs £18. Leaving it until afterwards costs £21, and the deadline is midnight on the third day after the day you drove in the zone.

The Congestion Charge is separate from the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). If your vehicle does not meet the ULEZ emissions standards and is not exempt, you also pay the ULEZ daily charge of £12.50. That charge covers vehicles weighing no more than 3.5 tonnes, among them cars and motorcycles, as well as minibuses of up to 5 tonnes. The ULEZ runs 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. Its area takes in all London boroughs and the City of London.

TfL identifies which charges apply to you from your number plate.

How to pay the Congestion Charge

You can pay a one-off daily charge through TfL. For both the Congestion Charge and the ULEZ charge, you can pay for any of the previous three days. You can also pay for today or tomorrow, or pick a custom date range.

If you qualify for a discount or exemption, you need to sign in to your account when paying. TfL says it will not apply them to your vehicle otherwise.

TfL also warns drivers about unofficial websites that sell the Congestion Charge, so pay through TfL itself.

Paying with Auto Pay

TfL describes Auto Pay as the easiest way to pay. Once it is set up, TfL bills you automatically each month for every chargeable journey your vehicle makes in the zone. Signing up costs nothing, and TfL charges nothing for adding vehicles or renewing. TfL says Auto Pay stops you receiving a Penalty Charge Notice.

Auto Pay also covers the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels. ULEZ and Low Emission Zone charges are billed only if your vehicle falls short of the emissions standards and you drive within those zones.

What you need to know before signing up:

• You need a London Road User Charging account, which you can create while setting up Auto Pay.
• You must be 18 or over. Drivers aged 16 or 17 cannot sign up in their own name; their vehicles go on the Auto Pay account of a parent or guardian.
• You pay by Direct Debit or by linking a payment card.
• Standard Auto Pay covers up to 5 vehicles. Businesses with 6 or more need a business account and Fleet Auto Pay.

When Auto Pay starts covering you

Auto Pay covers journeys from the moment it becomes active, including any you made earlier that same day. Trips from the day before you set it up are not included and have to be paid separately. Charges can take up to 5 working days to appear in your online account. The first payment is taken one month after setup, and after that at the end of each billing period.

If you already have an account but have forgotten your login, you cannot reuse the same contact details to open a new one. Try resetting your password, or call TfL on 0343 222 2222 (charges may apply).

Discounts, reimbursements and penalties

Some drivers qualify for a discount, and some are exempt from paying at all. TfL runs reimbursement schemes for NHS patients and staff. Charities and care home workers have their own schemes too. Owners of electric vehicles should check whether they need to register for the Cleaner Vehicle Discount.

If you receive a Penalty Charge Notice, you can either pay it or challenge it.

Checking whether an address is in the zone

TfL has a postcode checker that shows whether an address falls inside the Congestion Charge zone or any of the other charging zones. It is worth using before you drive to an unfamiliar address. Note that the ULEZ and the Low Emission Zone operate in the same area but are separate schemes, and the Congestion Charge has its own charging hours.

Sources

Facts in this guide were checked against these official pages on 18 September 2026. Fares, times and rules can change, so check them before you travel.

• Congestion Charge (Official) (tfl.gov.uk)
• Pay to drive in London (tfl.gov.uk)
• Ultra Low Emission Zone (tfl.gov.uk)
• Auto Pay (tfl.gov.uk)
• Congestion Charge: where and when (tfl.gov.uk)