How do I know if I have to pay Congestion Charge in London?
You need to pay a daily charge if you drive within the Congestion Charge zone 07:00-18:00 Mon-Fri, 12:00-18:00 Sat-Sun and bank holidays. No charge between Christmas Day and New Year's Day bank holiday (inclusive).
People Also Ask
You must pay the Congestion Charge if you drive a combustion-engined vehicle, including hybrids, into London during its operating hours. However, beginning in December 2025, even drivers of zero-emission vehicles will be compelled to pay.
Drive a lower emission car if possible. Electric cars are exempt from the London Congestion Charge. If you're only visiting for the day, consider parking outside the zone and using public transport for the rest of your journey.
The rules for refunds of paid congestion charges as set out in the Scheme Order are the same whatever payment method is used. Refunds are only available for unused future days of monthly (20 day) and annual (252 day) charges. Refunds are not available for any part of daily or weekly (5 day) charges.
Before driving into London you should check whether you'll need to pay the ULEZ charge using the TfL vehicle checker. You should also check if your destination falls within the expanded ULEZ using TfL's postcode and map search tool. This will also tell you if you have to pay the Congestion Charge.
It covers approximately the area from Kings Cross in the north to Vauxhall in the south, and Paddington in the west to Whitechapel in the east. All roads around the perimeter of the zone are monitored by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. There is an interactive map of the Congestion Charge zone.
That means any vehicle bearing a Taxi & Limousine Commission license plate will not be charged the congestion fee when entering Manhattan south of 60th Street, even if it is not carrying a passenger; instead, all taxi and for-hire vehicle (FHV) passengers will pay a surcharge on top of their fare.