Mersey Gateway

I was told I hadn’t driven into the Clean Air Zone, but received a penalty, what should I do?

If you have received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and do not agree with it, you can make representations to the local authority that issued it, explaining your reasons in as much detail as possible and providing any evidence you can.

If the representations are successful, the PCN will be cancelled. If the representations are unsuccessful, a Notice of Rejection of Representations will be issued, explaining the reasons and providing information on appealing further to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

I tried to pay a Clean Air Zone charge using the GOV.UK service, but there was a technical problem.

A GOV.UK telephone payment service and helpdesk is available on 0300 029 8888 (lines open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4.30pm), together with an online contact form. Any questions about using the GOV.UK service should be directed through these channels.

If you have received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and do not agree with it, you can make representations to the local authority that issued it, explaining your reasons.

I only drove into the Clean Air Zone because I followed a diversion / for an emergency reason

If you have received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and do not agree with it, you can make representations to the local authority that issued it, explaining your reasons in as much detail as possible and providing any evidence you can.

If the representations are successful, the PCN will be cancelled. If the representations are unsuccessful, a Notice of Rejection of Representations will be issued, explaining the reasons and providing information on appealing further to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

How much will I be charged for using my vehicle in a Clean Air Zone?

The types of vehicles and charges that apply vary for different Clean Air Zones. You can check on the website of the local authority operating the scheme for the charges that apply to a specific scheme.

Alternatively, use the GOV.UK Drive in a Clean Air Zone service to see if your vehicle’s emissions mean you would be liable for charge and (if applicable) view the charges that will apply to the vehicle at all operating zones.

How does the council know I have used my vehicle in a Clean Air Zone?

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras detect vehicles that are used in a Clean Air Zone.

A Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) will be issued to the Registered Keeper of a non-compliant vehicle used in the zone if the charge is not paid on time – either up to 6 days in advance of, or by 11.59pm on the 6th day after, the vehicle was used in the zone.

Payment should be made at the GOV.UK Drive in a Clean Air Zone service, not to the local authority directly, though a number of Clean Air Zone exemptions and discounts apply, which may require a different method of payment.

What times do Clean Air Zones operate?

Charges apply daily, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and from midnight to midnight (for example, 2 x daily charges should be paid for a vehicle entering a Clean Air Zone at 11pm and leaving at 1am the following morning.

You can check whether your vehicle’s emissions mean you must pay a charge and make payment (obtain a license) to use it within a Clean Air Zone online at the GOV.UK Drive in a Clean Air Zone service.

A telephone payment service and helpdesk is also available on 0300 029 8888 (lines open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4.30pm), together with an online contact form.

When / where do I have to pay to use a vehicle in a Clean Air Zone?

Payment of the charge must be made for each day a non-compliant vehicle is used within a Clean Air Zone, either up to 6 days in advance of, or by 11.59pm on the 6th day after, using the vehicle in the zone.

Charges apply daily, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and from midnight to midnight (for example, 2 x daily charges should be paid for a vehicle entering a Clean Air Zone at 11pm and leaving at 1am the following morning.

Payment should be made at the GOV.UK Drive in a Clean Air Zone service, not to the local authority directly, though a number of Clean Air Zone exemptions and discounts apply, which may require a different method of payment.

I think my vehicle’s emissions are compliant – why have I received a Clean Air Zone penalty?

Check online to see if your vehicle’s emissions mean you are liable for a Clean Air Zone charge at the GOV.UK Drive in a Clean Air Zone service.

If you have any questions regarding the emissions status of your vehicle after checking your number plate through this service, you should contact the GOV.UK helpdesk on 0300 029 8888 (lines open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4.30pm) or use the GOV.UK online contact form.

If you don’t agree with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) you have received, you can make Registered Keeper against the PCN to the local authority that issued it, explaining your reasons in as much detail as possible, providing any evidence you can.

What is a Clean Air Zone?

A Clean Air Zone is a Road User Charging Scheme applying to certain vehicles used within a geographic area of a city centre, with the aim of reducing pollution and improving air quality.

Charges apply to vehicles that have an emissions category that does not meet a standard. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras detect vehicles that are used in a zone.

You can check if your vehicle’s emissions mean you must pay a charge and make payment (obtain a license) to use it within a Clean Air Zone online at the GOV.UK Drive in a Clean Air Zone service.

– Payment of the charge must be made for each day a non-compliant vehicle is used within a Clean Air Zone, either up to 6 days in advance of, or by 11.59pm on the 6th day after, using the vehicle in the zone.

– Charges apply daily, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and from midnight to midnight (for example, 2 x daily charges should be paid for a vehicle entering a Clean Air Zone at 11pm and leaving at 1am the following morning.

Payment should be made at the central GOV.UK service, not to the local authority directly, though a number of Clean Air Zone exemptions and discounts apply, which may require a different method of payment.

How do I know a Clean Air Zone is in operation?

Answer:

Signage on roads in and around the zone, showing a white cloud symbol within a green circle, will indicate that a Clean Air Zone scheme is in operation. A letter A–D will also be included on the symbol (see images below), denoting the class of zone that applies.

4 icons showing the white cloud in the green circle of a Clean Air Zone with each lettered A to D denoting the type of vehicles that are charged in the zone

The 4 x ascending lettered classes relate to the different groups of vehicle that are charged, as follows:

• Class A: Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles
• Class B: Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles
• Class C: Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses
• Class D: Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses, cars (the local authority also has the option to include motorcycles)

Please note that a number of Clean Air Zone exemptions and discounts apply to different zones.

I returned to my vehicle and there was a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) on my windscreen. What should I do?

ANSWER:

Your options in this situation are as follows:

Pay: You only pay 50% of the full penalty if you pay within 14 days (taking Day 1 as the date on the PCN). After 14 days, the penalty increases to the full amount. In any case, payment needs to be made within 28 days, beginning with Day 1. Find out how to pay here.

Challenge: Follow the instructions on the reverse of the PCN and submit your challenge to the authority in writing. If you make your challenge within 14 days, the authority is more likely to re-offer the discount if the challenge is rejected.

Find out more here.

Can I pay the discounted rate of my Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and then appeal to the adjudicator?

ANSWER:

No. To appeal you must follow the appeals procedure – find out more here. If you pay, the authority will consider the matter closed. If the discounted rate has been re-offered, an appeal does not preserve that offer and it will be lost.

Has my Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) been paid?

ANSWER:

Contact the local authority that issued the ticket to check the status of the PCN. Their details will be on all correspondence received, or can be found here.

I have been contacted by Civil Enforcement Agents (formerly bailiffs). What should I do?

ANSWER:

If you have received a court order and payment of your penalty is not made within 21 days of the court order being served, the authority will obtain a warrant from the County Court and Civil Enforcement Agents will be instructed.

Your options in this situation are as follows:

Pay: You must pay the Civil Enforcement Agents.

Challenge: Contact the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC) to make an ‘Out of Time Witness Statement’ as to why the debt has not been paid or representations submitted.

Contact TEC on 0300 123 1059 or visit their website.

I have received a Charge Certificate from the authority. What should I do?

ANSWER:

If you do not pay the penalty or make representations against a Notice to Owner (NtO) or Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) served by post by the end of the maximum 28-day period, the authority will send you a Charge Certificate: this increases the penalty by 50%.

Your options in this situation are as follows:

Pay: Contact the authority to pay the increased charge.

Challenge: It is not possible to challenge a Charge Certificate; however, if you do not pay the Charge Certificate within 14 days – taking ‘Day 1’ as two working days after the Charge Certificate was posted – the authority may register the debt at Northampton County Court – Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC). TEC will then send you a court order.

At this stage, it is possible to make a witness statement (or statutory declaration for bus lane PCNs) challenging the court order on one of four grounds. These are explained within the TEC documentation you will receive.

If you did not receive a postal PCN / Notice to Owner or the Notice of Rejection, it may still be worth challenging although the authority is not obliged to consider representations at this stage.

For further information, contact TEC on 0300 123 1059 or visit their website.

I have received a littering from vehicle Penalty Notice (PN) through the post. What should I do?

ANSWER:

Your options are as follows:

Pay: If you do not pay within 28 days of receiving the Penalty Notice, the penalty increases by 100%.

Challenge: Follow the instructions on the reverse of the Penalty Notice and submit your challenge to the authority in writing.

I have received a Notice of Rejection of Representations (NOR) with an online code. What should I do?

ANSWER:

If you make written representations to the authority in response to a Notice to Owner (NtO) or Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) served by post – and the authority reject these representations – you will be sent a NOR.

Your options in this situation are as follows:

Pay: You need to contact the authority to pay the full penalty, or the discounted penalty if they have re-offered it.

Challenge: The NOR provides information on how to appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT). Your appeal should be submitted within 28-days of receipt of the NOR.

Please note that you can either pay or challenge but may not do both.

I have received a Notice to Owner (NtO). What should I do?

ANSWER:

If the Penalty has not been paid within the 28-day payment period, the NtO will be sent to the owner of the vehicle involved in the alleged contravention. Even if the owner was not the driver of the vehicle at the time, they are still liable for the penalty (except in very limited circumstances). If you are not the owner of the vehicle but have received the NtO, you will still need to follow the ‘Challenge’ process.

Your options in this situation are as follows:

Pay: Follow the instructions on the NtO. Find out more about the payment process here.

Challenge: It is best to use the NtO form (with extra sheets attached if necessary) to make your representations. The NtO explains the grounds for representations. Taking ‘Day 1’ as two working days after the date the NtO was posted, representations need to reach the authority with 28 days. Find out more about the ‘Challenge’ process here.

I have received a parking, bus lane, road user or moving traffic Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) through the post. What should I do?

ANSWER:

PCNs are served through the post when a contravention has been captured on CCTV (parking, bus lane, road user or moving traffic PCNs), or where it has not been possible to place the PCN on the vehicle or hand it to the driver (parking PCNs only).

Your options in this situation are as follows:

Pay: You only pay 50% of the full penalty if you pay within 14 days (taking Day 1 as two working days after the PCN was posted); or 21 days if the PCN was served for a parking contravention captured on CCTV. After the 14- / 21-day period, the penalty increases to the full amount. In any case, payment needs to be made within 28 days, beginning with Day 1. Find out how to pay here.

Challenge: Follow the instructions on the reverse of the PCN and submit your challenge to the enforcement authority in writing. If you make your challenge within 14 days the authority is more likely to re-offer the discount if the challenge is rejected.

Find out more here.

I have received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) from a London Authority, what should I do?

ANSWER:

PCNs issued by London authorities are dealt with by the London Tribunals. You can review your options on the London Tribunals Website.

I have written to the authority and they are rejecting my challenge. What should I do?

ANSWER:

This is often known as an informal rejection. Your options in this situation are as follows:

Pay: The authority will usually extend the 14-day discount period if your challenge was received before the end of the original discount period. Find out how to pay here.

Challenge: If you still believe the penalty should not be paid, you should wait to receive a Notice to Owner (NtO) from the authority. Please note that the NtO will be issued to the owner of the vehicle.

Find out more about the ‘Challenge’ process here.

I want to pay my Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). What should I do?

ANSWER:

Click here to enter your PCN and find comprehensive information on the process to follow.

I was parked on private land and my ticket was issued by a private company. What should I do?

ANSWER:

Private companies fall outside the statutory remit of civil parking enforcement by local authorities, so if a private company has issued your ticket, you should contact the company and follow their appeals procedure.

For further information contact the British Parking Association (01444 447 300).

My vehicle was clamped / removed by the authority. What should I do?

ANSWER:

Your options in this situation are as follows:

Pay: You need to pay the necessary charges to release the vehicle.

Challenge: Even though you have paid the release fee, you can still make representations. Follow the instructions on the release notes you received following payment and write to the authority. If your written representations are unsuccessful, you may then appeal to the independent adjudicator.

Where can I find details on the Contravention Code included on my Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)?

ANSWER:

A full list of Contravention Codes can be found here.