ULEZ and Congestion Charge for rental cars

Congestion Charge

The charge covers central London inside the Inner Ring Road — roads such as Euston Road, Marylebone Road, Park Lane, Vauxhall Bridge Road and Tower Bridge Road mark its edge. It applies 07:00–18:00 Monday to Friday and 12:00–18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, and it is not charged from 25 December to the New Year's Day bank holiday inclusive.

• £18 a day if you pay on the day of travel or in advance.
• £21 if you pay by midnight of the third day after travel.
• Since 2 January 2026 electric cars registered for Auto Pay pay 25% less, £13.50 a day; without Auto Pay there is no discount.

Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)

ULEZ has covered all London boroughs since 29 August 2023; the M25 itself is outside it. It runs 24 hours a day, every day except 25 December. A car that does not meet the standards pays £12.50 a day.

• Petrol cars must meet Euro 4 — generally cars from 2006 onwards.
• Diesel cars must meet Euro 6 — generally from September 2016.
• TfL's online vehicle checker shows whether a given number plate pays.

The separate Low Emission Zone applies to lorries, buses and vans over 3.5 tonnes, not to cars.

How to pay

Both charges are paid on the TfL website, either through Auto Pay or with the one-off “Pay to drive in London” service. The two charges are separate: a car that does not meet the ULEZ standards and enters the Congestion Charge zone pays both. Before you book, ask us how the daily charges for your car and your route are handled.

If a charge is missed

For both the Congestion Charge and ULEZ the penalty charge notice is £180, reduced to £90 if it is paid within 14 days. For the Congestion Charge it rises to £270 after a charge certificate. Paying on the day is the simplest way to avoid it.