How to challenge a Clean Air Zone penalty

Check these first

• Did you pay within the window (usually up to 6 days after the journey)? Check your bank statement and confirmation emails.
• Is your vehicle compliant? Check it on the government's Clean Air Zone vehicle checker. Many cars are compliant and shouldn't be charged at all.
• Did you have an exemption or discount registered (some local residents, workers and vehicle types qualify for a time)?
• Were you the owner on that date, and was it really your car (cloned plates)?
• Did the zone's signs make it clear you were entering it?

How to challenge it

• 1. Make representations to the council within 28 days of the notice date, using the method on the notice.
• 2. If they're rejected, you can appeal free to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, usually within 28 days of the Notice of Rejection.
• 3. If you do nothing, the amount usually goes up by 50% and can be passed to enforcement agents.

Scotland

Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee have Low Emission Zones that work differently (they are banned-entry zones rather than daily charges) and follow Scottish rules. We give free guidance for these but don't write letters for them yet.