Transport for London PCNs: The Scale of Enforcement
Transport for London (TfL) is London's transport authority, managing the capital's main roads as well as its public transport network. TfL is the UK's #1 PCN issuer. Its enforcement covers red routes and schemes including ULEZ, LEZ, the Congestion Charge and Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charging.
TfL's published figures total 4,354,305 PCNs across six schemes in the full 2025 calendar year. That includes 1,729,683 ULEZ PCNs, 906,170 Congestion Charge PCNs and 881,531 red-route PCNs. These are notices issued, not tribunal appeals.
TfL uses DVLA records to identify the registered keeper when issuing a PCN. That helps explain why a notice normally goes to the keeper, even when someone else was driving.
The latest complete financial year shows 6,638,869 keeper-record enquiries across TfL's two KADOE connections, from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. These are enquiries, not PCNs.
Calendar year 2025; sum of the six rows in TfL's published table.
Calendar year 2025; included in the six-scheme total.
Calendar year 2025; included in the six-scheme total.
Financial year 2025/26; two TfL KADOE connections. Enquiries, not PCNs or unique vehicles.
TfL PCNs Issued in 2025
Full calendar-year figures by scheme. Blackwall and Silvertown charging began on 7 April 2025.
| Scheme | PCNs issued |
|---|---|
| Congestion Charge | 906,170 |
| Direct Vision Standard | 69,439 |
| Low Emission Zone | 8,173 |
| Red routes | 881,531 |
| Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charging | 759,309 |
| Ultra Low Emission Zone | 1,729,683 |
What Types of TfL PCN Can You Receive?
A parking restriction, moving-traffic manoeuvre, vehicle-access rule and unpaid road charge require different evidence. Start with the allegation on your notice.
Red-route parking and stopping
Stopping on red lines or clearways, restricted or suspended bays and other parking allegations on TfL's roads.
Illustrative scenario.Read the guide
Yellow boxes and moving traffic
Yellow boxes, prohibited turns, direction signs and routes restricted to certain vehicles. Use the code mapping below.
Illustrative scenario.Read the guide
Bus-lane PCNs
Camera evidence of a vehicle using a TfL bus lane when the restriction applied. London bus-lane notice stages differ from moving traffic.
Illustrative scenario.Read the guide
Rotherhithe Tunnel restrictions
A prohibited vehicle using the tunnel, including the goods-vehicle maximum gross weight restriction. This is not a crossing-charge PCN.
Illustrative scenario.Read the guideHGV safety permits and DVS
The Direct Vision Standard and HGV Safety Permit Scheme covers lorries over 12 tonnes gross vehicle weight. Check the permit, vehicle and applicable safety requirements.
Read the guideTfL Charging PCN Guides
A charge for emissions, a charge for entering central London and a charge for crossing a tunnel are separate liabilities. Use the scheme on the notice.
Ultra Low Emission Zone
Ultra Low Emission Zone standards, manufacturer evidence, payments and exemptions.
Archive photograph; signs are not current charging-hours guidance.Read the guide
Low Emission Zone
Diesel vehicle classes, weight and emissions categories, charge bands and penalties.
Illustrative scenario.Read the guideCongestion Charge
Travel dates, payment, Auto Pay, residents and Cleaner Vehicle Discount rules.
Archive photograph; signs are not current charging-hours guidance.Read the guideBlackwall and Silvertown tunnels charge
Each crossing, its date and direction, payment method and applicable charge.
Read the guideHow to Challenge a TfL PCN
A representation asks TfL to cancel the PCN. The notice-specific guide gives the exact grounds, evidence and timetable; the general process is straightforward.
Penalty Charge Notice
Check the issuing authority, PCN number, vehicle registration, allegation and service date. Moving-traffic and charging representations are normally due within 28 days beginning with service. Postal parking PCNs, on-street tickets and bus-lane notices have their own stages, explained in the linked guides.
Grounds for representations
State why the penalty should be cancelled. Match the explanation to your camera footage, signs, vehicle records, payment, exemption or liability documents. The person named on the notice responds, or authorises a representative.
Making representations
Use TfL's online challenge service with the PCN number and vehicle registration, or the postal instructions on your notice. Save the completed representation, attachments and submission confirmation.
Notice of Acceptance or Notice of Rejection
TfL may cancel, request further evidence or reject the representation. Respond to an evidence request by its deadline and check the payment and discount position in the reply. The applicable response period depends on the PCN type.
Notice of Appeal
After formal rejection, register with London Tribunals within 28 days beginning with service. ETA deals with traffic and parking penalties; RUCA deals with charging penalties. There is no registration fee. Review TfL's evidence and meet the tribunal's deadlines.
PCN, Charge Certificate, Order for Recovery or Bailiff Notice?
The document you have now determines the response available. Use the guide for that stage, even if the original PCN never reached you.
Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
Check the allegation, evidence, deadline and 50% discount. Start the appropriate challenge or formal representation.
Read the guideCharge Certificate
The penalty has increased by 50%. This is a later enforcement stage, not another initial appeal window. Check how the case reached this point.
Read the guideOrder for Recovery
The penalty debt has been registered. Check whether a statutory declaration or witness statement ground applies, using the form and deadline supplied.
Read the guideNotice of Enforcement and bailiffs
An enforcement agent is pursuing the warrant. Send the latest notice and earlier correspondence so the available response can be assessed. We prepare documents for you to review, sign and send where required.
Read the guideTfL Contravention Codes and Appeal Guides
Match the code and wording on your notice. These guides explain the evidence and grounds for that particular TfL allegation.
TfL at London Tribunals: 2025 Results
Two separate registers cover TfL. These figures describe recorded tribunal cases, not the number of PCNs issued or the result of an initial challenge.
Environment and Traffic Adjudicators (ETA)
TfL parking, bus-lane and moving-traffic cases in the supplied 2025 register analysis. Rotherhithe vehicle restrictions belong to this route.
| Recorded outcome | Cases |
|---|---|
| Appeal allowed | 2,291 |
| Appeal refused | 3,317 |
| Refused with recommendation | 1 |
| No outcome recorded | 10 |
| Total | 5,619 |
Road User Charging Adjudicators (RUCA)
Unique references whose latest recorded outcome falls in 2025, across Congestion Charge, ULEZ, LEZ and tunnel charging. Directions are procedural outcomes, not allowed or refused appeals.
| Recorded outcome | Cases |
|---|---|
| Appeal refused | 6,309 |
| Appeal allowed | 2,918 |
| Direction made | 1,412 |
| Total | 10,639 |
10 Things to Check When Challenging a TfL PCN
Focus your representation on the point that matters to your notice, supported by the evidence for your journey.
Match the challenge to the notice
TfL appears in both London Tribunals appeal systems. Parking, bus-lane and moving-traffic cases use ETA; charging schemes use RUCA. Identifying your PCN first helps you use the right grounds, evidence and appeal route.
Environment and Traffic AdjudicatorsProtect your deadline first
Keep the notice and record when it arrived. Charging representations must reach TfL within 28 days beginning with service. Parking and moving-traffic notices have their own stages: follow the deadline on your notice. Do not wait for every supporting document before protecting your position.
Red routes: challenge a Penalty Charge NoticeCheck the discount before deciding
Charging PCNs offer 50% off during the first 14 days beginning with service. Red-route discount arrangements depend on the notice and stage. Read TfL's response before deciding whether to pay or appeal; do not assume every challenge creates a fresh discount period.
Congestion Charge: make a representationShow what happened on the road
For parking or moving traffic, compare the allegation with photographs and any available video. Add dated photographs of relevant signs and markings, delivery records or witness evidence where they support your account. Explain the specific point each item proves.
Environment and Traffic: preparing your appealMatch payments to the right journey
For a charging PCN, check the scheme, number plate, travel date and payment reference. A payment for another date or scheme may not cover the journey. Include the receipt or relevant account record so TfL can check what was actually paid.
Challenge a ULEZ Penalty Charge NoticeUse vehicle evidence for emissions disputes
ULEZ and LEZ use different vehicle and emissions tests. A Certificate of Conformity, manufacturer letter, logbook or relevant emissions certificate can help establish the correct position. Correcting the vehicle record and challenging an existing PCN are separate steps.
Register a vehicle to drive in LondonSeparate tunnel charges from restrictions
Blackwall and Silvertown charge for each crossing during charging hours. Rotherhithe cases concern vehicle restrictions, not that crossing charge. For a Rotherhithe weight dispute, check gross vehicle weight on the logbook or vehicle plate: an empty vehicle's actual weight is not the same measure.
Rotherhithe Tunnel restrictionsExplain ownership and hire changes clearly
The person named on the PCN normally needs to respond, even if someone else drove. Provide dated sale, keeper-change or hire documents where relevant. Someone helping with the challenge should include the named recipient's written authorisation.
Red routes: challenge a Penalty Charge NoticeDistinguish evidence from mitigation
Show why the alleged contravention or charge is wrong, or identify an applicable exemption. Separately explain any exceptional circumstances and support them with evidence when asking TfL for discretion. Sympathy alone does not establish a tribunal ground of appeal.
Congestion Charge: make a representationA TfL rejection is not the final decision
After formal rejection, you can appeal to the appropriate independent tribunal, normally within 28 days beginning with service. There is no appeal fee, but losing can leave the full penalty payable. Keep your submission confirmation, read TfL's evidence and meet the tribunal's evidence deadline.
Environment and Traffic: preparing your appeal
Parking Mate UK Started With a TfL Enforcement Case
In July 2018, TfL enforcement led to bailiffs taking our founder Leo Musami's BMW. A parking dispute had become the loss of a car. That experience was the starting point for Parking Mate UK.
It is why we look beyond the first appeal letter. A motorist needs to understand the notice, get the response submitted, track what happens next and deal with new correspondence before another deadline passes.
Today, Parking Mate UK's agentic appeal platform assesses your PCN, prepares and submits representations, tracks deadlines and supports your tribunal appeal. Your case stays connected online and on WhatsApp. For court, Traffic Enforcement Centre and bailiff matters, we prepare documents for you to review, sign and send where required.
TfL PCN Appeal Questions
Does TfL use both London Tribunals registers?
Yes. ETA covers TfL parking, bus-lane and moving-traffic contraventions, including Rotherhithe restrictions. RUCA covers Congestion Charge, ULEZ, LEZ and Blackwall/Silvertown tunnel charging appeals.
Does paying ULEZ also pay the Congestion Charge?
No. Each scheme has its own charge. Match the receipt to the scheme, vehicle and travel date. An emissions-compliant vehicle can still owe the Congestion Charge.
Can I challenge while the 50% discount applies?
Yes. TfL's discount arrangements depend on the notice. For charging representations it freezes the outstanding PCN amount while considering the case. For red-route representations received during the discount period, the remaining period resumes if rejected. Check the amount and deadline in TfL's response.
Is Rotherhithe the same as the Blackwall and Silvertown charge?
No. Rotherhithe PCNs concern vehicle restrictions, including the goods-vehicle maximum gross weight limit. Blackwall and Silvertown charging PCNs concern an unpaid crossing charge.
Can Parking Mate UK submit my TfL appeal?
Yes. Send your notice for a free assessment. The £9.99 Automated Penalty Charge Appeal Service prepares and submits your representation and handles the tribunal appeal, with your authorisation.
Sources and References
- Road User Charging (Charges and Penalty Charges) (London) Regulations 2001, SI 2001/2285 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Road User Charging (Charges and Penalty Charges) (London) (Amendment) Regulations 2003, SI 2003/109 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Road User Charging (Enforcement and Adjudication) (London) Regulations 2001, SI 2001/2313 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018, SI 2018/574 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Silvertown Tunnel Statement of Charges, 25 November 2024 (Transport for London)
- Ultra Low Emission Zone (Transport for London)
- Challenge a ULEZ Penalty Charge Notice (Transport for London)
- Low Emission Zone (Transport for London)
- Challenge a LEZ Penalty Charge Notice (Transport for London)
- Congestion Charge: make a representation (Transport for London)
- Paying the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels charge (Transport for London)
- Register a vehicle to drive in London (Transport for London)
- Road User Charging: preparing your appeal (London Tribunals)
- Environment and Traffic Adjudicators (London Tribunals)
- Environment and Traffic: preparing your appeal (London Tribunals)
- Registers of appeals (London Tribunals)
- Regulations (London Tribunals)
- Red routes: challenge a Penalty Charge Notice (Transport for London)
- Rotherhithe Tunnel restrictions (Transport for London)
- penalty charges - FOI-0936-2627 (Transport for London)
- Who DVLA shares data with (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency)
- KADOE volumes, Q4 2025/26, version 2 (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency)
- Challenge a Penalty Charge Notice - ULEZ (Transport for London)
- What we do (Transport for London)
- TfL: Direct Vision Standard enforcement process (Transport for London)