ULEZ - my car is compliant but I have received a PCN!?
Discussion
To be compliant with the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) standards, a vehicle's NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) emissions must not exceed 0.08 grams per kilometer (g/km). This applies to both petrol and diesel vehicles.
Our 2018 Audi S6 V8T TFSI is ULEZ compliant with NOx emissions at 0.023g/km. I have also checked on the DVLA website which confirms IT IS ULEZ compliant. I have received a PCN for driving on 18th May 2025. I was also driving the same vehicle on the same route on 17th May 2025 but haven't received a PCN for that "offence".
What is the best/most straightforward way to challenge TfL?
Our 2018 Audi S6 V8T TFSI is ULEZ compliant with NOx emissions at 0.023g/km. I have also checked on the DVLA website which confirms IT IS ULEZ compliant. I have received a PCN for driving on 18th May 2025. I was also driving the same vehicle on the same route on 17th May 2025 but haven't received a PCN for that "offence".
What is the best/most straightforward way to challenge TfL?
TVR Sagaris said:
Is it on a private plate?
You need to work out why the TfL checker believes it isn't compliant because, as you say, it should be.
It is on a private plate, and always has been since I bought the car. It has been driven through central London (the exact same route) on several occasions and this is the first PCN I have. As mentioned in my original post, the NOx figs on the car meet ULEZ compliancy.You need to work out why the TfL checker believes it isn't compliant because, as you say, it should be.
Roast Beef Racing said:
No, but TfL get their data from DVLA. I checked a few years ago, on the TfL site, around the time the zone was expanded, and the car was compliant then.
So at some point in time it was checked on the official website and compliant? Or that you just think its compliant, but the official website says it isn't all along?If the TfL vehicle checker says your car is not compliant, then you need to pay the fee. It's possible they managed to miss your previous journeys.
If you believe it is compliant then you need to take it up with TfL and provide the proof for them to update their records.
If you believe it is compliant then you need to take it up with TfL and provide the proof for them to update their records.
Roast Beef Racing said:
Spoken with TfL, strangely helpful. The chap I spoke with asked how old the car is, to which I replied 2018. He said I shouln't have been sent a PCN and advised how I could challenge it.
Indeed. As said, the private plate is the issue, and previous journeys were just not picked up. There's no need to provide complex proof that your car is ULEZ compliant. Every UK registered car made in 2018 is compliant. And as your car is petrol, every UK registered petrol car from 2006 is compliant. Bentleys, Astons. Lambos, the lot.
Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Wednesday 4th June 20:03
paul_c123 said:
What does it say on section D.2 of your V5C?
If it is anything like the V5Cs for my Euro 5 cars it would be blank. Our 2020 Mustang correctly shows Euro 6. It seems this is something they introduced more recently, sometime between a June 2018 car and a January 2020 car.paul_c123 said:
What does it say on section D.2 of your V5C?
If it's blank, then this is probably the issue. You can get a certificate of conformity from the manufacturer and send it to the DVLA to update their records and you should be fine going forwards.For this case, it should be fairly easy to prove your car is ULEZ compliant so you should win the challenge.
Shaoxter said:
paul_c123 said:
What does it say on section D.2 of your V5C?
If it's blank, then this is probably the issue. You can get a certificate of conformity from the manufacturer and send it to the DVLA to update their records and you should be fine going forwards.For this case, it should be fairly easy to prove your car is ULEZ compliant so you should win the challenge.
Sorry for your troubles OP, but thanks for highlighting this problem. My car's also on a private plate and until recently, it was a 2012 L322 Range Rover TDV8 which was non-compliant. It's now an i-Pace, so by definition ULEZ compliant, and I had assumed all would be well. I looked my plate up on the ULEZ checker, and TfL still thinks the registration is attached to the L322. I've called TfL, had to email them a copy of the new V5C and they said it could take up to 10 days to manually change the registration, but it will eventually be done. It looks like we'll need to take my wife's car to London this weekend. Useless gits!
I’m in a similar situation! Bought a car 9 days ago, received new V5C yesterday all good. Had already put the registration into TFL and it said ULEZ compliant. Today transferred a private plate I had on retention on DVLA site to the new car and all went through, confirmation email received.
Need to go into Londonium tomorrow and added the new plate and TFL doesn’t seem to know.
As it’s our only ULEZ complaint car, I’m tempted to go into Londonium tomorrow it anyway as I’ve got the DVLA form confirming old plate is ex retention plate on same car. So how long does TFL knuckledrag before updating their system? Anyone think this is a bad idea?
Need to go into Londonium tomorrow and added the new plate and TFL doesn’t seem to know.
As it’s our only ULEZ complaint car, I’m tempted to go into Londonium tomorrow it anyway as I’ve got the DVLA form confirming old plate is ex retention plate on same car. So how long does TFL knuckledrag before updating their system? Anyone think this is a bad idea?
If it's your only ULEZ compliant car, I'd be thinking the same as you and take a chance, but I'd be keeping an eye on the post in case you receive a fine so that you can appeal immediately. In the meantime, email them a copy of your V5C with the private plate at cccorrespondence@tfl.gov.uk (yes, that's cc followed by correspondence, so 3 Cs in total, not a typo!) and tell them that the car with this plate is a compliant vehicle with the details already registered with DVLA, so that if you need to appeal, you can even tell them that you'd tried to inform them ahead of your trip. I think that's the best you can do at this stage.
Even for our trip, we're considering taking my car as we initially planned anyway and dealing with an appeal if we have to.
Even for our trip, we're considering taking my car as we initially planned anyway and dealing with an appeal if we have to.
QuickQuack said:
If it's your only ULEZ compliant car, I'd be thinking the same as you and take a chance, but I'd be keeping an eye on the post in case you receive a fine so that you can appeal immediately. In the meantime, email them a copy of your V5C with the private plate at cccorrespondence@tfl.gov.uk (yes, that's cc followed by correspondence, so 3 Cs in total, not a typo!) and tell them that the car with this plate is a compliant vehicle with the details already registered with DVLA, so that if you need to appeal, you can even tell them that you'd tried to inform them ahead of your trip.
Great tip QQ, I have done exactly this and hope they don't NiP either of us this weekend(or forever we own the cars)...so last Sat we went into Londonium, parked up and went to the Ministry of Sound-Classical concert at RAH.
having registered my private plate, still haven't been charged for CC or ULEZ despite my writing to them to confirm change of number plate.
today got the following boilerplate reply letter so looks like i'll have to scan all 4 pages of new V5C as soon as it arrives and submit:
i'm guessing there's nowt more to do for now, sharing in case this comes up for others...
having registered my private plate, still haven't been charged for CC or ULEZ despite my writing to them to confirm change of number plate.
today got the following boilerplate reply letter so looks like i'll have to scan all 4 pages of new V5C as soon as it arrives and submit:
i'm guessing there's nowt more to do for now, sharing in case this comes up for others...
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