Transport for London (TfL) is currently owed a substantial £789.1 million in unpaid Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) fines, also known as penalty charge notices (PCNs), as of April. This figure has been reported to be around £800 million in total. A significant portion of this debt, approximately 94%, is owed by "persistent evaders" who have accumulated at least four unpaid PCNs. The ULEZ charges motorists £12.50 daily for older, more polluting vehicles operating within Greater London, which expanded to cover all 33 boroughs in August 2023.
TfL has been actively working to recover these outstanding debts. Between January and June 2025, it managed to recover £16.5 million of ULEZ debts through enforcement actions. This recovery includes instances where enforcement agents visit addresses and, in more severe cases, vehicles are seized. For example, over 530 vehicles were seized during this period, and more than 350 were sold at auction, generating over £285,000. This recovered money is then reinvested into London's public transport network.
The enforcement process for unpaid ULEZ charges can be extensive, involving multiple stages and potentially escalating to civil action, including county court judgments and even bankruptcy proceedings for individuals or businesses who refuse to settle. TfL has also employed an intelligence-led approach to track down evaders. Despite the efforts, the total value of unpaid ULEZ PCNs since the expansion reached £376 million recently, with concerns from some officials about this amount ballooning. TfL maintains that less than 1% of drivers receive a PCN, and the majority of non-compliant drivers pay the daily charge.
