Three different charges, three different deadlines
London drivers can meet three separate road charges. They have different owners, areas and payment windows, and paying one does not cover the others.
| Charge | Where it applies | When | Price for a car (2026) | Pay by | Penalty if missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congestion Charge | Central London zone | Mon-Fri 07:00-18:00; Sat, Sun and bank holidays 12:00-18:00 | £18 a day | Midnight on the day, or £21 by midnight on the third day after | £180, £90 within 14 days |
| ULEZ | All London boroughs, not the M25 | 24 hours, every day except 25 December | £12.50 a day if the car is not compliant | Pay TfL for the day of travel; confirm the deadline when paying | £180, £90 within 14 days |
| Dart Charge | Dartford Crossing on the M25, east of London | 06:00-22:00 every day | £3.50 per crossing | Midnight the day after you cross | £70, £35 within 14 days |
The Congestion Charge figures come from the Mayor's decision MD3442, signed on 11 November 2025, and the TfL announcement that followed. ULEZ figures are from TfL's ULEZ page and its penalty page. Dart Charge figures are from GOV.UK.
How much is the London Congestion Charge in 2026?
The daily charge rose from £15 to £18 on 2 January 2026, the first increase since 2020. Paying late, by midnight on the third day after travel, now costs £21 instead of £17.50.
The zone covers about 21 square kilometres of central London. There is a free diversionary route around it, and signs warn drivers before they enter. The charge applies only during charging hours: Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm, and noon to 6pm at weekends and on bank holidays.
The electric vehicle discount changed in January 2026 too. Electric cars now get 25% off, but only when the vehicle is registered for Auto Pay. With a rental car, that registration is the company's decision, so do not assume a rental EV gets the discount.
Does your London rental car have to pay ULEZ?
The Ultra Low Emission Zone covers all London boroughs. It charges £12.50 a day only for vehicles below the standard, which for cars is Euro 4 for petrol and Euro 6 for diesel. A ULEZ day runs from midnight to midnight.
Because the zone includes Heathrow and most outer boroughs, a non-compliant car would owe the charge from the moment it leaves the airport. Ask at the desk whether the car meets the ULEZ standard, or check the plate with TfL's vehicle checker before driving. Cars registered outside the UK must also be registered with TfL's partner EPC plc, even when they comply, which matters if you drive a car rented in Ireland or mainland Europe into London.
What happens if you miss the Congestion Charge in a rental car?
Cameras read the number plate, and the penalty charge notice (PCN) goes to the registered keeper: the rental company. Visit London gives the Congestion Charge penalty as £180, cut to £90 if paid within 14 days and raised to £270 if unpaid after 28 days.
Rental companies do not pay the daily charge for you. Budget UK's guidance says paying the Congestion Charge is the renter's responsibility. If Budget has to handle a PCN, it adds an admin fee of £25 plus VAT and recovers unpaid charges and penalties from you. Other companies set their own fees, so find the figure in your rental terms before you drive into the centre.
Worked example: a weekend in a central hotel
You collect a car at Heathrow on Friday and reach a hotel in Covent Garden, inside the zone, at 3pm. You leave for Oxford on Sunday.
| What happens | Congestion Charge |
|---|---|
| Drive into the zone on Friday at 3pm | £18 if paid by midnight on Friday |
| Remember on Monday and pay then | £21, the last day of the three-day window |
| Leave on Sunday at 11am | £0, before weekend charging starts at noon |
| Leave on Sunday at 1pm instead | Another £18 |
| Forget Friday entirely | £180 PCN, £90 if paid within 14 days, plus the rental company's fee |
With Budget's fee, the forgotten Friday costs at least £90 plus £25 plus VAT, compared with £18 on time. That is more than six times the on-time charge, from a single missed day.
How do you pay the Congestion Charge in a rental car?
The Dartford Crossing
If you drive from Dover, Kent or Essex around the east side of London on the M25, you cross the Thames at Dartford. There are no booths. Between 6am and 10pm every day, a car owes £3.50, payable online on GOV.UK by midnight the day after crossing. Motorcycles cross free.
Miss the deadline and the fine is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days and increased to £105 if unpaid, on top of the original charge. As with London's charges, the notice reaches the rental company first, so paying the £3.50 the same evening avoids the company's handling fee.
For the airports and their links to the city, see which London airport you landed at. If you are also driving in Scotland, read renting a car in Edinburgh and driving on the left.