Who doesn’t pay the ULEZ or the Congestion Charge?
London-licensed taxis and vehicles in the ‘disabled’ tax class pay neither charge, but most other exemptions cover only one of the two. This is how TfL’s current ULEZ list and Congestion Charge list compare:
| Who or what | ULEZ | Congestion Charge | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Disabled’ tax class vehicle | Exempt until 24 October 2027 | Exempt | Automatic for UK-registered vehicles |
| Blue Badge holder | Not exempt on its own | 100% discount, up to two vehicles | Register with TfL (£10) |
| Certain disability benefits, such as PIP or DLA mobility | Exempt until 25 October 2027 | Not on TfL’s list | Apply to TfL |
| Converted wheelchair-accessible car or van | Exempt until 25 October 2027 | Not on TfL’s list | Apply to TfL (one vehicle) |
| Wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicle | Exempt on a booking until 24 October 2027 | Exempt on a booking | Must be on TfL’s designated list |
| London-licensed taxi | Exempt | Exempt | Automatic while licensed |
| Motorcycle or moped | Pays if not compliant | Exempt | Automatic |
| Historic vehicle | Exempt | Not on TfL’s list | Automatic for UK-registered vehicles |
| Showman’s vehicle | 100% discount | Not on TfL’s list | Register with TfL |
| Resident of the Congestion Charge zone | No discount | 90% discount | £10 a year, plus Auto Pay |
| Vehicle with 9 or more seats | No discount (community minibus grace period only) | 100% discount (buses automatic) | £10 per vehicle a year |
| Electric car | Compliant, nothing to pay | 25% discount | Register for Auto Pay |
| NHS patient too unwell for public transport | Refund | Refund | Claim through the hospital |
For the ULEZ, historic means built before 1 January 1973 or registered with the DVLA in the historic vehicle tax class. Military vehicles, specialist agricultural vehicles, non-road-going vehicles such as excavators and certain mobile cranes are also exempt. Not-for-profit groups’ minibuses have a grace period to 24 October 2027 if the group has had the minibus since 25 November 2022 or earlier and uses it mainly for community transport (apply to TfL).
Do I need to register for an exemption in advance?
Yes, for most of them. Only a few are applied automatically from the vehicle’s DVLA record: the disabled tax class, historic vehicles and specialist vehicles such as military ones, and only for UK-registered vehicles. Everything else, including the Blue Badge discount, the residents’ discount and the disability grace periods, needs an application to TfL. Until it’s approved, keep paying the charge as normal.
Are Blue Badge holders exempt from the ULEZ?
No. TfL says Blue Badge holders pay the ULEZ unless their vehicle meets the emissions standards or is registered for one of three grace periods:
- Disabled tax class: vehicles in the ‘disabled’ or ‘disabled passenger vehicle’ tax class don’t pay until 24 October 2027, as long as the tax class doesn’t change. Disabled people over State Pension age who get Attendance Allowance can apply for it if their vehicle isn’t in that tax class.
- Disability benefits: people getting certain benefits, such as the PIP mobility component or the higher-rate mobility component of DLA, and some other groups such as people registered blind, can register one vehicle until 25 October 2027.
- Wheelchair-accessible vehicles: one non-compliant car or van converted with a ramp, lift, hoist, swivel seat or steering-wheel accelerator ring, until 25 October 2027.
These are grace periods, not permanent exemptions. Check whether your vehicle meets the standards with the ULEZ checker.
How does the Blue Badge Congestion Charge discount work?
A valid Blue Badge holder can register for a 100% discount from the Congestion Charge, even if they don’t own a car or drive. TfL’s rules:
- It costs £10 to register.
- You can register up to two vehicles you’d normally use in the zone: your own, or one you travel in.
- It also covers the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels charge.
- It runs in line with your badge. Renew within 90 days after the badge expires and there’s no further fee.
- Someone else can apply for you by setting up an account in the badge holder’s name.
- A vehicle already in the ‘disabled’ tax class is exempt automatically, with no need to register.
Can I still get the Congestion Charge residents’ discount?
Yes. TfL is accepting new applications for the 90% residents’ discount if your main home is inside the residents’ discount zone. You must be on the electoral register and at least 17. The vehicle must be registered to you at that address, or be a company or lease vehicle for your sole use, or a hire or car club vehicle you use occasionally. It costs £10 a year and you must pay through Auto Pay. If you’ve just moved in, you can apply before your documents arrive and may get 90% back on charges paid while you wait. TfL has announced that from March 2027, new applicants will get the residents’ discount only for electric vehicles. TfL’s ULEZ list has no residents’ discount.
Do NHS patients and staff get the charges refunded?
Some do, through TfL’s reimbursement scheme, which is a refund claimed through the hospital rather than an exemption.
- Patients assessed by a clinician as too unwell, frail or disabled to use public transport, who also meet one of TfL’s clinical criteria, can claim back the Congestion Charge, the tunnels charge and the ULEZ.
- NHS staff can claim back the Congestion Charge and tunnels charge, but not the ULEZ, when using their own vehicle to carry items such as equipment, patient notes or specimens, or when responding to an emergency on call.
- Pay on time. Charges paid after the day of travel and penalty charge notices can’t be reimbursed.
Do electric cars get a discount?
Electric cars meet the ULEZ standards. They get 25% off the Congestion Charge, but only through Auto Pay. See Congestion Charge for electric cars.
Will EveryDrive know I’m exempt?
No. EveryDrive works out whether a vehicle is charged from the vehicle details you give it, and it can’t see exemptions or discounts registered with TfL. If you have one, treat its alert as a prompt to check, not a bill. It never takes payment: you pay TfL yourself. Missed a day? See forgot to pay the ULEZ?