Penalty charge for Clean Air Zone
If a vehicle doesn't meet the required emission standards and is caught on camera driving in the Clean Air Zone, they must pay a Clean Air Zone daily charge.
Drivers won't receive a reminder that they need to pay the charge. After they've driven through the zone, they'll have 6 days to pay the charge. If the daily charge hasn't been paid by this time, they'll receive a Penalty Charge Notice.
We enforce Portsmouth's Clean Air Zone using a system that records the registration plate of vehicles travelling within the Portsmouth Clean Air Zone. There are clear signs around the zone:
- when drivers are approaching the Clean Air Zone, there are blue warning signs with a cloud symbol - these are placed to give drivers time to take alternative routes if they want to avoid entering the CAZ
- when drivers are entering the Clean Air Zone, there are signs with a white background, a cloud symbol and the letter "B"
There are 55 cameras within the zone. View the map of the CAZ zone on the Cleaner Air Portsmouth website.
Penalty Charge
The normal daily charge for driving through the Portsmouth Clean Air Zone is:
- £10 for taxis or private hire vehicles
- £50 for buses, coaches, or heavy goods vehicles
If you do not pay this in time and receive a PCN, you'll have to pay the CAZ daily charge plus a late fee. The late fee is £60 within the first 14 days, but if you haven't paid it after 14 days, it will increase to £120.
If you think the Penalty Charge Notice was a mistake, you can challenge a PCN within 28 days.
How to pay
You can pay your PCN in the following ways:
- you can pay a Penalty Charge Notice online using a debit or credit card
- call 023 9268 8310 (office hours) to pay with a debit or credit card, or call 0800 876 6576 for our 24-hour automated payment system
- pay in person at the Civic Offices, or at one of our local housing offices
- send a cheque or postal order to the parking office (write the PCN number on the back and make it payable to ‘Portsmouth City Council') - do not send cash
Parking office address: Parking Service, Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth PO1 2NE