Some permit holders were fined in error on the charge's last day, 27 September. The council says it is cancelling those fines. Who was affected and what to do.
Some drivers with a valid congestion charge permit were sent fines for Sunday 27 September, the last day of Oxford’s temporary congestion charge. Oxfordshire County Council says the fines were a mistake and it is cancelling them.
The council’s notice sits at the top of its page on congestion charge fines. It reads in full:
“Some congestion charge permits were affected on 27 September by a technical issue. This resulted in some PCNs being sent incorrectly. The issue was limited to that day. We are contacting those affected directly and cancelling those fines.”
The council has not said how many drivers were affected, what the technical issue was, or when it will finish contacting people. It has published no press release on the error: its newsroom carried nothing on it when we checked on Wednesday.
Could your fine be one of them?
The error covers one day only. Three things narrow it down.
- The date on the notice is Sunday 27 September 2026. A fine for any other day is not part of this error.
- You held a permit that day. The notice says permits were “affected”. A driver with no permit who did not pay the £5 charge was liable as normal.
- It was one of four locations. The congestion charge used the same six points and hours as the traffic filters that replaced it. On a Sunday only four were charging, from 7am to 7pm:
- Hythe Bridge Street, west of Rewley Road
- St Clements, east of Boulter Street and Jeune Street
- St Cross Road, south of Manor Road
- Thames Street, east of Blackfriars Road
Hollow Way and Marston Ferry Road charged Monday to Saturday only, so a 27 September fine from either would be wrong for a different reason. Challenge it in the normal way.
What it means for you
If you held a permit on 27 September and a penalty charge notice (PCN) for that day has arrived, do not pay it just because the discount window is closing.
- Wait to hear from the council, but watch the clock. The council says it is contacting those affected directly. It has not said when.
- If you want to be sure, challenge it in writing. The council’s appeal page gives 28 days from the date of service to pay or challenge. The date of service is two working days after the post date on the front of the PCN.
- Paying ends your challenge. The same page warns that “challenges cannot be accepted if you have already paid”.
- Challenges go online or by post to Oxfordshire County Council, PCN Processing Centre, PO Box 315, Sheffield S98 1AE. You need the PCN number and your registration. Saying you held a permit on 27 September and pointing to the council’s own notice is the obvious ground.
A fine left unpaid and unchallenged does not stay at £70. The fines page sets out the ladder:
| Stage | Amount |
|---|---|
| Paid within 14 days | £35 |
| Standard penalty | £70 |
| Charge certificate, after 28 days with no payment or challenge | £105 |
| Registered at the Traffic Enforcement Centre | £105 plus an £11 court fee |
That is why a wrongly issued notice is worth a written challenge rather than being ignored, even with the council’s promise to cancel it.
If you have already paid
The notice does not say whether drivers who paid a 27 September fine will get their money back. It says only that the council is “cancelling those fines”. If you paid one while holding a permit, contact the council through the details on your PCN and ask for a refund, quoting the notice. We will update this page if the council says how refunds will work.
Why it happened on the last day
27 September was the final day of the temporary congestion charge. From Monday 28 September the six points became traffic filters, and most congestion charge permits were moved across automatically to traffic filter permits. The council has not linked the error to that switch and we do not know whether the two are connected.
Under the filters a car without a permit can no longer pay £5 to pass. The fine is £70, and for the first six months a car’s first pass brings a warning notice instead. Delays on the roads since the switch are covered in our report on the city council’s statement, and this week’s closures are on our Oxford roadworks page.
Frequently asked questions
Were Oxford congestion charge fines issued in error?
Yes, for one day. Oxfordshire County Council says a technical issue affected some congestion charge permits on 27 September 2026 and some PCNs were sent incorrectly. It says it is contacting those affected and cancelling the fines.
Do I need to pay a congestion charge fine for 27 September?
Not if you held a valid permit that day. Do not pay it while you challenge it, because the council cannot accept a challenge once a fine is paid. You have 28 days from the date of service to challenge in writing.
How much is an Oxford congestion charge fine?
£70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days. It rises to £105 if it is not paid or challenged within 28 days of the notice being served.
Does the Oxford congestion charge still run?
No. It ended on 27 September 2026. From 28 September the same six points became traffic filters, where a car without a permit cannot pay to pass and gets a £70 fine.
Have your say