Driving in the United Kingdom as an American

Criss-cross yellow lines mark a box junction. You must not enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. You may wait in it to turn right if only oncoming traffic or other right-turning vehicles stop you. In London, a penalty for this is £160.

Don't drive in a bus lane during its hours of operation, shown on the signs. You may enter one to stop, load or unload where this is not prohibited. In London, a bus lane penalty is £160.

Central London has a Congestion Charge of £18 a day, from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and 12pm to 6pm at weekends and on bank holidays. All of Greater London is an Ultra Low Emission Zone. Rental car drivers must pay these themselves online, or face a £180 penalty plus a rental company fee.

The M25 crossing east of London costs £3.50 for a car between 6am and 10pm. Pay online, by phone or at a Payzone shop by midnight the day after you cross, or you get a £70 penalty.

When turning into or out of a side road, yield to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross it. At a zebra crossing you must yield once a pedestrian has stepped onto it.

Charging hours are 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and 12pm to 6pm on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. TfL suspended the charge from 25 December 2025 to 1 January 2026. Driving in the zone during charging hours costs £18 a day if paid in advance or on the day, or £21 if paid by midnight on the third day after travel. Electric cars get 25 per cent off only when registered for Auto Pay. Where: Central London. Fine: £180, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days. It rises to £270 if not paid or challenged within 28 days. When you rent a car, paying the charge is your job. If the rental company has to deal with a penalty for you, it adds a fee. Budget charges £25 plus VAT.

Gas cars must meet Euro 4 and diesel cars Euro 6, or pay £12.50 a day. The zone runs 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. Where: All London boroughs, up to but not including the M25. Fine: £180, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days. Vehicles registered outside the UK must be registered with TfL's partner EPC plc, even if they meet the standards.

Only Birmingham and Bristol charge private cars. Cars that meet Euro 4 (gas) or Euro 6 (diesel) don't pay. Other cars pay £8 a day in Birmingham, inside the A4540 Middleway ring road, and £9 a day in Bristol, where the charge runs midnight to midnight every day. Where: Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead). Fine: £120 plus the daily charge in Bristol, reduced to £60 plus the charge if paid within 14 days. Birmingham's penalty is also £120. Pay on GOV.UK up to 6 days before you travel or by 11:59pm on the sixth day after you drive in.

Gas cars must meet Euro 4 and diesel cars Euro 6. Vehicles that don't meet the standard can't pay to enter. Cameras check every vehicle 24 hours a day, including public holidays, and the registered keeper of a vehicle that doesn't meet the standard gets a penalty charge notice. Where: City centers of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Fine: £60 for a car, reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days. It doubles with each further breach, up to £480, and goes back to £60 after 90 days without a breach. You can't register or pay in advance. The online vehicle checker can't check vehicles registered outside the UK.

The Dartford Crossing on the M25 east of London charges cars £3.50 between 6am and 10pm, paid online, by phone or with cash at a Payzone shop by midnight the day after you cross. Two tunnels in east London also charge. The M6 Toll near Birmingham has barriers where you pay by contactless card. Dartford Crossing: crossings between 10pm and 6am are free. Dartford Crossing: the charge applies at weekends and on bank holidays too.

With an American license, your own license is enough. You don't need an International Driving Permit. Visitors can drive any small vehicle, such as a car, listed on a full and valid license for 12 months from when they last entered Great Britain. GOV.UK does not ask for an International Driving Permit.