ULEZ and Clean Air Zone checker

The ULEZ rules for cars

London's Ultra Low Emission Zone needs petrol cars to meet Euro 4 and diesel cars to meet Euro 6. If a car does not, it costs £12.50 a day to drive in the zone.

TfL checks the emissions declared for the car, not its age. As a guide, petrol cars that meet the standard are generally those first registered after 2005 (some from 2001), and diesel cars generally those first registered after September 2015.

Hybrids follow the fuel of their engine. Fully electric cars have no exhaust emissions and meet the standard.

Clean Air Zones outside London

GOV.UK lists seven Clean Air Zones in England. Only class D zones charge private cars: Birmingham and Bristol. Bath, Bradford, Sheffield and Tyneside are class C and Portsmouth is class B, so they do not charge private cars.

Class D zones use the same car standard as the ULEZ: Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel. Scotland's low emission zones have their own scheme, so check their site before you drive in.

Questions people ask

Which petrol cars are ULEZ compliant?

Petrol cars need to meet Euro 4. TfL says these are generally cars first registered as new after 2005, and some cars from 2001 meet it too. Check the registration on TfL's vehicle checker to be sure.

Which diesel cars are ULEZ compliant?

Diesel cars need to meet Euro 6. TfL says these are generally cars first registered as new after September 2015.

What does it cost if a car does not meet ULEZ?

£12.50 for each day you drive in the zone. The charge day runs midnight to midnight. TfL's penalty charge is £180, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.

Do Clean Air Zones charge cars?

Only class D zones. Of the zones listed on GOV.UK, Birmingham and Bristol are class D. The others (Bath, Bradford, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside) do not charge private cars.

Where do I find a car's Euro standard?

GOV.UK says you can find it in the vehicle log book (V5C) or from the manufacturer. If it is not shown, TfL's checker looks it up from the registration.