Updated 19 October 2026.
London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) now covers every London borough, and cities from Birmingham to Glasgow run their own clean air or low emission zones. This guide explains how ULEZ works, which cars are compliant, what it costs, how it differs from the Congestion Charge, and where the other UK clean air zones are. To see whether a car is affected, enter its registration in our free ULEZ check.
ULEZ and clean air zones at a glance
- London ULEZ: £12.50 a day for a car that doesn’t meet the standard, across all of Greater London, 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day.
- The standard: Euro 4 for petrol cars (generally registered from 2006) and Euro 6 for diesels (generally registered from September 2015). Electric cars meet it.
- England’s clean air zones: only Birmingham (£8 a day) and Bristol (£9 a day) charge private cars.
- Scotland: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee fine non-compliant cars from £60.
- Wales has no charging zones.
What is the ULEZ?
The ULEZ is a London emissions charging scheme run by Transport for London (TfL). It began in central London in 2019 and has covered all London boroughs since 29 August 2023, though not the M25 itself. If a car doesn’t meet the ULEZ emissions standard, its driver pays a daily charge for every day it’s driven in the zone.
- Charge: £12.50 a day for cars, motorcycles and vans up to 3.5 tonnes. TfL has said it is committed to not increasing it.
- Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year except Christmas Day. The charging day runs from midnight to midnight, so a journey across midnight is two days.
- Penalty: £180 if you don’t pay, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.
When the zone went London-wide, a Freedom of Information request by Total Car Check found TfL received 425,814 ULEZ payments in the first week, three times the 141,029 of the week before.
Which cars are ULEZ compliant?
A car meets the ULEZ standard if it meets these Euro emissions standards:
- Petrol cars: Euro 4. Most petrol cars first registered from 2006 meet it, and some from as early as 2001.
- Diesel cars: Euro 6. Most diesel cars first registered from September 2015 meet it.
- Motorcycles: Euro 3, generally those registered from July 2007.
- Electric cars produce no exhaust emissions, so they meet the standard and don’t pay ULEZ.
TfL enforces the zone on each vehicle’s declared emissions, not its age, so some older cars comply and some newer ones don’t. Check the actual car: our ULEZ check shows whether a car is ULEZ compliant from its registration, and so does TfL’s vehicle checker.
How to pay the ULEZ charge
Pay on TfL’s website, in the free TfL Pay to drive in London app, or by phone on 0343 222 2222. You can pay up to 90 days ahead, and must pay by midnight on the third day after your journey. If you drive in the zone often, Auto Pay bills you monthly with no registration fee, so you can’t forget a payment. Pay only through TfL: copycat websites charge extra.
Exemptions and discounts
- Disabled and disabled passenger vehicle tax class: exempt until 24 October 2027.
- Wheelchair-accessible vehicles: exempt until 25 October 2027.
- People on certain disability benefits: a grace period for one vehicle until 25 October 2027.
- Historic vehicles: permanently exempt if built before 1 January 1973, or more than 40 years old and in the historic vehicle tax class.
TfL’s scrappage scheme, which paid drivers to scrap non-compliant vehicles, closed to new applications on 8 September 2024.
Is ULEZ the same as the Congestion Charge?
No. They’re separate charges, and a non-compliant car driven in central London during Congestion Charge hours pays both:
| ULEZ | Congestion Charge | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | All London boroughs | Central London only |
| Hours | 24/7, except Christmas Day | 7am–6pm weekdays, 12pm–6pm weekends and bank holidays |
| Daily charge | £12.50, only for vehicles that don’t meet the standard | £18 for almost every vehicle (£21 if paid late) |
| Electric cars | Don’t pay | £13.50 with Auto Pay, otherwise £18 |
Electric cars used to be exempt from the Congestion Charge. Since 2 January 2026 they pay it, with a 25% discount only if registered for Auto Pay.
Clean air zones in England
Seven English cities run charging clean air zones (CAZs). Most charge only buses, coaches, taxis, vans and lorries that don’t meet the standard; only Birmingham and Bristol charge private cars. The car standard is the same as London’s: Euro 4 petrol, Euro 6 diesel.
| Zone | Class | Private cars charged? |
|---|---|---|
| Bath | C | No |
| Birmingham | D | Yes: £8 a day |
| Bradford | C | No |
| Bristol | D | Yes: £9 a day |
| Portsmouth | B | No |
| Sheffield | C | No |
| Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead) | C | No |
The zones run 24 hours a day. In Birmingham and Bristol you can pay up to six days before or after your journey; a penalty is £120, halved if paid within 14 days. Greater Manchester chose a non-charging plan instead of a zone. Check a car on GOV.UK’s clean air zone checker.
Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone
Oxford runs a small pilot Zero Emission Zone in the city centre, from 7am to 7pm every day. Zero-emission vehicles pay nothing; others pay £2 to £10 a day depending on their emissions, and hybrids pay too.
Low emission zones in Scotland
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee have low emission zones in their city centres, running 24 hours a day, including Christmas Day. They use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standard, but work differently from London’s:
- There’s no daily charge to pay in advance. A non-compliant car that enters the zone gets a fine.
- The first fine is £60, halved to £30 if paid within 14 days. It doubles for each repeat within 90 days, up to £480 for a car.
- Motorbikes and mopeds are exempt, and so are historic vehicles at least 30 years old.
- Blue Badge holders are exempt, but must register their vehicle first.
Check a car on the Scottish vehicle emissions checker.
Wales
Wales has no charging clean air or low emission zones. Cardiff is tackling air quality without charging drivers.
Buying a used car? Check it first
A car that isn’t ULEZ compliant could cost £12.50 a day to drive in London, and is harder to sell there. Before you buy, enter the registration in our free ULEZ check, or our free car check, which also shows the car’s MOT and tax. Then run a full car history check before you pay: it shows whether the car has been stolen or written off, or still has finance owing. See Silver and Gold check prices.
Frequently asked questions
Is ULEZ 24 hours?
Yes. It runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day.
How much is the ULEZ charge?
£12.50 a day. If you don’t pay by midnight on the third day after your journey, you can get a £180 penalty, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.
Do electric cars pay ULEZ?
No. Electric cars meet the ULEZ standard. They do now pay the Congestion Charge in central London: £13.50 with Auto Pay, otherwise £18.
What cars are ULEZ compliant?
Most petrol cars registered from 2006 and diesel cars registered from September 2015, but check the actual car: our free ULEZ check shows it from the registration.
Do clean air zones charge cars outside London?
In England, only Birmingham and Bristol charge private cars. Scotland’s four low emission zones fine non-compliant cars instead.
- TfL: Ultra Low Emission Zone
- TfL: Congestion Charge
- GOV.UK: driving in a clean air zone (updated 12 February 2026)
- mygov.scot: low emission zones (updated 26 June 2026)
- Electric car tax: what EVs pay now and from 2028
- Is now a good time to buy an electric car?
See whether a car is ULEZ compliant from its registration with our free ULEZ check.
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