How much is the ULEZ charge?

£12.50 a day for a car that does not meet the standard. It is a daily charge, so you pay once for each day you drive in the zone, not each time you enter.

Is my petrol car ULEZ compliant?

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 generally meet Euro 4 and do not pay. Many from 2001 to 2005 do too, but not all, so check those individually. The free check gives a verdict on the exact car.

Is my diesel car ULEZ compliant?

Diesel cars generally need to be first registered from September 2015 to meet Euro 6. Some from late 2014 and 2015 meet it but many do not, and older diesels pay.

Do electric cars pay the ULEZ charge?

No. Electric cars are exempt from the ULEZ and from clean air zone charges.

Does this check cover the Congestion Charge?

No. The Congestion Charge in central London is a separate charge with its own rules and times. Meeting the ULEZ standard does not exempt a car from it.

ULEZ Check: Does a Car Pay the Charge?

ULEZ check

Find out whether a car meets the standard for London's Ultra Low Emission Zone, or would pay £12.50 a day to drive in it. We use the Euro status the DVLA records where it has one, and estimate it from the fuel type and registration date where it does not.

Free. No sign-up.

Who pays the ULEZ charge

The ULEZ standard depends on fuel. Petrol cars need to meet Euro 4, which generally means cars first registered from 2006, and many from 2001. Diesel cars need to meet Euro 6, which generally means cars first registered from September 2015. Electric cars are exempt. A car that falls short pays £12.50 for each day it is driven in the zone.

That adds up quickly. Drive in the zone on 20 days a month and it costs £250 a month, or £3,000 a year. If you live or work in London, a car that does not meet the standard is rarely a bargain, however cheap it looks.

How we work out the verdict

Where the DVLA records the car's Euro status, we use it directly. Where it does not, we estimate it from the fuel type and first registration date, the way TfL's own guidance does. Petrol cars first registered from 2006 are likely to comply, while petrol cars from 2001 to 2005 could go either way. Diesel cars from September 2015 are likely to comply, while those from late 2014 and 2015 are borderline.

When the answer is not certain, we say so rather than guess. Before you rely on it for a car you plan to drive in London, confirm it with TfL's vehicle checker. Hybrids are judged by the fuel they burn, so a petrol hybrid needs Euro 4 and a diesel hybrid needs Euro 6.

Beyond London

The same standard applies in the other zones that charge private cars. Birmingham's Clean Air Zone charges £8 a day and Bristol's £9 a day. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee run low emission zones that issue penalty charges. The report gives a verdict for each, and our clean air zone check explains them in more detail.

The ULEZ and clean air zones guide covers exemptions and the zones that do not charge private cars. Exemptions and discounts are set zone by zone, so check the rules for each city you plan to drive in.

Buying a car for London

If you are buying a car to use in London, make the ULEZ verdict one of your first filters rather than your last. A cheap older diesel can cost more in daily charges over a year than you saved on the price. Run the free check on every car on your shortlist, and look at the MOT history and mileage while you are there.

If the car will spend a lot of time in a zone, add the charge to the yearly figures from our running costs check. Electric cars avoid the ULEZ charge entirely.