Clean air zones charge older, more polluting vehicles to drive in parts of some UK cities. For a car owner, the rules come down to two questions: does your car meet the emissions standard, and do you drive in a zone that charges cars? Over a year or two of regular driving, the charges can add up to more than an older car is worth.
Which zones charge private cars
| Zone | Charge for a car that does not comply |
|---|---|
| London ULEZ | £12.50 a day |
| Birmingham Clean Air Zone (Class D) | £8 a day |
| Bristol Clean Air Zone (Class D) | £9 a day |
| Glasgow low emission zone | Penalty charge |
| Edinburgh low emission zone | Penalty charge |
| Aberdeen low emission zone | Penalty charge |
| Dundee low emission zone | Penalty charge |
The Scottish zones work differently. Rather than paying a daily charge, a car that does not comply and enters the zone is issued a penalty charge. Penalties rise for repeated entries.
Clean air zones in Bath, Bradford, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside do not charge private cars. Depending on the city, they are aimed at vehicles such as taxis, buses, vans and lorries.
The standard your car needs to meet
All the zones that charge cars use the same Euro emissions standards.
| Fuel | Standard needed | Generally means |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol, including petrol hybrids | Euro 4 | First registered from 2006, and many from 2001 |
| Diesel, including diesel hybrids | Euro 6 | First registered from September 2015 |
| Electric | Exempt | Any age |
Registration dates are a guide, not a rule. Some petrol cars from 2001 to 2005 meet Euro 4 and some do not. Some diesel cars from late 2014 and 2015 meet Euro 6, but many do not. The car's actual Euro status is what counts.
Where the dates come from
Euro standards are European limits on the pollutants a new car can emit, brought in over many years. Euro 4 applied to new petrol cars from around 2006, and Euro 6 to new diesel cars from around September 2015, which is where the registration date rules of thumb come from. Diesel cars face the stricter standard because of the nitrogen oxides they emit.
Diesel buyers, take care
A diesel registered before September 2015 will usually pay in every zone that charges cars. In London that is £12.50 for each day you drive in the zone, which adds up to thousands of pounds a year if you drive in it most days.
How the London ULEZ works in practice
Cameras read number plates in the zone. If your car does not meet the standard, you pay the daily charge for each day you drive in the zone, and a day runs from midnight to midnight. If you do not pay, you can be sent a penalty charge notice. TfL's ULEZ pages explain how and when to pay.
How to check a car
- 1Run our free checkThe ULEZ check and clean air zone check are part of every free report. Where the DVLA records the car's Euro status, we use it. Where it does not, we estimate it from the fuel type and first registration date, and say clearly when a car is borderline.
- 2Confirm borderline cars with the official checkersUse TfL's vehicle checker for London and GOV.UK's clean air zone checker for other cities.
- 3Check the paperworkThe V5C or the car's certificate of conformity may show the Euro status, and the manufacturer can confirm it if you are unsure.
Before you buy a car that does not comply
A car that does not meet the standard can still be a good buy if you never drive in a zone. But think about where you live, work, visit family and go shopping. Zones can change and new ones can open, and you may find a car that does not comply harder to sell to buyers in and around those cities.
Add any charges to your running costs. Our running costs check estimates fuel and tax for a year, so you can compare a cheap older car plus daily charges with a newer car that meets the standard.
If you already own the car
The same free check tells you where you stand with a car you already own. Run it with your registration, then confirm with the official checker for each zone you drive in. If your car does not comply, compare a year of charges with the cost of switching to a car that does.
Exemptions and discounts
- Electric cars are exempt from ULEZ and clean air zone charges.
- Historic vehicles: some zones exempt vehicles in the historic vehicle tax class. Check the rules for the zone you plan to drive in.
- Disabled drivers and local residents: some zones have offered exemptions or grace periods, for example for vehicles in the disabled tax class. These vary from zone to zone and change over time, so check the official website for each zone.
Not the Congestion Charge
London's Congestion Charge is separate from the ULEZ, with its own rules and times. Meeting the ULEZ standard does not exempt a car from it.
Vans, motorbikes and other vehicles
The standards above are for cars. Vans, motorbikes, motorhomes and larger vehicles can have different rules, and some zones that do not charge cars do charge vans. Check them with the official checkers. Our van check explains what the free check covers for vans. Zones can be extended or have their rules changed, so check the official site before you rely on any verdict, including ours.
For every car you look at, the free check gives you the clean air zone verdict alongside the MOT history, tax and mileage, so you know about any charge before you fall for the car.