The short answer
- Petrol cars usually comply if registered from 2006; diesel cars if registered from September 2015.
- London’s ULEZ charges non-compliant cars £12.50 a day. Birmingham charges £8 and Bristol £9.
- Bath, Bradford, Sheffield, Newcastle and Gateshead charge vans and taxis but not private cars. Portsmouth charges neither.
- Scotland’s zones ban non-compliant vehicles, with penalties from £60.
What clean air zones are
Clean air zones are areas where councils charge or restrict the most polluting vehicles to cut nitrogen dioxide levels. Cameras read number plates, and the system checks each vehicle against its emissions standard. Compliant vehicles drive in for free, and you do not need to register.
The charge is per day, not per journey. Driving in and out several times on the same day costs the same as one trip.
Which vehicles are compliant
| Vehicle | Standard | Usually registered from |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol car or van | Euro 4 | 2006 (some from 2001) |
| Diesel car or van | Euro 6 | September 2015 |
| Motorbike (London) | Euro 3 | July 2007 |
| Electric | Zero emission | Always compliant |
The year is a guide only. Some older cars meet the standard and some newer ones do not. The official checkers use the exact Euro rating for your registration.
Zones and charges in 2026
| Zone | Car | Van | Lorry, bus or coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| London ULEZ | £12.50 | £12.50 | £100 (LEZ) |
| Birmingham | £8 | £8 | £50 |
| Bristol | £9 | £9 | £100 |
| Bath | Not charged | £9 | £100 |
| Bradford | Not charged | £9 | £50 |
| Sheffield | Not charged | £10 | £50 |
| Newcastle and Gateshead | Not charged | £12.50 | £50 |
| Portsmouth | Not charged | Not charged | £50 |
London: ULEZ and the congestion charge
The ULEZ covers all London boroughs and runs every day except Christmas Day. Separately, the congestion charge covers central London from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and noon to 6pm at weekends and on bank holidays. It rose to £18 a day on 2 January 2026.
- ULEZ: £12.50 × 230 days£2,875
- Congestion charge: £18 × 230 days£4,140
Electric cars no longer drive free in the congestion zone. Since January 2026 they pay it too, with a 25% discount for drivers using Auto Pay: £13.50 a day, or £3,105 a year at the same rate of driving. Electric cars remain exempt from the ULEZ.
Why some zones do not charge cars
- Charges
- Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire, lorries
- Example
- Portsmouth
- Charges
- Class B plus vans and minibuses
- Example
- Bath, Bradford, Sheffield, Tyneside
- Charges
- Class C plus private cars
- Example
- Birmingham, Bristol
Councils chose the class needed to bring pollution within legal limits. A Class C zone charges vans but not private cars.
Scotland's low emission zones
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee have low emission zones. Unlike English zones, there is no daily charge: non-compliant vehicles are not allowed in. Each entry gets a penalty of £60, halved if paid within 14 days. Repeat entries within 90 days double the penalty each time, up to £480 for cars and vans.
Ten entries in quick succession would cost £3,780, or £1,890 with every penalty paid early.
What it adds up to
For a regular commuter, the charges quickly add up to more than the value of an older car. Even one day a week in the ULEZ costs £575 a year.
Paying and penalties
- English clean air zones: pay online up to 6 days before, on the day, or by midnight 6 days after.
- London ULEZ: pay by midnight on the third day after you drive in, or set up Auto Pay.
- Penalties: £120 in English zones (£60 if paid within 14 days) and £180 in London (£90 if paid within 14 days), on top of the charge.
Use official sites only
Unofficial websites charge extra fees. Pay through GOV.UK for English zones and TfL for London.
Exemptions and discounts
- Vehicles in the disabled tax class, and some wheelchair-accessible vehicles, are exempt in most zones.
- Historic vehicles over 40 years old are exempt from the ULEZ.
- Some councils give temporary exemptions to local residents, workers on low incomes or people attending hospital.
- London residents in the congestion zone can get a 90% discount on the congestion charge.
If your vehicle is not compliant
- Plan routes around the zone. Signs show the boundary, and sat navs and apps can avoid it.
- Park and ride, or public transport for the final part of the journey.
- Replace the vehicle. Check scrappage grants: London and some cities have run schemes for people on certain benefits and small businesses.
- Check whether a retrofit is approved for your vehicle, mainly for vans and buses.
Checking a vehicle before you buy
A cheap older diesel can cost more to drive into a city than it saved at purchase. Check the registration on the official checker before buying, especially if you live or work near a zone. The commuter comparison includes zone charges when comparing car and public transport costs.
Why zones exist
Road traffic is the biggest source of nitrogen dioxide in most UK cities, and older diesel engines produce far more of it than petrol or newer diesel engines. The government required councils with the worst pollution to bring levels within legal limits as quickly as possible. Some chose charging zones, others chose traffic changes or funding for cleaner buses and taxis.
Zones that charge are meant to encourage people to switch to cleaner vehicles rather than to raise money. As more vehicles comply, the number of drivers paying falls, and some councils review whether their zone is still needed.
Van drivers and small businesses
Vans are charged in almost every English zone, and older diesel vans are the vehicles most likely to fail the standard. A trader with a 2014 diesel van working inside the Sheffield zone five days a week for 46 weeks would pay £2,300 a year. In Newcastle and Gateshead it would be £2,875.
Charges paid for business journeys are an allowable business expense for the self-employed and companies. Some councils have offered grants or interest-free loans towards replacing older vans, so check with the council before buying.
Hire cars, visitors and foreign vehicles
- Hire cars: most are new enough to comply, but check the agreement on who pays any charge or penalty.
- Foreign-registered vehicles: must be registered with TfL before driving in London, even if compliant, or they can be treated as non-compliant.
- Courtesy cars and borrowed vehicles: the registered keeper receives any penalty, so agree who pays in advance.
Planning a trip into a zone
- Check your vehicle on the official checker for the city you are visiting.
- If it is not compliant, decide whether to pay, park outside, or use park and ride.
- Pay through the official service on the day, or within the deadline afterwards.
- In London, think about Auto Pay if you drive in often, so you never miss a payment.
Hospital visits, appointments and short trips into a zone are easy to forget. A reminder on your phone for the payment deadline can save a £120 or £180 penalty.
What may change
Charges and rules are set locally and can change. London’s congestion charge is due to rise in line with public transport fares, and the discount for electric cars on Auto Pay is due to fall in steps to 12.5% by 2030. Some English councils review their zones regularly, and could change which vehicles are charged as air quality improves. Always check the official site before you travel.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a newer car is compliant. Some diesels registered in late 2015 and 2016 are still Euro 5.
- Paying through a third-party website. They add fees and are not needed.
- Forgetting the congestion charge. In central London it applies to compliant and electric cars too.
- Missing the deadline. The penalty is far more than the charge.
Pollution and health
Nitrogen dioxide and fine particles from exhausts are linked to asthma, heart and lung disease, and poorer development of children’s lungs. They are highest near busy roads in city centres, which is why zones focus there. Studies of London’s ULEZ found roadside nitrogen dioxide fell sharply in central London after it started, as most vehicles switched to compliant ones.
Switching to a compliant vehicle
If you drive into a zone often, replacing a non-compliant car can pay for itself. A London commuter paying the ULEZ five days a week spends £2,875 a year, enough to cover much of the gap between an old diesel and a compliant petrol car. A compliant used petrol car from 2006 onwards, or a diesel from late 2015 onwards, avoids the charge in every zone.
Before buying, check the exact car on the official checker, as Euro ratings vary between models of the same year. An electric car avoids every clean air zone charge, though in central London it still pays the congestion charge at a discount.
A quick checklist
- Check your registration on the official checker for each zone you drive in.
- Work out how often you drive in, and what it costs a year with this calculator.
- Set a reminder or Auto Pay so you never miss a payment deadline.
- Look for local exemptions or grants if you are on a low income or run a small business.
- When you next change vehicle, choose one that meets the standard everywhere.