How London's Ultra Low Emission Zone works, which petrol, diesel and hybrid cars meet the standard, how much the daily charge is, and how to check a car before you buy.
London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges older, more polluting vehicles every day they're driven inside it. If you live in London, work there or visit often, whether a car meets the ULEZ standard can make a big difference to what it costs to run, and to what it's worth.
Where and when it applies
- Since August 2023, the ULEZ has covered all London boroughs, not just central London.
- It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day.
- The charge for cars that don't meet the standard is £12.50 a day. A day runs from midnight to midnight, so a trip that crosses midnight counts as two days.
- The charge applies whenever the car is driven in the zone, including on residential streets. Parked cars aren't charged.
The ULEZ is separate from the Congestion Charge, which applies in central London at certain times, whatever the car.
Which cars meet the standard?
The standard is based on the car's Euro emissions standard:
| Fuel |
Standard needed |
Usually means |
| Petrol |
Euro 4 |
Most cars registered from 2006, and many from 2001 onwards |
| Diesel |
Euro 6 |
Most cars registered from September 2015 |
| Hybrid |
As petrol or diesel |
Depends on the engine |
| Electric |
Meets the standard |
All fully electric cars |
The registration date is only a guide. Some cars met the standard earlier, and a few later cars didn't. The car's actual Euro standard is what counts.
Diesels are the ones that catch people out. Plenty of diesel cars from 2012 to 2015 are perfectly good, but most aren't Euro 6, so they'd pay the charge every day they're driven in London.
Exemptions
Some vehicles don't pay, including cars in the historic vehicle tax class, which is generally available to cars built more than 40 years ago. See classic cars at 40. Transport for London (TfL) has the full list of exemptions and discounts.
Paying the charge
There are no barriers or toll booths: cameras throughout the zone read number plates. You pay on TfL's website or app, either in advance, on the day, or by midnight on the third day after you drove. TfL Auto Pay can charge you automatically. If you don't pay in time, you'll get a penalty charge notice, which costs far more than the daily charge.
Checking a car before you buy
- Our reports show whether the car meets the ULEZ standard, using the Euro standard recorded for it, or its registration date where that isn't recorded. Check a car.
- TfL's online vehicle checker gives the definitive answer for a registration.
- If a car doesn't meet the standard, factor the daily charge into the price. At £12.50 a day, driving in the zone five days a week costs over £3,000 a year.
Other clean air zones
Several other UK cities have clean air zones or low emission zones, with their own rules, standards and charges, and some apply only to buses, lorries or vans. GOV.UK lists the clean air zones in England, and Scottish cities have their own low emission zones. Check the rules for anywhere you drive regularly.