What is the ULEZ?
London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges drivers of older, more polluting vehicles a daily fee to drive inside it. It began in central London in 2019, grew to the North and South Circular roads in 2021, and since 29 August 2023 has covered all London boroughs.
The zone operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day. If your vehicle doesn't meet the emission standards, you pay the charge for each day you drive in the zone, even if you only cross it briefly. At the time of writing the charge for cars, vans up to 3.5 tonnes and motorcycles is £12.50 a day, but always check Transport for London (TfL) for the current figure.
ULEZ Euro standards
Compliance is based on the European emission standard a vehicle was built to, known as its Euro standard. The higher the number, the cleaner the engine. The ULEZ requires:
| Vehicle | Standard needed | Usually met by vehicles first registered |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol car | Euro 4 | From January 2006 (many from 2001) |
| Diesel car | Euro 6 | From September 2015 |
| Petrol van (up to 3.5t) | Euro 4 | From January 2007 (some from 2006) |
| Diesel van (up to 3.5t) | Euro 6 | From September 2016 |
| Motorcycle | Euro 3 | From July 2007 |
| Electric or hydrogen vehicle | Not applicable | Always compliant |
Hybrids are assessed on their combustion engine, so a petrol hybrid follows the petrol rule and a diesel hybrid follows the diesel rule. The dates are a guide. They show when a standard became compulsory for new vehicles, and many manufacturers met it earlier.
How our ULEZ checker by reg works
When you enter a registration, we look at two things in order:
- The Euro status on the DVLA record. When the DVLA holds it, we compare it directly with the standard for your fuel type. This is the most reliable result.
- No Euro status on record? Many older records don't include one. We don't guess from the age of the car: the report says “Not available” and points you to TfL's own vehicle checker, which gives the definitive answer.
Electric vehicles are marked compliant automatically. If you already know your Euro standard, the ULEZ calculator gives you an instant answer without a registration.
Our result is a guide, not a ruling
Is my car ULEZ compliant? The tricky cases
Petrol cars from 2001 to 2005
This is the biggest grey area. Euro 4 didn't become mandatory for all new petrol cars until 2006, but many models met it years earlier. Two cars of the same model and year can give different results depending on the exact engine. The Euro standard is sometimes listed on the V5C logbook, and manufacturers can confirm it.
Diesel cars from 2014 and 2015
Some diesel cars were built to Euro 6 before the September 2015 deadline. If yours was registered between late 2014 and summer 2015, it may be compliant even though it predates the deadline. Check the manufacturer's certificate of conformity.
Imported and modified vehicles
Grey imports may not have a Euro standard recorded in the UK at all. TfL can sometimes accept evidence of compliance from the manufacturer. Engine swaps and conversions can also affect the result, so don't assume the original specification still applies.
How to find your car's Euro standard
Our check uses the Euro status held by the DVLA, but not every record includes it. If you need to confirm it yourself, try these in order:
- The V5C logbook. Newer logbooks may show the emissions standard in the vehicle details section. Older ones often leave it blank.
- The certificate of conformity issued by the manufacturer when the vehicle was new. Owners who bought new sometimes keep it with the handbook.
- The manufacturer or a main dealer, who can usually confirm the standard from the VIN.
- TfL's vehicle checker, which uses its own data and gives the definitive answer for London.
Be wary of estimating from the model name alone. A single model can be sold with several engines meeting different standards, and facelifts often brought in a cleaner engine partway through a year.
ULEZ for vans and motorcycles
Vans follow the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel rules as cars, but they adopted each standard about a year later. A diesel van registered in early 2016 is therefore more likely to be non-compliant than a diesel car of the same age. If you run a van for work, factor the charge into quotes or check whether you qualify for any business support schemes TfL is running.
Motorcycles, mopeds and scooters need Euro 3, which applies to most bikes first registered from July 2007. Older, non-compliant bikes are generally only exempt if they're in the historic vehicle tax class. If you're thinking of buying an older bike to ride in London, check its compliance before you check anything else, then run a reg check to confirm its details.
ULEZ compliance check before you buy
If you live in or regularly drive into London, a non-compliant car can cost more in daily charges than in fuel. Driving in five days a week at £12.50 a day comes to about £3,250 a year. When you're comparing used cars:
- check compliance before you view, not after you've fallen for the car
- treat “ULEZ compliant” in an advert as a claim to verify, not a fact
- remember that compliance affects resale value in and around London
- run a full MOT check as well, because a compliant car with a poor history is still a poor buy
It's also worth thinking about where you might live or work in a few years. The rules have tightened more than once since 2019, and a car that only needs to be compliant “for now” may be harder to sell later. Choosing a compliant vehicle keeps your options open, whether you end up commuting into London, visiting a city with a clean air zone or simply selling the car on.
Clean air zones outside London
London isn't the only city restricting older vehicles. Clean Air Zones (CAZs) in England are graded from Class A to Class D, and only Class D zones charge private cars. Birmingham and Bristol operate Class D zones, while several other cities charge only buses, taxis, lorries or vans. Scotland's low emission zones in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee work differently: non-compliant vehicles are banned and receive penalty notices rather than paying a daily charge.
Most schemes use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards as London, so a car that passes our ULEZ check will usually be fine elsewhere. Rules and boundaries change, so check the local council's website before you travel.
What to do if your car isn't compliant
- Pay the daily charge through TfL's official website or app. Avoid unofficial payment sites that add fees.
- Check whether you're exempt. Vehicles in the historic tax class and certain vehicles used by disabled people may qualify for exemptions or grace periods.
- Plan routes around the zone if you only occasionally drive near London.
- Consider replacing the vehicle. Compare running costs, including tax (see our car tax check), before you decide.
Whatever you choose, keep an eye on the vehicle's condition. Our MOT advisories check shows whether emissions-related problems, such as exhaust leaks, have been flagged at recent tests.