ULEZ & clean air charge checker
A compliant car pays nothing. A non-compliant one pays £12.50 for every day it drives in the zone. Put in your typical week to see what that adds up to over a year.
How the charge works
The Ultra Low Emission Zone charges older, more polluting vehicles a flat daily fee to drive inside it. For a car the fee is £12.50, and it applies every day of the year bar Christmas Day. The number that decides whether you pay is not the age of the car but its Euro emissions standard. Petrol cars meeting Euro 4, which covers most registered from 2006, and diesel cars meeting Euro 6, most registered from September 2015, are compliant and pay nothing. Everything below that standard pays the full charge on any day it enters the zone. A single day covers unlimited trips, but crossing midnight starts a new charge.
Several other UK cities run Clean Air Zones on the same principle, but the rules vary. Many charge only older taxis, vans, buses and lorries and let private cars through free. Always check the specific city and your own registration, because compliance in one zone does not guarantee it in another.
Worked example
Suppose a non-compliant car drives into the zone 5 days a week for 48 weeks of the year. That is 240 charged days, each at £12.50, so £3,000 over the year, or about £250 a month. Once the yearly figure is this size, switching to a compliant used car can pay for itself, whereas an occasional visitor is almost always better off paying per day. If the same car were compliant, the cost would be zero no matter how often it drove in.
Common questions
How much is the ULEZ charge?
The London Ultra Low Emission Zone charge is £12.50 a day for cars, motorcycles and vans up to 3.5 tonnes. It runs every day except Christmas Day, and it is separate from the Congestion Charge, so in central London a non-compliant car can pay both.
Does my car have to pay ULEZ?
Only if it does not meet the emissions standard. The broad rule is petrol cars meeting Euro 4, most registered from 2006, and diesel cars meeting Euro 6, most registered from September 2015, are exempt. A compliant car pays nothing, however often it drives in the zone.
How do I check if my car is compliant?
Use the official vehicle checker on the TfL website with your registration, or look at the Euro emissions standard on the V5C logbook. Do not rely on the registration year alone, because some earlier cars already met the standard and some later ones did not.
What counts as a day in the zone?
A single charge covers one day, midnight to midnight, no matter how many times you enter or how far you drive inside the zone. Two trips in one day is one charge. Driving across midnight counts as two days.
Are other cities the same as London?
The idea is shared but the detail differs. Several UK cities run Clean Air Zones with their own charges and rules, and many only charge older vans, taxis, buses and lorries rather than private cars. Check the specific city, because a car that pays in one zone may be free in another.
Is it cheaper to change the car than to keep paying?
If you drive in the zone most days, the annual charge adds up fast and can rival the cost of switching to a compliant used car. If you only enter occasionally, paying per day is usually cheaper. This tool gives the yearly figure so you can weigh it.