Avoid £12.50 daily charges in London and up to £9/day in Birmingham and Bristol. Enter your registration to check if your car meets Euro 4 (petrol) or Euro 6 (diesel) standards.
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Emissions compliance is determined by European emissions standards (Euro status), not the fuel economy of your vehicle.
Must meet Euro 4 standards. In practice, almost all petrol cars registered in the UK from January 2006 onwards meet this standard and are exempt.
Must meet Euro 6 standards due to nitrogen oxide (NOx) limits. This generally includes all diesel cars registered from September 2015 onwards.
All battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and hydrogen fuel cell cars are 100% exempt from all UK clean air zones and the London ULEZ.
Rules vary significantly between UK local authorities. Note that several cities operate "Class C" zones where private passenger cars are completely exempt.
| City / Region | Zone Type | Private Cars Charged? | Daily Fee | Hours & Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) | ULEZ | Yes | £12.50 / day | 24/7/365 (except Christmas Day) Applies across all London boroughs inside the M25 ring road. |
| Birmingham Clean Air Zone | Class D | Yes | £8.00 / day | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Covers all roads within the A4540 Middleway ring road. |
| Bristol Clean Air Zone | Class D | Yes | £9.00 / day | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Covers central commercial, retail, and inner residential zones. |
| Sheffield Clean Air Zone | Class C | No (Exempt) | £0.00 (Exempt) | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Charges apply only to non-compliant LGVs, vans, HGVs, and taxis. Private cars are 100% free. |
| Bath Clean Air Zone | Class C | No (Exempt) | £0.00 (Exempt) | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Private passenger cars and motorbikes do not pay to drive in Bath's Clean Air Zone. |
| Newcastle & Gateshead Clean Air Zone | Class C | No (Exempt) | £0.00 (Exempt) | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Covers Newcastle city centre and routes across the Tyne Bridge. Private cars are exempt. |
| Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen) Low Emission Zones (LEZ) | Scottish LEZ | Yes | Ban (£60 PCN) | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Unlike English zones with a daily fee, non-compliant vehicles are banned and face a £60 fine (£30 if paid early). |
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expanded in August 2023 to cover all 32 London boroughs within the Greater London Authority boundary, stretching out to the M25 motorway. Over 700 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras actively record registrations entering and driving within the zone.
Unlike the central London Congestion Charge (which only operates during peak daytime hours on weekdays and weekends), ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year except Christmas Day (25 December).
If you drive a non-compliant vehicle across midnight, you will be liable for two daily charges (£25.00 total) because charges run on a calendar day basis (00:00 to 23:59).
Beyond avoiding ULEZ penalty charges, fuel prices across London and the UK differ by up to 20p per litre between supermarket forecourts and branded motorway stations. Compare live forecourt rates with our UK Petrol & Fuel Price Tracker or search specifically for Diesel Prices Near Me to save money on every tank.
Considering switching to zero-emission motoring? Find nearby rapid charge points using our EV Charging Stations Near You or calculate your exact annual fuel savings with our Calculate Car Running Costs vs EV calculator. You can also run a Free MOT History Check on any vehicle before buying.
Enter your vehicle registration number into Kermo's free ULEZ checker above. We inspect your vehicle's fuel type and Euro emissions standard directly against official DVLA specifications to determine whether you are exempt or subject to daily charges.
To be exempt from the £12.50 daily London ULEZ charge, petrol cars and vans must meet Euro 4 emissions standards (mandatory on new cars from January 2006). Diesel cars and vans must meet Euro 6 emissions standards (mandatory on new cars from September 2015). All 100% electric vehicles are completely exempt.
In addition to London's ULEZ, Birmingham and Bristol operate Class D Clean Air Zones that charge non-compliant private passenger cars (£8/day in Birmingham, £9/day in Bristol). Sheffield, Bath, Bradford, and Newcastle operate Class C or B zones that charge commercial vehicles, taxis, and buses, while completely exempting private passenger cars.
Hybrids are not automatically exempt. A hybrid must meet the standard for its combustion fuel type: a petrol hybrid must meet Euro 4, while a diesel hybrid must meet Euro 6. Most modern plug-in and self-charging hybrids meet these criteria.
If you drive a non-compliant vehicle in the ULEZ and do not pay the £12.50 charge by midnight on the third day following your journey, Transport for London (TfL) will issue a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £180, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.
Yes. All vehicles constructed more than 40 years ago that are registered under the 'Historic' vehicle tax class with the DVLA are exempt from both London ULEZ and regional Clean Air Zones across the UK.
Kermo's ULEZ and Clean Air Zone checker provides guidance based on standard UK emission criteria (Euro 4 for petrol, Euro 6 for diesel) and recorded DVLA technical specifications. Specific local exemptions, aftermarket retrofits, blue badge concessions, or council grace periods may apply to your vehicle. You must always confirm your vehicle compliance directly with the official Transport for London (TfL) vehicle checker or the GOV.UK Clean Air Zone service prior to travelling within any charging zone. Kermo accepts no liability for penalty charges, PCNs, or daily fees incurred as a result of using this service.