ULEZ Check: Is Your Car ULEZ Compliant?
Run a free ULEZ check on any car, van or motorbike. Enter the registration and we'll tell you whether it meets the standard for London's Ultra Low Emission Zone. Our checker also covers every clean air zone in England, the four low emission zones in Scotland and Oxford's zero emission zone. So you'll see in one go where you can drive free and where you'd pay.
- London ULEZ, 7 English clean air zones and 4 Scottish LEZs
- Official DVLA vehicle data
- Free, with no sign-up
Updated · By Hamza Akram · Rules checked against TfL, GOV.UK and mygov.scot on 22 October 2026
Is my car ULEZ compliant? The short answer
Quick answer
Your car is ULEZ compliant if it meets the Euro emissions standard. A petrol car needs Euro 4, which most cars registered from 2006 meet, and a diesel car needs Euro 6, which is usually true from September 2015. Motorcycles need Euro 3, and fully electric cars always comply. Otherwise, you pay £12.50 a day to drive in London.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is a charge Transport for London (TfL) runs to cut nitrogen dioxide and particle pollution. It covers all London boroughs. Similar schemes, called clean air zones in England and low emission zones in Scotland, use the same Euro standards. That's why one ULEZ check answers most of them at once.
How to use the ULEZ check
The ULEZ checker works with a registration or with a few details, whichever you have to hand:
- Enter the registration Type the number plate and press "Check zones". We read the fuel, Euro status, vehicle type and first registration date from DVLA.
- Or enter the details Pick car, van or motorcycle, then add the fuel, the month and year it was first registered and the Euro standard if you know it.
- Read the verdict See whether it's compliant, very likely compliant, borderline or not compliant, and why.
- Check each zone Open any zone for its hours, the daily charge, how to pay and the penalty, with a link to the official checker.
Sometimes DVLA holds no Euro status for a vehicle. In that case, our ULEZ checker estimates it from the first registration date and says so clearly. For a borderline car, the result tells you exactly how to confirm it.
ULEZ standards: which cars pass a ULEZ check?
ULEZ compliance depends on the engine's certified emissions, not on the car's age. In other words, it's the Euro standard that counts. However, each standard became compulsory for new cars on a known date, so the year is a useful guide.
| Vehicle | Standard needed | Usually compliant if first registered |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol car | Euro 4 | From January 2006 (many from 2001) |
| Diesel car | Euro 6 | From September 2015 (a few from 2014) |
| Petrol van | Euro 4 | From January 2007 (smaller vans from 2006) |
| Diesel van | Euro 6 | From September 2016 (smaller vans from 2015) |
| Motorcycle or moped | Euro 3 | From July 2007 |
| Electric or hydrogen | None | Always compliant |
What year petrol cars are ULEZ compliant?
Most petrol cars first registered from 1 January 2006 meet Euro 4, so they're ULEZ compliant. In fact, many petrol cars from 2001 to 2005 meet it too, because manufacturers moved early. So, a 2003 petrol car can pass a ULEZ check while a 2004 one doesn't. For a car from those years, the exact model and engine decide it.
What year diesel cars are ULEZ compliant?
Diesel cars need Euro 6, which became compulsory for new cars from 1 September 2015. As a result, a diesel registered before then usually isn't compliant. A small number of diesels from 2014 and early 2015 already met Euro 6. Therefore, it's worth checking a car from those months before you rule it out.
ULEZ check for hybrids, electric cars, motorbikes and vans
Hybrids follow the rule for their engine, so a petrol hybrid needs Euro 4 and a diesel hybrid needs Euro 6. Fully electric and hydrogen cars always comply.
Meanwhile, motorcycles and mopeds need Euro 3, which is usually true from July 2007. Vans up to 3.5 tonnes use the same standards as cars, although the dates are often a year later.
How much is the ULEZ charge, and how do you pay?
The ULEZ charge is £12.50 a day for a car, van or motorcycle that doesn't meet the standard. The charge runs from midnight to midnight, every day except Christmas Day. For example, a trip from 11pm to 1am costs two daily charges.
How to pay the ULEZ charge
You can pay TfL in advance, on the day, or by midnight on the third day after your journey. Alternatively, TfL's Auto Pay charges you automatically for each day you drive in. If you don't pay in time, TfL sends a Penalty Charge Notice:
| When you pay the penalty | Amount |
|---|---|
| Within 14 days | £90 |
| After 14 days | £180 |
| Not paid after 28 days | £270 |
The ULEZ charge is separate from London's Congestion Charge, which rose to £18 a day on 2 January 2026. So, a non-compliant car driving into central London at a charging time can owe both, £30.50 in total. Remember too that larger vehicles over 3.5 tonnes pay London's LEZ charge instead, not the ULEZ.
ULEZ check map: where does the zone cover?
The ULEZ covers all London boroughs, right up to the M25 London Orbital. However, the M25 itself isn't in the zone, so you can use it without paying. Signs mark the boundary, and cameras read number plates throughout the area. For the exact boundary, use TfL's ULEZ map before you travel.
Clean air zone check for every city in England
England has seven clean air zones. Unlike London, most of them don't charge private cars at all. Instead, they target the vehicles that drive in most often, such as taxis, vans, buses and lorries. This clean air zone check table shows what a car or van that falls short would pay:
| Clean air zone | Class | Private car | Van |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | D | £8 a day | £8 a day |
| Bristol | D | £9 a day | £9 a day |
| Bath | C | No charge | £9 a day |
| Bradford | C | No charge | £9 a day |
| Sheffield | C | No charge | £10 a day |
| Newcastle and Gateshead | C | No charge | £12.50 a day |
| Portsmouth | B | No charge | No charge |
How to pay a clean air zone charge
Clean air zones run 24 hours a day. You pay the daily charge on GOV.UK, up to 6 days before, on the day or within 6 days after. If you miss it, the penalty is usually £120, halved to £60 if you pay within 14 days. By contrast, Greater Manchester and Leeds don't have charging zones.
ULEZ check for Scotland's low emission zones
Scotland works differently. Its four low emission zones (LEZs) have no daily charge to pay. Instead, a vehicle that doesn't meet the standard must stay out.
The standards are the same as London's: Euro 4 for petrol and Euro 6 for diesel. However, motorcycles and mopeds don't have to meet them.
| Low emission zone | Enforced since |
|---|---|
| Glasgow | 1 June 2023 |
| Dundee | 30 May 2024 |
| Aberdeen | 1 June 2024 |
| Edinburgh | 1 June 2024 |
Cameras enforce every LEZ, all day, every day, and you can check a vehicle with the Scottish LEZ vehicle checker. A first penalty is £60, halved if you pay within 14 days. Then, it doubles each time the same vehicle enters the same zone within 90 days, up to £480 for a car or van.
Oxford's zero emission zone
Oxford runs a small zero emission zone covering a few city-centre streets, from 7am to 7pm. It's stricter than the ULEZ, because every vehicle that isn't zero emission pays a daily charge, set by its emissions.
So, only fully electric vehicles drive in free. Check Oxfordshire County Council's website for the current amounts before you go.
ULEZ exemptions: when a failed ULEZ check doesn't mean paying
A few vehicles don't pay, even when they fail a ULEZ check on emissions:
- Historic vehicles: vehicles in the historic tax class, built over 40 years ago and not used commercially, are exempt in London.
- Very old vehicles: in London, anything built before 1 January 1973 is exempt, whatever it's used for.
- London taxis: black cabs licensed by TfL are exempt.
- Specialist vehicles: for example, some agricultural and military vehicles and travelling showman's vehicles.
ULEZ grace periods for disabled drivers
Some disabled drivers have a grace period until October 2027. It covers vehicles in the disabled and disabled passenger vehicle tax classes, as long as the tax class doesn't change. In addition, some wheelchair-accessible vehicles and people on certain disability benefits can register for it. Check TfL's page on support for disabled people for the exact rules.
Exemptions in clean air zones and Scotland
England's clean air zones share national exemptions, including disabled tax class vehicles, historic vehicles and military vehicles. Each city adds its own local ones. In Scotland, Blue Badge holders can register for an exemption before they drive in, and the system recognises historic vehicles at least 30 years old automatically.
What to do if your car fails a ULEZ check
A failed ULEZ check isn't always the end of the story. Before you pay or sell, work through these steps:
- Confirm the Euro standard on the V5C logbook or with the manufacturer. A borderline car may comply after all.
- Ask TfL to update its record if your car meets the standard but TfL's checker disagrees. Send the manufacturer's certificate of conformity.
- Check the exemptions above, especially the historic vehicle tax class.
- Work out how often you'd drive in. Occasional trips may cost less than changing your car.
- Set up Auto Pay if you go in regularly, so you never get a £180 penalty for a missed day.
- Plan journeys around the zone, or use park and ride and public transport for city trips.
- If you change your car, run a ULEZ check on the one you're buying before you pay.
London's vehicle scrappage scheme has closed to new applications, so there's no grant to replace a non-compliant car.
ULEZ check before you buy a used car
A used car that fails a ULEZ check is harder to sell in London and in cities with clean air zones. As a result, it's often cheaper to buy, but it can cost you every time you drive in.
So, run a ULEZ check before you view any car. Then, look at its MOT history for failures, advisories and mileage with our free MOT history check. Our guide to MOT advisories explains what those notes mean. Our vehicle check also shows the Euro status DVLA holds, and the car tax check shows whether it's taxed.
Why use our free ULEZ check?
Every zone in one check
London, seven English clean air zones, four Scottish LEZs and Oxford, with what you'd pay in each.
Honest about estimates
When DVLA holds no Euro status, we say so and estimate from the date, instead of guessing silently.
Official data
Vehicle details come from the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service. We check zone rules against TfL, GOV.UK and the councils.
Free and private
No sign-up and no personal details. We never see who owns the vehicle.
Our ULEZ check is a guide, not a decision by TfL or any council. Charges can change, so always confirm with the official checker before you travel. You can read more about where our data comes from on our data sources page, and find more plain-English help in our MOT guides.
ULEZ check: frequently asked questions
Is my car ULEZ compliant?
It is if it meets the Euro standard: Euro 4 for petrol, Euro 6 for diesel and Euro 3 for motorcycles. As a rule of thumb, that's most petrol cars from 2006 and most diesel cars from September 2015. Enter the registration above to check yours.
How much is the ULEZ charge per day?
The ULEZ charge is £12.50 a day for a car, van or motorcycle that doesn't meet the standard. Each charging day runs from midnight to midnight, and the zone operates every day except Christmas Day.
Is a 2005 petrol car ULEZ compliant?
Often, yes. Many petrol cars from 2001 to 2005 already met Euro 4, but it depends on the model, so run a ULEZ check by registration.
Is a Euro 5 car ULEZ compliant?
A Euro 5 petrol car is, because petrol cars only need Euro 4. A Euro 5 diesel isn't, because diesels need Euro 6. That's why many diesels from 2010 to 2015 fail a ULEZ check while petrol cars of the same age pass.
Are hybrid cars ULEZ compliant?
A hybrid must meet the standard for its engine: Euro 4 for a petrol hybrid and Euro 6 for a diesel hybrid. Most hybrids on sale in the UK are petrol, so the great majority comply.
Do motorbikes pay the ULEZ charge?
Only if they don't meet Euro 3, which usually means bikes registered before July 2007. England's clean air zones and Scotland's LEZs don't charge motorcycles.
What happens if I don't pay the ULEZ charge?
TfL sends a Penalty Charge Notice for £180 to the registered keeper. It drops to £90 if you pay within 14 days and rises to £270 if it's still unpaid after 28 days.
Check the full history of the car too
A ULEZ check tells you where it can go. A free MOT check shows how it's been looked after: every test, fail, advisory and mileage reading since 2005.