Birmingham Clean Air Zone Check

The Birmingham Clean Air Zone is a program that's been in place since June 2021, designed to improve air quality in Birmingham. The Clean air zone covers part of the city center within the A4540 Middleway.

The Zone is a Class D Clean Air Zone meaning that any vehicle (except motorcycles) that doesn't meet the emission standards will have to pay if they drive into the zone.

Central government has given local authorities the ability to introduce Clean Air Zones in order to tackle air pollution. Air pollution in some cities is now considered a National Health Emergency.

The Clean Air Zone is designed to reduce air pollution and improve public health. The hope is that the Clean Air Zone will encourage those living and working in Birmingham to change the way they travel and reduce emissions when they do drive into the city centre.

Research by Birmingham City Council has found that 50% of journeys are made by car and many of these are under a mile.

By introducing the zone, it is hoped that fewer car journeys will be made and the journeys that are made will result in lower emissions.

All the time. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including Bank Holidays. A charging day runs from midnight to midnight.

It is £8 per day for vehicles up to and including 3.5 tonnes in weight (cars, taxis, Light Goods Vehicles and minibuses).

Driving anything over 3.5 tonnes (HGV's, Buses and Coaches) will be charged at £50 per day.

A charging day is from midnight to midnight.

If you drive a vehicle that doesn't meet the emission standards into the Zone you will need to pay. You can check if your vehicle meets the emission standards by using our CAZ checker tool. Just enter the reg. It will also check every other charging zone in the UK for free.

All of the roads leading into the Clean Air Zone are signposted with Clean Air Zone notifications. The Zone begins when you reach the signs with "Charges apply. Pay Online" on them. If you drive past one of these signs and your vehicle doesn't meet the emission standards, you will need to pay.

If you drive a petrol or petrol hybrid your car will need to meet the Euro 4 emission standards. Cars produced after 2005 will meet this standard.

Diesel vehicles that meet the Euro 6 emission standards are also exempt. Almost every diesel car produced since September 2015 meets this standard.

Motorcycles are currently exempt.

All of the roads leading into the Clean Air Zone are signposted with Clean Air Zone notifications. The Zone begins when you reach the signs with "Charges apply. Pay Online" on them. If you drive past one of these signs and your vehicle doesn't meet the emission standards, you will need to pay.

You can check if your vehicle meets the emission standards by using our CAZ checker tool. It will also check every other charging zone in the UK for free.

You can pay the CAZ charge up to 6 days before you plan to enter the zone.

Otherwise you will need to pay the CAZ charge within 6 days of your journey. If you don't, you could get a penalty charge notice of £120. You can pay online here

You will need to pay the CAZ charge within 6 days of your journey. If you don't, you could get a penalty charge notice of £120. You can pay online here

You can also pay the CAZ charge up to 6 days before you enter the zone.

If you're planning on driving a classic car through the CAZ, you might not need to pay.

If your vehicle falls into the historical vehicle tax class (meaning it was built more than 40 years ago), then it is exempt from the charge. This is also true for any vehicles used for commercial purposes that are over 40 years old.

Birmingham City Council has partnered with Motorpoint to provide a Scrappage and Mobility Scheme with up to £2000 in support available.

This support is available for anyone who works within the Clean Air Zone and earns less than £30,000 per year. The vehicle must have been yours since 10 September 2018 and you must work more than 18 hours a week within the zone.

You can enquire about the scheme at the Brum Breathes website

Currently (February 2023) residents are exempt but the exemption is due to expire in June 2023.

There are various ways to make your car compliant. For example, you could employ emission reduction technologies such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) or replace your engine with one that meets the CAZ standard. You will also need to get the retrofit technology approved by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS).

The best thing you can do is to swap your vehicle out for one that is compliant with the CAZ emissions standards, such as a newer vehicle or an electric or hybrid vehicle.

The council has said that the revenue generated by the zone will be reinvested into transport related projects such as pedestrianisation and cycle lanes.

Our CAZ checker is a free service that allows you to check whether or not your vehicle is subject to the CAZ charge. It is quick and easy to use and will tell you whether you have to pay the £8 daily charge.

To use the CAZ checker, enter your vehicle registration number in the box above and click 'Check'. It couldn't be simpler, and it may save you a lot of money and stress in the form of penalty charge notices.