ULEZ Check - Check if you need to pay

The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is a program that's been in place since April 2019, designed to improve air quality in London. The ULEZ is an area where you'll need to pay a daily charge if your vehicle doesn't meet certain emissions standards.

The ULEZ will apply to all vehicles (cars, vans, motorbikes and heavy goods vehicles) that have emissions standards older than Euro 4 (petrol) or Euro 6 (diesel). The only exceptions are cars that are zero-emission vehicles (EVs), such as electric cars or hydrogen fuel cell cars.

The ULEZ charge is based on the emissions of your vehicle. We've built a free ULEZ checker so you can find out exactly how much you'll have to pay. All you need to do is enter your car registration number, and we'll tell you if you’ll have to pay the ULEZ charge, as well as how much you should expect to pay.

The charge only applies to vehicles that don't meet certain emissions standards, so you can avoid it by ensuring your car is up-to-date. For petrol cars, this means having an engine that meets Euro 4 emission standards at the least; most petrol cars produced on or after January 2006 will be compliant with the standard.

For diesel cars, the only way to avoid the charge is if your car meets Euro 6 emission standards; almost every diesel car produced since September 2015 meets this standard. Finally, all electric cars are exempt from the ULEZ charge and hybrid cars with petrol engines must meet Euro 4 emission standards in order to avoid it.

If you drive in London, you'll want to be extra vigilant about the ULEZ zone.

You can tell if you're driving in a ULEZ zone by looking out for signs with a green, circular-shaped ULEZ logo on them. They'll be posted at all entrances and exits to the zone, as well as along routes within the zone itself. Once you pass one of these signs, you’re in the zone and will have to pay the daily charge if your vehicle isn’t compliant with the emissions standards. To check if your vehicle means you need to pay the charge, you can use our free and easy ULEZ check here.

You need to pay the ULEZ charge within three days of your journey. If you don't, you could get a penalty charge notice. You can easily pay online here, or alternatively you can use the transport for London app. Set up your vehicle’s information, and pay the charge automatically – saving you time and ensuring you’re not caught out.

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

The ULEZ is an area of London that requires all vehicles to be compliant with certain emissions standards in order to enter. However, if your vehicle falls into the historical vehicle tax class (meaning it was built more than 40 years ago), then it may be exempt from these regulations. This is also true for any vehicles used for commercial purposes that are over 40 years old.

Be sure to check your vehicle registration to see if this exemption applies to you before driving through the ULEZ!

If you live in the ULEZ, you will still need to pay the full £12.50 daily charge (no discount) if you drive inside the zone using a vehicle that doesn't meet the ULEZ emissions standards. However, if you are parked inside the zone and don't drive, there is no charge.

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 ULEZ 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 ULEZ emissions standards, such as an electric or hybrid vehicle.

Our ULEZ checker is a free service that allows you to check whether or not your vehicle is subject to the ULEZ charge. It is quick and easy to use and will tell you whether you have to pay the £12.50 daily charge for driving in London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

To use the ULEZ 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.