ULEZ and Clean Air Zones in the UK

By the Travel & Explore team · Last checked 29 October 2026

§ Rules change. We link to the official source for every rule; check it before you travel. General information, not legal advice.

London ULEZ

The ULEZ covers all London boroughs. It runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year except Christmas Day. It does not include the M25 (TfL: Ultra Low Emission Zone).

Vehicles that do not meet the ULEZ emissions standards, and are not exempt, must pay the daily charge. This covers cars, motorcycles, vans and specialist vehicles up to and including 3.5 tonnes. TfL's vehicle checker tells you whether you need to pay (TfL: Ultra Low Emission Zone).

Vehicles registered outside the UK must meet the ULEZ standards or pay the daily charge. They also need to be registered with TfL, even if they meet the standards (TfL: Ultra Low Emission Zone).

England's Clean Air Zones

Some English councils run Clean Air Zones. If your vehicle does not meet the emission standard for its class, you may have to pay a charge to drive in one. The zones run 24 hours a day, every day of the year (GOV.UK: driving in a Clean Air Zone).

The guidance lists seven zones: Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield, and Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead) (GOV.UK: driving in a Clean Air Zone).

The minimum standards are Euro VI for buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles. For vans, minibuses, taxis, private hire vehicles and cars they are Euro 6 for diesel and Euro 4 for petrol. Motorcycles need Euro 3 (GOV.UK: driving in a Clean Air Zone).

Find your vehicle's emission standard in its log book or from the manufacturer. Then check it on the online service before you drive (GOV.UK: driving in a Clean Air Zone).

Scottish low-emission zones

Low emission zones operate in the city centres of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. They apply at all times, including public holidays (mygov.scot: low emission zones).

Cameras read number plates to find vehicles that do not meet the required emission standard. Some vehicles are exempt from LEZ restrictions (mygov.scot: low emission zones).

Check your vehicle with the emissions checker linked from the page before you drive. For zone boundaries, use the LEZ information on each city council's website (mygov.scot: low emission zones).

Wales

Wales does not currently operate a national Clean Air Zone or Low Emission Zone system like England's charging CAZs or Scotland's LEZs. Welsh Government has published a Clean Air Plan and a Clean Air Zone framework for local authorities, but that is guidance for possible local schemes rather than evidence of an active charging zone network (Welsh Government Clean Air Plan).

Before you drive, check the Welsh Government and the relevant local council for any local access or emissions rules on your route. Do not assume English CAZ checkers apply in Wales.

Official vehicle checkers

• Not yet verified Rule: to be confirmed

  Official source to be added

• Not yet verified Rule: to be confirmed

  Official source to be added

• Not yet verified Rule: to be confirmed

  Official source to be added

Hire cars

Ask the hire company whether the vehicle meets the emissions standards for any ULEZ, LEZ or CAZ on your route, and who pays any daily charge.

The GOV.UK Clean Air Zone guidance does not say how hire vehicles are treated. It also does not mention vehicles registered outside the UK. You can check whether a vehicle will need to pay a charge before you drive in a Clean Air Zone, using the online service (GOV.UK: driving in a Clean Air Zone).

TfL's ULEZ page does not set out rules for hire vehicles. It links to separate pages for taxis and private hire vehicles (TfL: Ultra Low Emission Zone).

FAQs

More in Driving abroad