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Car Tax Check

ULEZ Check

Enter your vehicle registration to check if a vehicle is ULEZ compliant.

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Check if a vehicle meets the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) standard for free.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)?

The Ultra Low Emission Zone covers the North and South Circular Roads in London. When driving a vehicle that doesn’t meed the ULEZ compliance standard, you’ll need to pay a daily charge to drive in the zone.

Driving a non-compliant vehicle in the zone without paying the charge will result in a fine.

What are the ULEZ standards?

To meet the ULEZ emission standards, a vehicle must meet a specific Euro emissions standard depending on the vehicle type. You can check the Euro emission standard of a vehicle using our free car check service.

The ULEZ standards are:

  • Euro 3 for most motorcycles
  • Euro 4 for most petrol vehicles
  • Euro 6 for most diesel vehicles

Some vehicles over 3.5 tonnes may need to pay the LEZ charge instead.

How much is the ULEZ charge?

You will need to pay £12.50 each day when driving a vehicle that doesn’t meet the ULEZ standards in the zone.

Some heavier vehicles will need to pay the LEZ charge of £100 per day instead.

How do I pay the ULEZ charge?

You can pay the ULEZ charge online.

You will need to pay at least 3 days after your journey to avoid a penalty charge notice.

What happens if I don’t pay the ULEZ charge?

If you drive a vehicle that doesn’t meet the ULEZ standard in the Ultra Low Emission Zone, you’ll receive a penalty charge notice if you fail to pay in time.

The penalty charge is currently £160 but will be reduced to £80 if you pay within 14 days.

Driving in the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)

You’ll need to pay the daily charge whenever you drive in the ULEZ zone, no matter how short your trip, unless your vehicle meets the emissions standard.

Residents of the ultra low emission zone will also need to pay the daily fee, however vehicles which are parked inside the zone but not driven, will not need to pay the charge.

There are some discounts and exemptions for disabled drivers, taxis, community transport minibuses and some other vehicles (for example historic and military vehicles).

Vehicles which have a historic vehicle tax class are also exempt from the ULEZ, providing the vehicle is not used commercially. Vehicles built before 1973 are exempt from the ULEZ even if they are used for commercial use.

If your vehicle is exempt, but is registered outside the UK, you will still need to register the vehicle with TfL before travelling in the zone.

Check ULEZ Compliance

Paying a ULEZ or LEZ daily charge

You can make a one off payment online or set up Auto Pay if you’re regularly driving in the low emission zone.

With auto pay, you can ensure you never forget to pay the daily charge and avoid receiving a fine.

You’ll need to pay a £10 registration charge every year for each vehicle you add to Auto Pay.

Business users can also use fleet auto pay to manage charges for more than five vehicles.

ULEZ for Non-UK Registered Vehicles

Vehicles registered outside the UK must also meet the same standards to drive in the Ultra Low Emission Zone, or pay the daily charge.

If you think your vehicle meets the emissions standards, you’ll need to provide proof to TfL to confirm that you don’t need to pay the charge.

You can register a vehicle with TfL, but you’ll still need to pay the daily charge until you receive confirmation that your proof of emissions status has been accepted. You’ll be able to get a refund for any payments you’ve already made during this time.

It can take up to 10 working days to register a non-UK vehicle with TfL.