London ULEZ charge: Check if you need to pay

The Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) means drivers of certain cars must pay a charge to enter London. Here's how to check if you're liable.

How to check if you need to pay the ulez

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has operated for 24 hours a day in London since early 2019. It previously covered the same inner-city area as the Congestion Charge, but now includes everywhere within the North and South Circular roads.

From 29 August 2023, the ULEZ will expand again, this time to most of the area inside the M25 orbital motorway.

Cars must meet certain Euro-mandated exhaust emissions standards to comply with the ULEZ. Diesel cars registered as recently as 2015 could be eligible for the £12.50 daily charge.

Transport for London (TfL) has created an online check tool to see if you must pay to enter the ULEZ. Click here and input your registration number to discover if your car is liable for a fee.

If in doubt, this online checker from data firm HPI offers a breakdown of the different Euro emissions standards for cars.

London ULEZ: Do I need to pay?

The London ULEZ is coming

Drivers who enter the London ULEZ in vehicles that do not comply with the emissions standards are subject to a £12.50 daily fee. That’s on top of the £15 Congestion Charge if you enter the central zone, don’t forget.

Unlike the Congestion Charge, the ULEZ is enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It applies every day of the year apart from Christmas day.

Vehicles affected are those with pre-Euro 6 diesel engines and pre-Euro 4 petrol engines. Diesel cars that meet the standards are generally those registered after September 2015. Petrol cars registered after 2005 should meet the minimum requirements.

Riders of motorcycles built before 2007 also have to pay the ULEZ charge.

Read our full guide to the London ULEZ charge here, including more details of the forthcoming expansion to the zone in autumn 2023.

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Gavin Braithwaite-Smith
Gavin Braithwaite-Smithhttp://www.petrolblog.com
Writer with a penchant for #FrenchTat. Owns 15 vehicles of varying degrees of terribleness. Also doing a passable impression of Cousin Eddie in an Italian-German beige motorhome. Doesn't get out much.

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