London's Ultra Low Emission Zone, in plain English.
It's a daily charge, not a ban. £12.50 a day if your car doesn't meet the standard. Most modern cars don't pay.
London's ULEZ covers all 32 boroughs and the City of London, 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day. Non-compliant cars pay £12.50 per day, regardless of how briefly they drive inside the zone. Most petrol cars from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the standard and pay nothing. Electric vehicles never pay. The Cleaner Vehicle Discount for hybrids ended on 25 December 2025.
Check my postcodeTransport for London · gov.uk · DVLA
Is your postcode inside the London ULEZ?
Postcode-level check, scoped to London. The zone boundary may run through your street, so for the exact answer use the official Transport for London checker linked below.
Four facts to know first
All 32 boroughs and the City. Bounded approximately by the M25.
Every day of the year except Christmas Day.
Daily charge for non-compliant cars, vans and motorcycles.
Reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days. £270 if unpaid after 28 days.
Where exactly is the zone?
ULEZ covers Greater London. Every road inside the M25 (and a small number of routes that cross it) is part of the zone. Heathrow's terminal road network is included; the M25 itself is not.
A non-compliant car pays once per calendar day, regardless of how many times it enters or how long it stays. The charge runs from midnight to midnight.
For the exact street-level boundary, use the Transport for London ULEZ map ↗.
Does my car have to pay £12.50?
Petrol cars that meet Euro 4 (broadly registered after 1 January 2006) and diesel cars that meet Euro 6 (broadly registered after 1 September 2015) are compliant and pay nothing. Older vehicles pay £12.50 per day. Hybrids must now meet the same standards as any other car. Fully electric vehicles never pay.
- Petrol: Euro 4, generally registered after 1 January 2006.
- Diesel: Euro 6, generally registered after 1 September 2015.
- Electric / hydrogen: Always exempt.
- Motorcycles: Euro 3, broadly registered after 1 July 2007.
Type your registration into the official Transport for London vehicle checker.
We don't run the check ourselves. Transport for London does. Type your reg directly on theirs.
What happens if you don't pay?
Cameras read every number plate inside the zone. If your vehicle is non-compliant and the £12.50 isn't paid by midnight three days after travel, a Penalty Charge Notice is sent in the post.
- Reduced rate£90Pay within 14 days
- Full PCN£180Pay after 14 days, before 28
- Escalated£270After 28 days unpaid
Why does London have ULEZ?
ULEZ launched in central London on 8 April 2019, replacing the earlier T-Charge. It expanded to the North and South Circular roads on 25 October 2021, then to the boundary of Greater London on 29 August 2023.
The zone targets nitrogen dioxide and particulate pollution from older vehicles. Transport for London publishes annual reports on air-quality improvements; the most consistent finding is a step reduction in roadside NO₂ inside the boundary.
ULEZ runs alongside, but separately from, the Congestion Charge. They cover different areas, charge different amounts and target different vehicles. Both can apply on the same trip into central London on a weekday.
London ULEZ questions
Sister guides: London Congestion Charge, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ.
Driving into central London on a weekday? See the Congestion Charge guide too.
Verified May 2026 against:
- Transport for London — ULEZ· primary
- gov.uk — Clean Air Zones· regulator
Next review: August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email gary@revn.co.uk.