Thank you for your request which we received on 26 June 2023, asking for information about data on the DVLA database.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You specifically asked:
Under the Freedom of information act I now require you to inform me of the data on the DVLA data base that TFL's ULEZ software reads to confirm or otherwise validate vehicles for compliance.
In order to establish whether a vehicle is compliant with the ULEZ or LEZ emission standards, we predominantly use the vehicle data held by the DVLA. In most cases we can establish a vehicle’s compliance status by the date it was first registered as new. For ULEZ, we know that all diesel cars first registered as new after 1 September 2015, and all petrol cars first registered as new after 1 January 2006 are automatically compliant with the ULEZ standards. This is because there was a legal requirement on manufacturers to produce vehicles to Euro 4 (petrol) and Euro 6 (diesel) standards as of those dates. Therefore, irrespective of whether the DVLA record emissions data or Euro standard, we can establish compliance status for most vehicles based on the date of first registration with the DVLA.
Using the data provided by the DVLA, we have developed a compliance database. This is not a live link to the DVLA data, rather a static list of vehicles which is refreshed with new updated DVLA data every month. By updating the list regularly, it ensures that any update to vehicle information held by the DVLA is reflected on our database. This information feeds into our online compliance checker and allows motorists to check the status of their vehicle. The data we receive from the DVLA to do this is vehicle emissions where available, date of vehicle registration and year of manufacture.
We acknowledge that the information held by the DVLA may not always allow us to establish whether a vehicle is compliant, not least because there is no requirement for them to record a vehicle’s emissions. We therefore supplement the DVLA data with information from the Vehicle Certification Agency and information sourced from vehicle manufacturers.
We have also set up an enquiry service which allows motorists to contact us if they believe that the compliance details we hold are incorrect. This service allows them to provide information to us on their vehicle confirming it is complaint. Once received and verified, we update our records and mark the vehicle compliant. Such evidence could include a Certificate of Conformity from the vehicle manufacturer which specifically details the NOx and PM emissions of the vehicle.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Eva Hextall
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London
