To help improve air quality, an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will be in place in central London from 8 April 2019. Most vehicles including cars and vans will need to meet new, tighter exhaust emission standards (ULEZ standards) or pay a daily charge to travel within the area of the ULEZ.
ULEZ map Click for a large view of the map

Two phases

The ULEZ will replace the T-Charge. It will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year within the same area as the current Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ).

From 25 October 2021 the area will be expanded to the inner London area bounded by the North and South Circular roads. See 2021 map below.

Residents who are registered for the residents' Congestion Charge discount will get a 100% ULEZ discount until 24 October 2021 to give them more time to change their vehicle to meet the ULEZ standards. Residents will continue to pay the T-Charge, at a discounted rate of 90%, during this ULEZ resident sunset period.

The ULEZ daily charge will be in addition to the weekday Congestion Charge and the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge.

The vehicles affected by ULEZ include cars, motorcycles, mopeds, motorised tricycles, quadricycles, small vans, large vans, 4X4 light utility vehicles, motorised horseboxes, pickups, ambulances, motorcaravans, minibuses, lorries, buses, coaches, breakdown & recovery vehicles, snow ploughs, gritters, refuse collection vehicles, road sweepers, concrete mixers, fire engines, tippers and removals lorries.

If you drive a lorry, van, bus, minibus or other specialist vehicle and it currently meets the Low Emission Zone emissions standards, it may not meet the new ULEZ standards. You should check your vehicle using our ULEZ vehicle checker.

Check your vehicle

Vehicle requirements, charges and exemptions

If we do not hold your vehicle details, for example if you have a vehicle registered outside of the UK, you can check the table of new emissions requirements, and find out about changes to LEZ standards, charges and penalties from October 2020, on the ULEZ launch/LEZ changes page.

Postcode checker

You can check which locations fall within the charging zone using our postcode checker. The ULEZ currently covers the same area as the Congestion Charge Zone, indicated in red on the interactive map below.

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Where is the ULEZ?

The area covered by the ULEZ is the same area as the Congestion Charging Zone and will be clearly signposted with road signs showing where it applies. There will be no barriers or toll booths. Cameras will read vehicle number plates as they are driven within the zone to check against our database to see if they meet the ULEZ emission standards.

The ULEZ will operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including weekends and public holidays.

Road signs will be put in place before the ULEZ starts, at every entry point along the boundary and along key arterial approaches. They will be placed alongside or below existing Congestion Charge signs.

ULEZ expansion - October 2021

From 25 October 2021 the ULEZ boundary will be extended to create a larger zone bounded by the North and South Circular Roads. If you are driving any petrol or diesel vehicle within this enlarged area you will also need to meet new tighter emissions standards or pay a daily charge.

This daily charge is in addition to the weekday Congestion Charge if you drive in central London as well.

Vehicles using the North and South Circular Roads and not going into the ULEZ will not be charged.

ULEZ boundary map from 26 October 2021

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detail of ULEZ boundary map from oct 2021

Meeting the standards

If you drive a vehicle that doesn't meet the ULEZ standards within the central London area and the daily charge is not paid, a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) will be issued to the registered keeper. This penalty is in addition to any Congestion Charge or Low Emission Zone penalties received.

A daily charge runs from 00:01-midnight each day. (If you drive a vehicle that doesn't meet the ULEZ standards within the central London area across two days, for example before midnight and after midnight, you will be liable to pay two daily charges.)

We would prefer vehicle owners to use vehicles that meet the new emissions standards rather than pay a daily charge.

Find out more about ULEZ emission standards, daily charges and penalty charges.

The ULEZ standards are:

  • Euro 3 for motorcycles, mopeds, motorised tricycles and quadricycles (L category)
  • Euro 4 for petrol cars, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles
  • Euro 6 for diesel cars, vans and minibuses and other specialist vehicles
  • Euro VI for lorries, buses and coaches and other specialist heavy vehicles

See more details of the type of vehicles affected.

Your vehicle registration document (also known as the V5C) will help identify your vehicle's Euro emission standard. For newer vehicles, the Euro emission standard may be listed on the V5C in section D.2.

What are my options?

If your vehicle does not meet the required ULEZ standards you can:

Walk, cycle or use our public transport network

Take advantage of our fares freeze and off-peak fares

  • Use our Hopper fare to take unlimited bus or tram journeys within one hour for £1.50. Find out more about the Hopper fare
  • Travel off peak anywhere between Zones 2 and 6 for £1.50. Find out more about fares
  • Night services on the Tube and London Overground are off peak
  • If you're planning a night out, travel from Zones 2-9 in to Zone 1 during the rush hour from £2.40. When is off peak?

Upgrade to a second hand vehicle that meets ULEZ standards

  • Nearly all petrol vehicles produced since 2005 are compliant with the ULEZ standards and so will be 16 years old by the time ULEZ is expanded in 2021
  • Vehicles which meet the equivalent of the Euro 4 NOx standard for petrol have been available to purchase since 2001 and so will be 20 years old by the time ULEZ is expanded in 2021
  • The average cost of a 16 year old vehicle is around £1000 and the average cost of a 20 year old vehicle is around £500

Fit emissions reduction technology (see below)

Pay the daily charge

Join a car club

  • According to Carplus, car club members who drive less than 6-8,000 miles per year could save up to £3,500 a year when compared to owning a car
  • All car club vehicles are expected to meet the ULEZ standards by April 2019 at the latest. Find out more about car clubs

Fitting emissions reduction technology

The ULEZ scheme allows for some vehicles to retrofit emissions reduction technology to meet the ULEZ standards.

Retrofit technologies will need to be certified by the government's Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS). The CVRAS currently only has emissions reduction technologies certified for buses. We expect retrofit technologies to be developed for coaches and other specialist heavy vehicles where replacing the vehicle would be very expensive.

We are not aware of any independently tested, commercially viable retrofit equipment for specialist vans and campervans, although there is a process in place for equipment suppliers to test and certify equipment.

The high cost of developing and supplying suitable systems means that they are unlikely to become available for cars and standard vans.

Any HGV or coach with emissions reduction technology fitted will need to have this certified by the DVSA. Once certified, we will be notified directly by DVSA.

More details on the retrofit accreditation process and suppliers are available on the Energy Savings Trust website.

Retrofit: convert to Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG)

If your vehicle has been converted to run on LPG you may meet the emissions standards. Converted vehicles will be treated based on the DVLA's records of its emissions standards. This means  diesel vehicles should be converted to use LPG in a spark ignition engine, and the DVLA notified of the change.

We recommend using a UK LPG-approved installer. Our LoCITY programme has an up to date map showing LPG refuelling infrastructure in and around London.

Why we need the ULEZ

Air pollution is one of the most significant challenges facing London, affecting the health of all Londoners. Every child in London breathes toxic air daily, damaging their lung growth. Road transport is the biggest source of the emissions damaging health in London.

Around half of emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), which contribute to illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM) come from transport. These pollutants make chronic illnesses worse, shorten life expectancy and can damage lung development.

The communities suffering most from poor air quality are often the most vulnerable, including the children of London. At least 360 primary schools are in areas exceeding safe legal pollution levels.

Reports we've relied on for this information are listed on the Ultra Low Emission Zone page in Publications & reports.

To help improve the air we breathe we're introducing measures to encourage more walking, cycling, use of public transport and to encourage sustainable freight deliveries. We've also been working to create a cleaner, greener bus fleet.

ULEZ is another way to help further reduce the most harmful emissions generated by road transport in central London and across the Capital.

See what else we're doing to improve the environment in London.

Benefits of the ULEZ

The introduction of the ULEZ will help reduce exhaust NOx and PM emissions, helping to improve air quality and making central London a safer and more pleasant place to live, work and visit.

These positive effects will be especially beneficial to the young, older people and those who have respiratory problems, as well as residents of high pollution areas.

The majority of traffic entering the ULEZ will be from outside the zone, so the benefits of cleaner, greener vehicles in the form of reduced emissions will be experienced across London, even to areas not in the zone.

PLEASE NOTE: If you need urgent advice about the Ultra Low Emission Zone, or disagree with the information you have been supplied with when using our vehicle checker, you can make an enquiry and attach supporting evidence.