Guide to Clean Air Zones

As part of the Government’s long term strategy to improve air quality, clean air zones are being introduced across the country. By discouraging the use of older, more polluting, vehicles, clean air zones reduce the number of areas in the UK where air pollution breaches legal limits.

A clean air zone is an area where targeted action is being taken to improve the air quality. They also support the economic growth of that city or town. Clean air zones aim to address all sources of pollution, including nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. 

These zones can be confined to a single road or part of a city. If your vehicle exceeds the emission standards you may have to pay a fee to drive in a clean air zone. 

Clean air zones aim to address all sources of pollution, including nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. Local authorities are responsible for implementing clean air zones. Councils need to submit an action plan to the Government. Once this is approved, the local authority can receive funding to help implement a clean air zone.

Every vehicle will have a minimum emission standard which you can find in your vehicle log book or from the manufacturer directly. In order to avoid paying a fee in a clean air zone, your vehicle must meet the following minimum standard.

For motorbikes the minimum standard is Euro 3 and for larger vehicles, such as heavy goods vehicles, coaches and buses the standard is Euro VI.

Despite these categories, some local authorities can set their own emission standards for private hire vehicles and taxis. If you’re unsure whether your vehicle is compliant with a clean air zone, the best thing to do is contact the authority directly.

The categories above should give you a rough idea of whether you’d need to pay to drive to a city that has a clean air zone in place. However, you can enter your reg number on the Government’s website for more information about charges in each zone. You can also pay any charges here.

Unlike the London Congestion Charge and Ultra-Low Emission Zone, clean air zones operate 24/7 every day of the year so it’s important to check before you travel. When you do receive a charge you will need to pay this by 11:59pm on the sixth day after your journey. If you do not pay the charges in time you could receive further fines.

The Glasgow Low Emission Zone came into force for all vehicles on 1 June 2023 and much like Clean Air Zones is in operation 24 hours a day, all year round. And just like Clean Air Zones there are numerous exemptions to cover essential service vehicles and when people's mobility is a factor.

Each city has its own individual exceptions to these zones, but you are automatically nationally exempt if you have:

• A vehicle that has ultra-low emissions
• A disabled passenger tax class vehicle
• A disabled tax class vehicle
• A military vehicle
• A historic vehicle
• A vehicle retrofitted with technology accredited by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme
• Certain types of agricultural vehicle

You can use the following links to find out if your vehicle is exempt from clean air zones in Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Glasgow and Tyneside.