Guide to ULEZ

First announced in 2013 the zone’s aim is to improve London's air quality and reduce exhaust emissions from polluting vehicles. Any vehicles which do not meet the new requirements will be liable for a daily charge to drive within the ULEZ area. By the summer of 2023 the ULEZ zone will encompass much of Greater London.

ULEZ stands for Ultra Low Emissions zone. Taking in a large area of London, the zone operates 24hours, everyday apart from Christmas Day.

• Only vehicles with ultra low emissions can travel in the zone without charge. Vehicles which do not meet the standards are required to pay a daily charge to travel anywhere in the zone.
• Initially, the first phase operated in the same areas as the current congestion charge. However, in October 2021 ULEZ expanded to the North and South Circular boundary.
• ULEZ enlarged in August 2023, reaching from Enfield to the North, Purley and Biggin Hill to the South, Upminster to the East and Heathrow Airport to the West.
• This is in addition to the weekday London Congestion Charge and the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge.

Will I have to pay a ULEZ charge?

Most plug-in vehicles are ULEZ compliant and will not have to pay the charge. If your vehicle uses another type of fuel other than electric, it’s likely you will not meet the ULEZ standards, therefore you will have to pay the charge.

The ULEZ standards are:

• Euro 3 for motorcycles and moped.
• Euro 4 (NOx) for petrol cars, vans and minibuses
• Euro 6 (NOx and PM) for diesel cars, vans and minibuses
• Euro VI (NOx and PM) for lorries, buses and coaches and other specialist heavy vehicles (NOx and PM)

If you are unsure if your vehicle meets the new exhaust emission standards, you can check online using this TFL Vehicle Checker. If you are looking to avoid the charge by leasing an electric vehicle, take a look at the vehicles we offer which meet the ULEZ requirements.

How much does ULEZ cost per day?

If you are entering the charging zone and your vehicle does not meet the new exhaust emissions standards you will be required to pay a daily fee.

Most vehicles will pay a daily charge of £12.50. This includes motorcycles, vans and minibuses. Larger vehicles will be required to pay more.

• If you are entering the charging zone on a regular basis you can register for Auto Pay (£10 admin charge per vehicle). If you already have Auto Pay, then you don’t need to do anything
• Pay online at TFL website
• Download the official TfL app
• Pay by phone

If the charge is not paid a penalty will be issued of £160 (with a 50% reduction if paid within 14 days).

A small number of vehicle types which are currently exempt from the LEZ are also exempt from the ULEZ charge. These include:

• London-licensed taxis are exempt from ULEZ, as emissions standards have already been introduced for them.
• Agricultural vehicles
• Military vehicles
• Keepers of vehicles registered with a ‘disabled’ or ‘disabled passenger vehicles’ tax class will benefit from a sunset period after the ULEZ starts. They will be exempt from the ULEZ charge until 26 October 2025 as long as their vehicle doesn’t change tax class.