How do I check if my car is ULEZ compliant?

What you need

• Your vehicle's number plate (registration number)
• Your V5C log book, if you want to check the Euro standard yourself

How to check, step by step

1. Go to TfL's vehicle checker. This is the official ULEZ checker for London. GOV.UK sends London drivers to it.
2. Enter your number plate. The checker shows whether your vehicle meets the ULEZ standards.
3. If the result is unclear, look at your log book. For new vehicles, the Euro standard may be listed on the V5C.
4. If the Euro standard is not there, find the date the vehicle was first registered (section B of the V5C), then check GOV.UK's vehicle enquiry service.
5. Decide what to do. If your vehicle meets the standards, you have nothing to pay. If not, and it is not exempt, you must pay the daily charge each day you drive in the zone.

The standards cars must meet

NOx means nitrogen oxides. PM means particulate matter (tiny bits of soot). ULEZ is enforced on the vehicle's declared emissions, not its age.

Time and cost

Checking is free. If your vehicle does not meet the standards, the charge is £12.50 a day.

You can pay for any of the 3 previous days, today, the next day, or a set range of dates.

Where and when ULEZ applies

The zone covers all London boroughs. It does not include the M25. It runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year except Christmas Day.

The charge applies to cars, motorcycles, vans and specialist vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, and minibuses up to 5 tonnes. Heavier lorries, buses and coaches are not charged for ULEZ, but may have to pay the separate Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge.

Exemptions to know about

• Historic vehicles: all vehicles in the historic vehicle tax class are exempt.
• Disabled and wheelchair accessible vehicles: a grace period for vehicles in the disabled tax classes, and for some wheelchair accessible private hire vehicles, ended on 26 October 2025. These now pay unless they meet the standards.

Driving outside London

Other cities use clean air zones. These include Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead). Check them with the GOV.UK clean air zone checker, not the TfL one. You can call the GOV.UK helpline on 0300 029 8888.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

ULEZ only covers London, but it applies to any vehicle driven there, wherever it is registered. Scotland has its own low emission zones with a separate checker on the Low Emission Zones Scotland website.

Related guides

• Do I have to pay to drive in a Clean Air Zone?
• What is the London Congestion Charge?
• What is the Dart Charge and how do I pay it?
• How long do I have to pay a parking fine?

Where this comes from

• Ultra Low Emission Zone (Transport for London)
• ULEZ standards for cars (Transport for London)
• ULEZ: ways to meet the standard (Transport for London)
• ULEZ discounts and exemptions (Transport for London)
• Pay to drive in London (Transport for London)
• Driving in a clean air zone (GOV.UK)