Clean Air Zone & ULEZ Charge Calculator
Pick your zone and your vehicle to see what driving into it costs per day, per year and over three years.
Your cost
Guide
Clean air zones use number plate cameras, so there are no barriers and no tickets to buy. If your vehicle is below the emissions standard, you are charged automatically unless you pay.
Every zone in the UK, side by side
| Zone | Car | Van | Taxi |
|---|
Daily charge for a vehicle that does not meet the standard. A dash means that vehicle type is not charged in that zone. Source: GOV.UK.
Scotland works differently
The Scottish low emission zones have no pay-to-enter option. A non-compliant vehicle is not allowed in, and driving in brings a penalty charge notice of £60, doubling for each repeat offence within 90 days, up to £480.
Clean Air Zones Explained
There are two different systems here, and mixing them up is the most common mistake.
1. England is pay to enter
English clean air zones and the London ULEZ let you pay a daily charge and drive in. You have until 23:59 on the sixth day after your journey to pay.
2. Scotland is a ban
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen do not sell day passes. A non-compliant vehicle is simply not allowed in, and a penalty charge notice follows if it is.
3. Classes decide who pays
A Class C zone charges vans, taxis, buses and HGVs but not private cars. Only Birmingham and Bristol, both Class D, charge ordinary cars.
4. The standard is the same everywhere
Petrol vehicles need Euro 4, diesel vehicles need Euro 6, and motorcycles need Euro 3 in London. Electric vehicles never pay. Hybrids are judged on their petrol or diesel engine.
5. One charge per day
You can enter and leave a zone as many times as you like in one day and pay the daily rate once. Two different zones on the same day means two charges.
6. London can charge you twice
The ULEZ covers all of London, the Congestion Charge covers central London. A non-compliant vehicle driving into the centre on a weekday can owe both.
7. Electric cars still pay the CC
The full Cleaner Vehicle Discount ended in December 2025. Electric cars on Auto Pay now get 25% off the Congestion Charge, and electric vans and HGVs get 50% off.
8. Check the plate, not the age
Compliance comes from the recorded emissions of your vehicle, not its date of registration. Plenty of newer cars fail the standard, and some older ones pass it.
9. Penalties are much bigger than charges
A missed ULEZ payment is a £180 penalty charge notice, halved to £90 if you pay within 14 days. In the clean air zones the penalty is £120, halved to £60.
This calculator provides estimates for guidance only, based on published rates at the time of writing. Charges, discounts and exemptions are set by each authority and do change. Always check your registration on the official GOV.UK vehicle checker before travelling.