Do you have to pay the London ULEZ? Only if your vehicle does not meet the Ultra Low Emission Zone standards and is not exempt. As of 8 November 2026, Transport for London (TfL) says the charge is £12.50 a day, and the zone covers every London borough, 24 hours a day. A compliant car pays nothing. The quickest way to find out is to enter your registration in TfL’s vehicle checker.
The quick answer
- Compliant petrol or diesel car: no ULEZ charge.
- Non-compliant car, motorcycle, van or minibus (within the weight limits below): £12.50 for each day you drive in the zone.
- Foreign-registered vehicle: the same rules apply, and registration with TfL is needed even if the vehicle is compliant or exempt.
- Skip payment and you risk a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £180.
Where and when the ULEZ applies
According to TfL, the ULEZ covers all London boroughs and the City of London. The M25 itself is outside the zone. Some postcodes straddle the boundary, so TfL advises using its map search or looking for ULEZ signs on the street.
The zone operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day. The charging day runs from midnight to midnight, so a journey that crosses midnight inside the zone means paying for two days. A short trip still counts, and residents pay too. There is no charge on a day when the vehicle is parked in the zone and not driven.
Which vehicles are charged
The charge applies to cars, motorcycles, vans and specialist vehicles up to and including 3.5 tonnes, and minibuses up to and including 5 tonnes. Heavier lorries, vans, buses and coaches do not pay the ULEZ charge, though they may need to pay the separate Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge.
How to check if your car is compliant
TfL’s page for cars gives these minimum standards:
| Fuel | Minimum standard | Rough guide from TfL |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | Euro 4 (NOx) | Cars first registered after 2005 generally meet it |
| Diesel | Euro 6 (NOx and PM) | Cars first registered after September 2015 generally meet it |
The age guide is only that. TfL says enforcement is based on a vehicle’s declared emissions, not its age. You can check in three ways:
- Use the “Check your vehicle” tool on the TfL website with your registration number.
- Look at your V5C registration document, which may list the Euro standard.
- If the standard is not shown, take the first registration date from section B of the V5C and use the GOV.UK vehicle enquiry service.
Note that the GOV.UK page on clean air zones says London’s ULEZ is not a Clean Air Zone and has its own TfL checking tool. A GOV.UK clean air zone check will not tell you your ULEZ status.
How to pay the ULEZ charge
Payment is through TfL’s “Pay to drive in London” service. You can sign in to an existing account or create one, and signing in matters if you want any discount or exemption to be applied. TfL’s payment page says you can pay for up to three previous days, today, the next day, or a custom date range. Auto Pay, which pays charges automatically, is also available.
To avoid a PCN, TfL’s penalty page says to pay the correct charge by midnight on the third day after you travelled. If you pay by post, TfL warns that a payment sent less than 10 days before travel may not cover the journey.
Penalty charges and deadlines
| Item | Amount or deadline (TfL, 8 November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Daily ULEZ charge | £12.50 |
| Penalty Charge Notice | £180 |
| Reduced PCN | £90 if paid within 14 days of the notice |
| Deadline to pay and avoid a PCN | Midnight on the third day after travel |
Because charging runs midnight to midnight, each charging day can produce a separate PCN. A PCN can be paid or challenged through TfL’s “Pay a penalty” page.
Exemptions and discounts
TfL’s discounts and exemptions page lists several groups. The dates below are as stated on that page.
- Historic vehicles: exempt if built before 1 January 1973, or over 40 years old and registered with the DVLA in a historic vehicle tax class.
- London-licensed taxis: exempt.
- Disabled tax class vehicles: exempt until 24 October 2027 while the vehicle keeps its disabled tax class.
- Wheelchair accessible vehicles and disability benefit recipients: grace periods until 25 October 2027, with conditions, and only one vehicle covered.
- Community minibuses: a temporary 100% discount until 24 October 2027 for eligible not-for-profit organisations.
- Other exempt vehicles: specialist agricultural and military vehicles, and certain non-road-going vehicles and mobile cranes.
- NHS patients: those clinically assessed as too ill to use public transport can claim back charges through their treating hospital.
TfL also states that Congestion Charge discounts or exemptions do not remove the ULEZ charge for a non-compliant vehicle.
Foreign-registered vehicles
Visitors driving a vehicle registered outside the UK must meet the ULEZ standard or pay the £12.50 daily charge. TfL says its checker holds details for many non-UK vehicles. If yours is not listed, you can submit a copy of the registration document showing the Euro standard it was built to. A non-UK vehicle that is exempt must be registered with TfL first. Visitors from overseas planning other driving may also find our guide to the International Driving Permit useful, and those arriving from the United States can read whether Americans need a UK ETA.
ULEZ vs the Congestion Charge
The two charges are separate, and a vehicle can owe both.
| ULEZ | Congestion Charge | |
|---|---|---|
| Charge | £12.50 a day (non-compliant vehicles only) | £18 on the day or in advance, £21 if paid by midnight on the third day after travel |
| Hours | 24 hours, every day except Christmas Day | 07:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday; 12:00 to 18:00 at weekends and bank holidays; no charge from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day bank holiday inclusive |
| Area | All London boroughs | Central zone; TfL provides a postcode checker |
| Who pays | Vehicles that fail the emissions standard | Most vehicles driving in the zone in charging hours, unless discounted |
TfL’s Congestion Charge page says that if your vehicle does not meet ULEZ standards you must pay the ULEZ charge as well. It also mentions a Cleaner Vehicle Discount for eligible electric vehicles, which requires registration. That page refers to a Congestion Charge price increase and the discount but gives no effective dates, so check TfL before travelling.
What to do now
- Enter your registration in TfL’s vehicle checker before any journey into London.
- If the car is non-compliant, pay £12.50 for each day you will drive in the zone, ideally before you travel.
- Set up Auto Pay or an account if you drive in London often.
- Check whether your route passes through the Congestion Charge zone during charging hours.
- Driving a foreign-registered vehicle? Register it with TfL, and send the registration document if the checker does not list it.
- Thinking of changing car? Our guide to the cost of charging an electric car at home in the UK covers running costs.
FAQ
Do I pay ULEZ if I only drive a short distance?
Yes. TfL says a short trip still requires payment if the vehicle is non-compliant and not exempt. Residents pay too.
Do I pay if the car is parked in the zone but not driven?
No. TfL says no charge applies on a day when the vehicle is parked in the zone and not driven.
What if I forget to pay?
Pay by midnight on the third day after travel to avoid a PCN. After that, a PCN is £180, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days, according to TfL.
Bottom line
You only pay the ULEZ if your vehicle fails the standard and is not exempt. Check the registration first, pay £12.50 per driving day by the third day after travel, and remember that the Congestion Charge is a separate bill. Figures here are as stated by TfL on 8 November 2026 and can change, so confirm on TfL’s site before you drive.
Sources
- TfL: Ultra Low Emission Zone
- TfL: ULEZ where and when
- TfL: ULEZ standards for cars
- TfL: Penalty charges for ULEZ
- TfL: ULEZ discounts and exemptions
- TfL: Pay to drive in London
- TfL: Congestion Charge
- GOV.UK: Driving in a clean air zone
