London ULEZ and Clean Air Zones
Is my car ULEZ compliant?
Type the registration. We read the Euro standard DVLA holds for the vehicle and tell you whether it clears the bar, or, where DVLA has no Euro status, what the registration date suggests.
The standards
| Vehicle | Standard | TfL rule of thumb |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol car | Euro 4 | Registered after 2005 (some from 2001) |
| Diesel car | Euro 6 | Registered after September 2015 |
| Petrol van or minibus | Euro 4 | Registered from January 2006 |
| Diesel van or minibus | Euro 6 | Sold from September 2016 |
| Motorcycle, moped, trike, quad | Euro 3 | Registered after July 2007 |
| Electric | Meets it | Any age |
Source: Transport for London, ULEZ vehicle standards pages, read 6 September 2026.
Questions
What standard does ULEZ require?
Petrol cars and vans must be Euro 4 or better. Diesel cars and vans must be Euro 6. Motorcycles, mopeds and trikes must be Euro 3. Electric vehicles meet it by definition. The same thresholds are used by most Clean Air Zones outside London.
Does the year of my car decide it?
Not on its own. The charge is based on the emissions standard the vehicle was type-approved to, which is printed on the V5C. As a rule of thumb TfL says petrol cars registered after 2005 and diesels registered after September 2015 are usually fine, but there are compliant petrols back to 2001 and some early diesels that scrape in.
How does this check decide?
First from the Euro status DVLA holds for the vehicle, where it holds one. If DVLA has no Euro status on file we fall back to TfL's registration-date rule of thumb and say so on the result. Treat that as a likely answer, and check the V5C or TfL's own checker before you drive in.
What does it cost if I'm not compliant?
£12.50 a day for cars, vans and motorcycles, every day you drive inside the zone, paid by midnight on the third day after. Missing it means a penalty charge notice.
Is the ULEZ the same as the Congestion Charge?
No. They are separate charges with separate boundaries. ULEZ covers all London boroughs since August 2023; the Congestion Charge is central London only and applies whatever the vehicle's emissions.
The result sits on the same report as the MOT history and tax check, so you get all three from one search.