Roadworthy

UK Clean Air Zones: every city, charge and rule explained

5 July 2026·7 min read·Updated 15 August 2026

The rules every zone shares

All current UK Clean Air Zones and London's ULEZ use the same vehicle thresholds: petrol at Euro 4, roughly 2006 onward, and diesel at Euro 6, roughly 2015 onward. Cars that meet the standard are exempt. Everyone else pays once per day, not per trip.

Zones differ by class, daily fee and boundary, and class decides whether cars are charged at all. The quickest way to check is the CAZ checker, which tests one registration against all six zones at once.

The six zones side by side

  • London ULEZ: £12.50 a day, 24/7, now covering the whole of Greater London
  • Birmingham, Class D: £8 a day, 24/7, most of the city inside the A4540 ring road
  • Bristol, Class D: £9 a day, 24/7, the city centre west of the New Cut
  • Bath, Class C: £9 a day, 24/7, cars are exempt, the charge is for vans, taxis and LGVs
  • Sheffield, Class C: £10 a day, 24/7, the inner ring road, cars are exempt
  • Newcastle and Gateshead, Class C: £12.50 a day, 24/7, the Tyne Bridge and river corridors, cars are exempt

Checking your car takes a minute

Put a registration in the CAZ checker and Roadworthy checks make, model, fuel type and emission rating against every zone and shows what you would pay, including the zones where you are already clear.

Diesel drivers should look closely. A Euro 6 diesel is clear everywhere. A Euro 5 diesel pays everywhere, and the penalty for driving without paying is higher than the daily charge.

Hours, payment windows and the fine

Every zone runs 24 hours, every day of the year. Payment windows differ. Most let you pay until the next day, some allow a few days, but each zone sets its own deadline and the penalty is a charge notice. Each city page on Roadworthy carries that zone's published rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Only if it is a pre-Euro 4 petrol or pre-Euro 6 diesel. Check by registration on the CAZ checker, which covers all six UK zones at once.

From £8 in Birmingham to £12.50 for London ULEZ and Newcastle and Gateshead. Bristol and Bath are £9, Sheffield is £10. Bath, Sheffield and Newcastle are Class C, so private cars are exempt there.

Sometimes. London has resident discounts in certain areas and several zones offer help for affected vans and taxis. Each city page lists what that council publishes at the time.

You get a penalty notice, usually well above the daily charge. Most zones let you pay until midnight the next day, some allow longer, so check the city page before you travel.

Check your vehicle

CAZ & ULEZ checker

Check any reg against all six UK zones.

Journey cost planner

Fuel and charging costs for any trip.

EV charger finder

Every EV is exempt in every current zone.

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