Does a petrol Euro 5 owe the ULEZ daily charge anywhere in London?

No. The ULEZ standard for petrol cars is Euro 4, and this car is a class above it, so nothing is owed in any of the 32 boroughs or the City of London. There is no ULEZ sticker to buy and nothing to display - cameras read the plate and check it against TfL's records.

What does the Congestion Charge cost now, and when does it apply?

GBP 18 a day since 2 January 2026 if you pay on the day or in advance, or GBP 21 if you pay by midnight on the third day after travel. It runs Monday to Friday 07:00-18:00 and 12:00-18:00 at weekends and on bank holidays, with no charge between 25 December and 1 January. Emission class makes no difference to it.

Is the ULEZ charge per entry or per day?

Per day. A non-compliant car owes GBP 12.50 for the day however many times it crosses the boundary, and a car parked inside the zone and not driven owes nothing at all.

What happens if a non-compliant car misses the payment window?

The deadline is midnight on the third day after the journey. After that TfL issues a penalty charge notice of GBP 180, reduced to GBP 90 if it is settled within 14 days of service. Nothing arrives in the post beforehand to remind you.

Does the zone stop at the M25?

The boundary follows the Greater London limit and the M25 itself is not in the zone, so you can ring the city without paying. Inside there is no barrier and no gate, just signs at every entry point and cameras.

London 2026: Petrol Euro 5 Pays No ULEZ Charge at All

Checked against official sources 20 Sep 2026 · Next review 2026-12-19

TfL’s petrol line is Euro 4, so a 2010 petrol Euro 5 is inside the standard and owes the ULEZ nothing — in any borough, on any day. There is no sticker and no registration: the cameras read the plate. The charge that still catches a compliant car is the Congestion Charge, GBP 18 a day since 2 January 2026 in the small central zone.

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Why the age of the car is beside the point

Petrol cars have met the Euro 4 NOx level since roughly 2001, which is why the ULEZ petrol line catches so few of them. A 2010 registration certified to Euro 5 sits a full class above the requirement, and no petrol tightening has been announced since the zone opened in 2019. Nothing has to be bought, displayed or registered for it: ULEZ has no badge at all, and any site selling one is selling nothing.

The charge that does apply in the middle

The Congestion Charge is a separate scheme with its own cameras, its own boundary and its own hours, and it does not price or restrict by Euro class at all.


Daily rate	GBP 18, paid on the day or in advance
Paid late	GBP 21, up to midnight on the third day after travel
Hours	Mon-Fri 07:00-18:00; Sat, Sun and bank holidays 12:00-18:00
Free days	25 December to 1 January
Non-payment	GBP 180 penalty, GBP 90 within 14 days

The electric-car exemption that used to cover this ground ended on 25 December 2025 and was replaced by a smaller discount on Auto Pay, so “clean car, no charge” no longer holds in the centre for anyone.

Two boundaries that do not line up

The ULEZ covers all 32 boroughs and the City of London, every day except Christmas Day. The Congestion Charge zone is a fraction of that, roughly the area inside the Inner Ring Road, and closes at 18:00. A driver who clears the first and forgets the second is the most common way a compliant car still collects a GBP 180 penalty in London.

London checklist for this car

✅ Confirm Euro 5 on the V5C rather than assuming it from the 2010 plate
✅ Expect no ULEZ payment, no badge and no pre-registration
✅ Check whether the route enters the Congestion Charge zone during charging hours
✅ Pay the GBP 18 on the day, or GBP 21 by midnight on the third day after
✅ Treat the M25 as outside the zone — ringing the city costs nothing