London ULEZ Map 2026: All 32 Boroughs, Not the M25
Ultra Low Emission Zone · United Kingdom · Active since 2019
Source: official source · Verified: 2026-09-20
London's ULEZ covers all 32 boroughs and the City of London, every day except Christmas Day. Petrol must reach Euro 4 and diesel Euro 6; anything below owes £12.50 for each day it drives inside.
Locally the zone is called Ultra Low Emission Zone London (United Kingdom) — that is the wording on the boundary signs, on the official portal and on any penalty notice, so it is the phrase to search for once you are there.
Next
- Check your own car against London — enter your fuel and Euro class, get a yes or no in one step.
- London has a zone too — the nearest one to London, and the rules are not identical.
- If a fine arrives after you get home — who pays on a hire car, and what is actually enforceable across borders.
Practical answers for London
- When is the London zone active?
- 24/7, 365 days except Christmas Day That means there is no free window — the restriction applies on Sundays and public holidays too.
- Do I need to register or buy anything first?
- None. ANPR cameras check the plate against the DVLA/TfL register; no badge exists Official portal.
- Who is exempt in London?
- Electric vehicles, Disabled tax class vehicles, Military vehicles and Historic vehicles (1977 or older). Exemptions are usually not automatic — most require registering your number plate in advance.
London Ultra Low Emission Zone Map
The shaded area is the zone boundary as mapped in OpenStreetMap — zoom in to see which streets fall inside, and confirm the signs at the edge on arrival.
Requirements
Who pays in a hire car, whether insurance covers it, and how to appeal.
Can My Vehicle Enter London?
Select your fuel type and Euro emission class to check instantly.
Exemptions
Driving Guide: United Kingdom
Speed limits, traffic rules, and equipment requirements for United Kingdom.
View driving guideNearby zones in United Kingdom
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TfL puts it plainly: the zone “operates across all London boroughs and the City of London. The M25 is not in the zone.” It runs every day of the year bar Christmas Day, with nothing to display — the cameras check the plate. A car below Euro 4 petrol or Euro 6 diesel owes GBP 12.50 for that day, payable until midnight on the third day after the journey; after that it becomes a GBP 180 penalty charge notice, GBP 90 if settled inside 14 days.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Zone type | ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) |
| Coverage | All 32 boroughs + the City of London; the M25 itself is outside |
| Daily charge | GBP 12.50 |
| Penalty (PCN) | GBP 180 (reduced to GBP 90 if paid within 14 days) |
| Minimum standard (cars) | Euro 4 petrol (NOx) / Euro 6 diesel (NOx and PM) |
| Operating hours | 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day |
| Payment deadline | Midnight on the third day after you drive in the zone |
| Active since | 2019; London-wide from 29 August 2023 |
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London Emission Zone
The Ultra Low Emission Zone started in central London in 2019 and, since 29 August 2023, covers every London borough. It is a charge, not a ban: a vehicle below the standard is never turned away, it simply owes GBP 12.50 for the day.
The standard for cars
TfL’s car page gives two figures and no others: petrol Euro 4 (NOx) and diesel Euro 6 (NOx and PM). Petrol cars have met the Euro 4 NOx level since roughly 2001, so most petrol cars on the road clear it; the diesel line is far tighter and catches diesels registered before September 2015. Battery-electric cars pay nothing.
The GBP 12.50 applies to cars, motorcycles, vans and specialist vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and minibuses up to 5 tonnes. Anything heavier is outside ULEZ and falls under the separate Low Emission Zone, which has its own charges.
What you display: nothing
There is no ULEZ sticker, permit or pre-registration. Cameras photograph the plate and check it. Overseas-registered cars are in scope exactly like British ones — TfL says its checker already holds many non-UK registrations, and where it does not, you can submit the registration document showing the Euro standard.
The deadline that catches people
Pay on the TfL site on the day, in advance, or up to midnight on the third day after the journey. That is later than most people assume, and later than the one-day window some guides still print — but it is a hard stop. Nothing arrives in the post to remind you.
Boundary, hours and the M25
The boundary follows the Greater London limit; the M25 itself is not in the zone, so you can ring the city without paying. Inside, there is no barrier and no gate — signs at every entry point, then cameras.
Hours are simple: 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day. A non-compliant car parked inside the zone and left where it is owes nothing; the charge attaches to driving, not to being there.
What catches people out
Driving through ‘just quickly.’ TfL states the charge applies “even if you make a short trip inside the zone” — and that this includes residents.
Waiting for a bill. No invoice is sent. You owe the money the moment you drive in, and the clock stops at midnight on the third day after.
Rental car assumption. People assume every rental car is compliant. Most are. Some aren’t — especially budget rentals, older fleet vehicles, or cars rented from private platforms. Check at pickup.
Confusing different UK zones. London has ULEZ and the Congestion Charge — two separate fees. Birmingham, Bristol, and Bath have their own CAZ schemes with different rules.
Alternatives that actually work
London’s Tube and bus network covers everything. Outside London, most cities have bus and tram systems. Contactless bank cards work on almost all UK public transit — no need for special tickets.
Park & Ride is a British institution. Most cities have at least two P+R sites on the outskirts with regular bus service into the center. It’s cheaper and less stressful than city center parking.
Bike rentals are everywhere in London. Faster than driving in the center, and you don’t have to think about zones, stickers, or parking.
For the full picture on driving in the United Kingdom, see our United Kingdom driving guide. Tyre requirements are covered in United Kingdom tyre laws.
Driving in London — Quick Reference
Here are the speed limits that apply when driving in and around London.
| Road Type | Speed Limit |
|---|---|
| Urban areas | 48 km/h |
| Rural roads | 96 km/h |
| Motorways | 112 km/h |
Speeding fines in United Kingdom start at GBP 100 + 3 points (minimum band A fine) for minor violations (1-10 km/h over) and increase steeply. Going 30+ km/h over the limit can result in GBP 150-2,500 + 6 points or disqualification (band C).
City driving in London is manageable if you time your trips and watch for local quirks.
- Rush hours: 7:30-9:30 and 16:30-18:30
- Watch out for: Bus lanes, congestion charges, speed cameras
- One-way streets: City centres have one-way systems; follow signs carefully
Remember that traffic in United Kingdom drives on the left side of the road. If you are visiting from a right-hand-drive country, take extra care at junctions and roundabouts.
Keep these United Kingdom emergency numbers handy during your London trip.
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| General emergency | 112 |
| Police | 999 |
| Ambulance | 999 |
| Fire | 999 |
When driving in the United Kingdom, your vehicle must carry: Warning Triangle (recommended), Reflective Vest (recommended), First Aid Kit (recommended), Fire Extinguisher (recommended), Spare Bulbs (recommended).
Recent changes to this page
- Page title now leads with the zone map shown on this page; the rules, hours and figures below are unchanged.
- Verified against tfl.gov.uk: payment deadline corrected to midnight on the third day after travel (the page said the next day), zone described as the 32 boroughs and the City with the M25 outside it, and the Christmas Day exception added.
- Title, description and introduction rewritten from this page's own data (no shared template wording).
- Re-verified GBP 12.50 daily charge and GBP 180 PCN (reduced to GBP 90 if paid within 14 days) against TfL's ULEZ portal.
- Confirmed ULEZ boundary unchanged for 2026 — still covers all 32 London boroughs + City of London since the 29 August 2023 expansion.
- Updated Euro standard minimums: Euro 4 for petrol, Euro 6 for diesel; daily charge GBP 12.50 applies to non-compliant cars.
Part of the TyreMap Emission-Zone Dataset — 596 verified European emission zones, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. There is no ULEZ sticker at all — cameras read the plate and check it against TfL's records. For cars the standard is Euro 4 on petrol and Euro 6 on diesel; below that it is £12.50 for every day the car moves inside the zone.
Compliant cars pay nothing. A non-compliant car owes £12.50 for the day, and the deadline is midnight on the third day after you drove in the zone. Miss it and TfL issues a £180 penalty charge notice, halved to £90 if you settle within 14 days.
Yes, electric vehicles (BEVs) and most plug-in hybrids are exempt from emission zone restrictions in London.
There is no transit exemption — TfL spells out that even a short trip inside the zone in a non-compliant vehicle costs the £12.50. The charge is once per day, however many times you cross the boundary, and a car parked inside the zone and not driven owes nothing.
Most rental cars from major agencies are ULEZ compliant. Budget rentals and private car-sharing platforms are less reliable. Check the vehicle's Euro standard before you leave the lot.
£12.50 a day for a car, the same as for a Londoner — lorries and coaches fall under the separate Low Emission Zone instead. Rental car? It reaches you — the rental company charges it to the card on file under your contract, plus an admin fee. Own car on a foreign plate? This country sits outside the EU's cross-border traffic-offence system, so the charge cannot be enforced through a court at home. That is not the same as it going away: the authorities here use private collection agencies that trace overseas keepers, and an unpaid charge can catch up with you on a return visit.
You have until midnight on the third day after your journey. After that a £180 penalty charge notice goes to the registered keeper, reduced to £90 if it is paid within 14 days of service.