UK Clean Air Zones & ULEZ 2026 — Cities, Charges & Fines (No Sticker)
Every UK Clean Air Zone, ULEZ and LEZ in one place: which cities charge, the daily fee, the minimum Euro standard, and why there's no sticker — it's all ANPR cameras.
The UK charges older vehicles to enter its Clean Air Zones — but there is no sticker to buy: ANPR cameras read your plate and bill you automatically. London’s ULEZ charges a non-compliant car £12.50 a day; other cities run their own Clean Air Zones with their own daily rates. Miss a payment and the penalty jumps to £180.
Check your exact vehicle with the Emission Zone Checker, or browse every in-force UK zone below — each links to that city’s full rules.
| City / Zone | Type | Min petrol | Min diesel | Fine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | LEZ | Euro 4 | Euro 6 | GBP 60-480 |
| Bath | CAZ | Euro 4 | Euro 6 | GBP 120 |
| Birmingham | CAZ | Euro 4 | Euro 6 | GBP 120 |
| Bradford | CAZ | — | Euro 6 | Fine amount being verified - check the official source before travelling |
| Bradford | CAZ | — | Euro 6 | Fine amount being verified - check the official source before travelling |
| Bristol | CAZ | Euro 4 | Euro 6 | GBP 120 |
| Dundee | LEZ | Euro 4 | Euro 6 | £60 first offence, doubles each time (max £480) |
| Edinburgh | LEZ | Euro 4 | Euro 6 | GBP60 penalty charge (reduced to GBP30 if paid within 14 days); doubles on each subsequent breach, capped at GBP480 for cars/LGVs (GBP960 buses/HGVs). No daily charge - it is an enforcement penalty, not an access fee. |
| Edinburgh | LEZ | Euro 4 | Euro 6 | GBP60 penalty charge (reduced to GBP30 if paid within 14 days); doubles on each subsequent breach, capped at GBP480 for cars/LGVs (GBP960 buses/HGVs). No daily charge - it is an enforcement penalty, not an access fee. |
| Glasgow | LEZ | Euro 4 | Euro 6 | GBP 60-480 |
| London | CC | — | — | GBP 18/day (GBP 21 if paid late); GBP 180 penalty for non-payment (GBP 90 within 14 days) |
| London | ULEZ | Euro 4 | Euro 6 | GBP 12.50/day (GBP 180 penalty, GBP 90 within 14 days) |
| Newcastle | CAZ | Euro 4 | Euro 6 | GBP 120 |
| Oxford | ZEZ | Euro 6 | Euro 6 | GBP 120 |
| Portsmouth | CAZ | — | Euro 6 | GBP 120 |
| Sheffield | CAZ | — | Euro 6 | Fine amount being verified - check the official source before travelling |
| Sheffield | CAZ | — | Euro 6 | Fine amount being verified - check the official source before travelling |
| York | CAZ | Euro 4 | Euro 6 | GBP 120 (or daily charge) |
18 zones currently in force · verified against official sources. Click any city for its full rules and the exact sticker or permit.
How UK Clean Air Zones work
The UK system is camera-enforced, not sticker-based — the single biggest difference from mainland Europe, and the thing visitors get caught by. There is nothing to display; cameras check your plate against the DVLA (or, for foreign cars, an online registration). London’s ULEZ covers everything inside the M25 and needs Euro 4 petrol / Euro 6 diesel. Other cities run Clean Air Zones (CAZ) in classes A–D, and most only charge older vans, taxis, buses and HGVs — but Birmingham and Bristol also charge private cars.
If you drive a non-compliant car, pay the daily charge online by midnight on the third day after you travel. Rental cars are usually compliant, but confirm at pickup.
Before you drive
- Check whether your car meets Euro 4 petrol / Euro 6 diesel (or the local CAZ class).
- If not, pay the daily charge online — there is no sticker and no booth.
- Don’t assume “just passing through” is free: the charge applies the moment you enter.
For mainland rules, see our emission zones in France and Germany guides, or the full State of Europe’s Emission Zones 2026 report.
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Frequently Asked Questions
No. Unlike Germany or France, the UK uses no sticker or vignette. ANPR cameras read your number plate automatically and check it against the DVLA database. A non-compliant vehicle is charged a daily fee; foreign vehicles must pay online.
A non-compliant car pays £12.50 per day. Miss the payment and the penalty rises to £180 (reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days). The minimum standard is Euro 4 petrol / Euro 6 diesel.
London (ULEZ), plus Clean Air Zones in Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Sheffield, Bradford, Portsmouth, Tyneside and others, and a Low Emission Zone in Glasgow. The full in-force list with each city's charge is in the table below.