The rules
Petrol cars need Euro 4 and diesels need Euro 6 to avoid London's ULEZ charge. Most petrol cars registered from 2006 and most diesels from September 2015 meet those standards. Electric cars always do.
If a car doesn't comply, you pay £12.50 a day to drive it in the London zone. The charge runs 24 hours a day, every day except Christmas Day, so a few trips add up fast. Birmingham charges £8 a day and Bristol £9, so check the rules wherever you'll drive.
The grey years are cars registered around those dates, where the year is only a guide. Check the exact car by registration on our ULEZ check before you buy, and don't assume a car is fine because it's close to the cut-off.
Which cars to look at
Petrol cars from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 usually meet London's ULEZ, so they're the sensible place to start your search. Electric cars always meet it, so they're the simplest choice if they suit your budget and driving.
Use this as a guide, not a guarantee: - Petrol and petrol hybrids from 2006 (Euro 4 standard) - Diesels from September 2015 (Euro 6 standard) - Electric cars, any year
The word usually is doing a lot of work here, so some cars from these years still fall outside the rules. Ask the seller for the registration early, then check the exact car by registration on our ULEZ check before you hand over money. Getting it wrong costs £12.50 a day in London, every day except Christmas Day, so a quick check now is far cheaper than paying later.
Other zones
Outside London, the rules are different, so a car that's fine in the capital may not be fine in Birmingham or Bristol. Birmingham charges £8 a day and Bristol charges £9 a day to drive in their zones. Check the zone you'll drive in, not just London.
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee have low emission zones too, so check before you drive there. Drive into one in a car that doesn't meet its standard and you risk a £60 penalty, halved if you pay within 14 days.
Electric cars always comply, so they're the simplest choice if you plan to drive in these cities. For a petrol or diesel, check the exact car by registration before you buy. See our clean air zones page for the zones themselves.