Birmingham Clean Air Zone
If your car, van or taxi doesn't meet the emissions rules, driving it inside Birmingham's A4540 Middleway ring road costs £8 a day in the Birmingham Clean Air Zone. The zone is active 24 hours a day, every day, and has been since 1 June 2021. Whether or not you owe the charge comes down to the fuel your vehicle uses and its age.
Birmingham Clean Air Zone
Most cars meet the rules if first registered from2006 (petrol) or Sept 2015 (diesel)Plenty of petrol cars built between 2001 and 2005 also meet the rules. Type your car's number plate, or the year it was first registered, to get your own answer. Any that don't meet the rules are charged £8 a day.
GOV.UK's official clean air zone checker reads the record held for your vehicle and gives the final answer.
Compare your vehicle across the UK's other zones
- London ULEZ£12.50 a day unless it meets the rules
- London lorry and large van zone (LEZ)Cars don't pay
- Birmingham£8 a day unless it meets the rules
- Bristol£9 a day unless it meets the rules
- BathCars don't pay
- BradfordCars don't pay
- SheffieldCars don't pay
- PortsmouthCars don't pay
- Newcastle and GatesheadCars don't pay
- Oxford£2 to £10 a day (electric cars don't pay)
- Glasgow£60 fine unless it meets the rules
- Edinburgh£60 fine unless it meets the rules
- Aberdeen£60 fine unless it meets the rules
- Dundee£60 fine unless it meets the rules
Who has to pay?
Whether you drive a car, van, taxi or lorry, you'll be charged if your vehicle falls short of the standards. Motorbikes and mopeds are never charged here, the council confirms.
Electric vehicles always qualify, so they're never charged. Hybrids are assessed by their engine, which means a petrol hybrid is treated just like a petrol car.
Birmingham Clean Air Zone at a glance
- £8a day for a car, unless it meets the rules
- 24 hours a dayevery day
- £120penalty if you don't pay, £60 if paid early
- 1 June 2021when charging or enforcement began
These figures come from Birmingham City Council.
Birmingham Clean Air Zone boundary map
Will my car be charged?
Petrol cars need Euro 4 and diesel cars need Euro 6. Euro standards are limits on emissions that every new vehicle has had to satisfy, and the bigger the number, the tighter the limit. The year your car was first registered is a good guide. The majority of petrol cars registered from 2006 meet Euro 4, and plenty registered from 2001 do as well. Most diesel cars registered from September 2015 onward clear Euro 6.
| First registered | Petrol | Diesel |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 or earlier | Fails in most cases | Fails in most cases |
| 2001 to 2005 | Mixed results | Fails in most cases |
| 2006 to 2014 | Passes in most cases | Fails in most cases |
| 2015 | Passes in most cases | Mixed results |
| 2016 and later | Passes in most cases | Passes in most cases |
So a diesel registered in March 2014, say, would typically owe the daily charge in Birmingham.
How much does it cost?
The daily charge applies only to vehicles that fall short of the standards.
| Vehicle | Charge when it falls short |
|---|---|
| Cars | £8 |
| Vans | £8 |
| Taxis | £8 |
| Lorries | £50 |
The payment window runs from 6 days before your trip to 6 days after it, according to the council's own payment guidance.
Where the zone is
Every road within the A4540 Middleway, the ring road around the city centre, falls inside it. The Middleway itself sits outside it. You're only in the zone once you leave the ring road for the streets within.
How a checker works
To use one, you need two details: the date the vehicle was first registered and the fuel type. You'll find that date on the V5C, the vehicle's logbook. On newer vehicles, section D.2 of the V5C often shows the Euro standard too.
Working from the plate instead? Since September 2001, the age of the vehicle is shown by the 2 digits that follow the first 2 letters. Plates from March carry the year itself, so 14 points to March 2014. September plates add 50 to the year, so 76 points to September 2026.
How accurate is a checker?
A checker built on registration dates can only tell you what's likely, not what's certain. During changeover years, two vehicles with the same date can get different results. The official GOV.UK checker looks at your specific vehicle's record, and that's the answer that counts.
Questions people ask
What if I drive in without paying?
You'll get a £120 penalty. If you pay it early, it drops to £60. To avoid a penalty in the first place, you can pay the daily charge up to 6 days after your trip.
Do motorbikes pay in Birmingham?
No. Motorbikes and mopeds are exempt from the Birmingham charge, whatever their age. In London they do pay unless they meet Euro 3.
Is the A4540 Middleway itself inside the Birmingham zone?
No. The ring road is the zone's edge, so you can drive along the A4540 Middleway without paying. Only roads inside the ring count.