Is my motorbike ULEZ compliant?
A motorbike counts as ULEZ compliant when it reaches the Euro 3 standard, which most bikes first registered from July 2007 onwards do. If yours qualifies, riding through any part of London's ULEZ costs you nothing. If it doesn't, you'll pay £12.50 for each day, the same amount charged to cars and vans.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London
Most motorbikes meet the rules if first registered fromJul 2007Type your motorbike's number plate, or the year it was first registered, to get your own answer. Any that don't meet the rules are charged £12.50 a day.
TfL's official vehicle 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)Motorbikes don't pay
- BirminghamMotorbikes don't pay
- BristolMotorbikes don't pay
- BathMotorbikes don't pay
- BradfordMotorbikes don't pay
- SheffieldMotorbikes don't pay
- PortsmouthMotorbikes don't pay
- Newcastle and GatesheadMotorbikes don't pay
- Oxford£2 a day (electric cars don't pay)
- GlasgowMotorbikes don't pay
- EdinburghMotorbikes don't pay
- AberdeenMotorbikes don't pay
- DundeeMotorbikes don't pay
What the rule says for motorbikes and mopeds
Euro standards describe how much pollution new vehicles are allowed to emit, and each new version tightens the limit. In London's ULEZ, TfL requires motorbikes to meet Euro 3. Mopeds, motorised tricycles and quadricycles follow the same rule.
Electric motorbikes don't need to meet any standard, so they never pay.
What the ULEZ requires by vehicle
| Vehicle | Standard it needs | Usually meets it |
|---|---|---|
| Motorbike or moped | Euro 3 | Most motorbikes registered from July 2007 |
| Electric motorbike | None: no exhaust | Always meets the rules |
These figures come from TfL.
How to check your own bike
Start with the date it was first registered, as that gives you a fair idea. Bikes first registered from July 2007 usually qualify, while anything older might or might not.
You can also look at your logbook, also called the V5C. On some newer vehicles the Euro standard appears in section D.2. The answer you can rely on comes from TfL's vehicle checker, which pulls up your bike's record using its number plate.
Riding a bike that doesn't qualify
Every one of London's 32 boroughs plus the City of London sits inside the ULEZ. It operates 24 hours a day, every day apart from Christmas Day. Payment can be made up to 90 days in advance, or until midnight three days after your ride.
It adds up quickly: riding in five days a week for 46 weeks of the year comes to £2,875.
TfL offers several ways to settle the charge: its online payment site, the free app, the phone line, or Auto Pay. Auto Pay takes the money monthly and keeps you safe from penalties. Avoid unofficial websites.
Motorbikes in UK zones outside London
Zones beyond London mostly ignore motorbikes. Several English cities have clean air zones, among them Birmingham, Bristol, Bath, Bradford, Sheffield, Portsmouth and Newcastle, and not one of them charges a motorbike. In Scotland, the zones covering Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee leave out motorbikes and mopeds alike.
Oxford is the exception. Its small city centre zero emission zone charges £2 a day for any motorbike or moped that isn't electric, between 7am and 7pm.
Common questions
What if I forget to pay the ULEZ charge?
A penalty charge notice lands on the registered keeper's doormat, and that means a fine. It costs £180, dropping to £90 if paid within 14 days. You get 28 days to pay or contest it, after which it goes up to £270. Each day you rode in can bring its own notice. You can settle it online, through the TfL app using the penalty payment option, or by posting it to the ULEZ team at their Darlington PO box (PO Box 553, Darlington DL1 9TZ).
Are older motorbikes exempt?
Some vehicles past a certain age don't pay. TfL lets anything built before 1 January 1973 off the charge, along with vehicles over 40 years old that sit in the historic vehicle tax class. Neither of these exemptions expires.
Should I check a bike registered abroad?
If your bike is registered outside the UK, check TfL's guidance before your trip. Registering a foreign vehicle with TfL takes about two working weeks, so leave yourself that much time before you ride in.