ULEZ compliant petrol cars

A petrol car has to meet Euro 4 for the ULEZ. It's met by most petrol cars first registered from 2006, and many from 2001 also pass.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London

Most petrol cars meet the rules if first registered from2006

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 £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)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

Which petrol cars meet the ULEZ rules?

Your petrol car counts as compliant if its engine meets Euro 4. Every new petrol car had to meet it from January 2006, though new models needed it from January 2005, and many manufacturers complied years earlier. That explains why lots of petrol cars from 2001 to 2005 also pass.

The rule for petrol cars applies to petrol hybrids too. Inside the zone, a petrol car that fails is charged £12.50 a day.

What the ULEZ requires by vehicle

ULEZ rule for each vehicle type
Vehicle	Standard it needs	Usually meets it
Petrol car	Euro 4	Most petrol cars first registered in 2006 or later (many from 2001)
Hybrid car	Euro 4 if it's a petrol hybrid, Euro 6 for a diesel hybrid	A hybrid uses the same years as whichever engine it has, petrol or diesel
Petrol van	Euro 4	Petrol vans registered from January 2006

These figures come from TfL.

The numbers on your plate and what they say

A plate's two numbers tell you when the car first went on the road. For example, a car with 14 on its plate was first registered between March and August 2014, and a car with 64 between September 2014 and February 2015. Type your plate and the checker works this out for you. A private plate, or one moved over from another car, can be older or newer than the car itself, so use the year in the logbook instead.

Every plate number and its date since September 2001

Plate numbers listed by year
Year	March to August	September to February
2001	Old style plate	51
2002	02	52
2003	03	53
2004	04	54
2005	05	55
2006	06	56
2007	07	57
2008	08	58
2009	09	59
2010	10	60
2011	11	61
2012	12	62
2013	13	63
2014	14	64
2015	15	65
2016	16	66
2017	17	67
2018	18	68
2019	19	69
2020	20	70
2021	21	71
2022	22	72
2023	23	73
2024	24	74
2025	25	75
2026	26	76

Older plates, from before September 2001, begin with a letter that gives the age instead, like Y for 2001. The checker understands those as well, so just type one in.

These figures come from the DVLA.

The earliest petrol cars that pass

Some late-1990s petrol cars were already built to Euro 4 before it was required. For a definite answer, use TfL's vehicle checker or ask the manufacturer. If a car was built before 1 January 1973, or it's over 40 years old and in the historic vehicle tax class, it pays nothing.

Petrol car questions people often ask

Does Euro 4 make a car exempt from ULEZ?

Euro 4 is the ULEZ standard for a petrol car or van, so meeting it means no charge. For diesel, the standard is Euro 6.

Which petrol cars must pay ULEZ?

Petrol cars that fall below Euro 4. Most were first registered before 2006, but many cars from 2001 to 2005 still pass.

Would a 2004 petrol car be ULEZ compliant?

In many cases, yes. Euro 4 was already the build standard for many 2004 petrol cars. To be certain, put its plate into TfL's vehicle checker.