Who is exempt from Clean Air Zone Birmingham?

Birmingham's Clean Air Zone (CAZ) exemptions cover vehicles meeting strict emission standards (electric, hybrid, Euro 6 diesel/Euro 4 petrol), disabled tax class vehicles, military vehicles, and certain historic or retrofitted cars, with specific local schemes for community transport and medical appointments available via the Brum Breathes website. You can check your vehicle's compliance and apply for exemptions on the official GOV.UK or Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) sites.

Who is exempt from Clean Air Zone charges?

If your vehicle is of the minimum emission standard or higher, then they can enter any of the clean air zones without a charge. You can find your vehicle's emission standard in your logbook (V5C) or from your vehicle manufacturer. Local authorities may set a different standard for taxis and hire vehicles.

How do I know if my vehicle is exempt from congestion charge?

Whether your car is exempt from the London Congestion Charge depends on its type (e.g., motorbike, electric, disabled vehicle) or if you qualify for specific discounts, with fully electric/hydrogen cars and motorcycles generally exempt, while Blue Badge holders, some NHS vehicles, and older historic cars (pre-1973) get discounts or exemptions if registered with DVLA in the correct tax class, so you should check with Transport for London (TfL) using your registration plate. 

How do I know if my car can go in a Clean Air Zone?

Being CAZ compliant depends on the emissions standard that your vehicle's engine complies to. For example, diesel cars have to comply with 6 standards and for petrol cars it is Euro 4. The best way to check if your vehicle is clear air zone compliant is to enter your registration number in the carwow CAZ checker.

Which cars qualify for the Birmingham Clean Air Zone?

Is my vehicle compliant with the Birmingham clean air zone? If your vehicle complies with the following exhaust emissions criteria, it should be exempt from paying the daily fee to drive into the clean air zone in Birmingham: Diesel cars: Euro 6 (or better) Petrol cars: Euro 4 (or better)

The guide to the Birmingham Clean Air Zone (or CAZ)

What year does my car have to be to avoid ULEZ?

A car is exempt from the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) if it's registered in the Historic tax class, meaning it's over 40 years old on a rolling basis (e.g., in 2026, vehicles built before 1986 qualify), or if it was built before 1 January 1973, with both exemptions generally applying if the vehicle isn't used commercially. For vehicles older than 40 years, you must apply to the DVLA to change their tax class to "Historic" to receive the exemption. 

Do I need to pay ULEZ to go to Heathrow Airport?

Yes, you do need to pay the £12.50 ULEZ charge for Heathrow Airport if your vehicle isn't compliant with the emissions standards, as the airport is within the expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) for Greater London, effective from August 2023, and the charge applies for driving in the zone 24/7 (except Christmas Day). You'll pay this fee in addition to any other airport drop-off/pick-up charges if your vehicle doesn't meet the ULEZ criteria. 

What days are exempt from the Congestion Charge?

For the London Congestion Charge, most days have charges (Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat-Sun & Bank Holidays 12pm-6pm), but it's free between Christmas Day and New Year's Day bank holiday (inclusive), plus you can travel free before 7am or after 6pm on weekdays and before 12pm or after 6pm on weekends/holidays, with exemptions for specific vehicles/residents.
 

How do I pay clear zone Birmingham?

You can pay 6 days before your visit or 6 days after your visit. You can either: pay online. pay by calling 0300 029 8888 - lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4.30pm.

What cars don't need to pay congestion charges?

Cars exempt from London's Congestion Charge (as of early 2026) primarily include electric vehicles (EVs), hydrogen fuel cell cars, historic vehicles (pre-1973 or tax-exempt), specialist vehicles (like agricultural/construction), and vehicles for disabled people (Blue Badge holders), plus emergency, NHS, and military vehicles, with some key changes coming in December 2025 when EV exemptions end.
 

What is the fine for not paying Clean Air Zone Birmingham?

You may receive a £120 penalty charge if you have driven a chargeable (i.e. non-compliant) vehicle in the Clean Air Zone and have not paid the relevant daily fee or have a valid exemption in place. Read about how the daily fee for driving in the Clean Air Zone applies to different vehicle types.

How do I check if my car is exempt from congestion charge?

Whether your car is exempt from the London Congestion Charge depends on its type (e.g., motorbike, electric, disabled vehicle) or if you qualify for specific discounts, with fully electric/hydrogen cars and motorcycles generally exempt, while Blue Badge holders, some NHS vehicles, and older historic cars (pre-1973) get discounts or exemptions if registered with DVLA in the correct tax class, so you should check with Transport for London (TfL) using your registration plate. 

Are cars over 40 years old congestion charge exempt?

Although classic and historic vehicles over 40 years old are exempt from ULEZ, there are many newer than that which are now subject to the ULEZ charge.

How long after entering a congestion zone can you pay?

Congestion Charge changes

You can pay in advance, on the day of travel or by midnight of the third day after travel. You need to pay a daily charge if you drive within the Congestion Charge zone 07:00-18:00 Mon-Fri, 12:00-18:00 Sat-Sun and bank holidays.

Why was I charged 17.50 for Congestion Charge?

The £17.50 charge is for paying the London Congestion Charge late, specifically up to three days after travel, acting as a penalty to encourage timely payment, with the standard charge being £15 if paid in advance or on the day; this late payment fee incentivizes drivers to use faster payment methods and avoid potential Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).

At what age do you stop paying car tax in the UK?

To qualify for historic vehicle tax exemption in the UK, cars must be at least 40 years old. If your car or van was built before 1 January 1984 or registered before 8 January 1984, you do not need to pay road tax as of this past April (1 April 2024).

Who is exempt from ULEZ?

Lorries, vans or specialist heavy vehicles (all over 3.5 tonnes) and buses, minibuses and coaches (all over 5 tonnes) do not need to pay the ULEZ charge. They will need to pay the LEZ charge if they do not meet the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) emissions standard.

How do I make my car ULEZ free?

To be ULEZ compliant, petrol cars must meet Euro 4 emissions standards. Most petrol cars registered after January 2006 meet these standards. Petrol cars that meet Euro 5 and Euro 6 standards are exempt from paying charges.

How to trick an anpr camera?

Ghost plates exploit the vulnerabilities of ANPR cameras using simple but effective modifications, such as:

1. Reflective Sprays – These bounce light back at the camera, causing overexposure and rendering the plate unreadable.
2. Stealth Covers – Transparent films that distort the plate under infrared or flash photography.

Can I get away with not paying ULEZ?

London road user charging

We may issue a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) if you drive within the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in a vehicle that does not meet the emissions standards and you do not pay the correct daily charge.

Is there an app to avoid ULEZ cameras?

How to avoid ULEZ zones. WAZE is an app available on both Android and iPhone devices that maps routes, in a similar way to Google Maps does. The benefit of WAZE is that it utilises user-submitted data to monitor where traffic, roadworks, speed cameras and ULEZ cameras are situated.