ULEZ Expansion: What It Actually Means for Drivers in 2026

If you drive into, out of, or around London, the ULEZ expansion isn't news any more, it's just part of the landscape. But plenty of drivers still get caught out, either because they've bought a car without checking it, or because they assumed a rule from a few years ago still applies. So here's where things genuinely stand today, and what the ULEZ expansion means for drivers in practical, pounds-and-pence terms.

What the ULEZ expansion actually covers now

The Ultra Low Emission Zone no longer stops at the North and South Circular. The 2023 extension saw ULEZ expand to encompass all London boroughs with the same boundaries as the 2008 Low Emissions Zone, taking in residential areas, Heathrow Airport and major venues such as Wembley Stadium, Twickenham and Wimbledon. In effect, if you're driving anywhere inside the M25 and within a London borough, you're inside the zone. There's been no further geographic expansion since, and nothing on the table suggests the boundary will grow again in the near future, though the Mayor's office has never ruled out tightening the emissions standards themselves down the line.

Which vehicles are caught by the charge

Drivers of all cars, motorcycles and vans up to and including 3.5 tonnes that don't meet the minimum ULEZ emissions standards must pay a £12.50 daily charge. Heavier vehicles aren't let off the hook entirely, they're simply dealt with under a separate scheme. If you drive an HGV over 12 tonnes in Greater London you'll need an HGV Safety Permit showing your vehicle meets the Direct Vision Standard, and vehicles without one face a penalty charge notice, though applying for the permit itself is free.

How much you'll actually pay, and when

London ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, with the sole exception of Christmas Day, and covers almost all of Greater London. There's no getting around it by timing your trip for a Sunday morning or a bank holiday, the charge is live whenever you're in the zone.

Where it gets more expensive is central London, where ULEZ and the Congestion Charge run alongside each other. The Congestion Charge applies within the smaller central London zone during weekday and weekend daytime hours and, from January 2026, costs £18 per day if paid on the day of travel, meaning a driver with a non-compliant vehicle entering central London on a weekday could owe both the £12.50 ULEZ charge and the £18 Congestion Charge on the same day. That's a genuinely painful figure if you're commuting five days a week without realising your car isn't compliant.

Miss the payment and it gets worse

You've got until midnight on the third day after your journey to pay. Miss that window and TfL will send a Penalty Charge Notice. If your vehicle doesn't meet the ULEZ emission standards and you fail to pay, you'll face a PCN of £180, or £90 if you settle within 14 days. You can find the full detail on Transport for London's own guidance, including how to challenge a PCN if you think it's been issued unfairly.

Is your car actually compliant?

Age is a rough guide, but it's not the whole story. Compliance is based on the emissions standard your car was built to meet, not simply its registration date.

The Euro standards, in plain English

• Petrol cars need to meet Euro 4 standards, generally those registered with the DVLA after 2006.
• Diesels need Euro 6, generally vehicles first used after September 2015.
• All motorcycles and mopeds need to meet Euro 3 emissions standards.

Plenty of diesels from 2016 and 2017 still fall short depending on the exact model and engine, and some older petrols scrape through on a technicality. Guessing based on age alone is how people end up with an unexpected PCN, so it's worth checking properly using TfL's own vehicle checker before you assume either way.

What's changed more recently: electric cars and the Congestion Charge

Electric vehicles haven't lost their ULEZ exemption, and there's no sign of that changing. EVs remain exempt from the ULEZ charge because they produce zero tailpipe emissions. What has changed is the Congestion Charge picture. As of 25 December 2025, electric vehicles are no longer exempt from the London Congestion Charge. For anyone who bought an EV specifically to dodge central London charges, that free ride within the Congestion Charge zone has now ended, even though the ULEZ side of the equation stays untouched.

What this means if you're buying, selling or running a car

If you're shopping for a used car with an eye on regular London driving, checking compliance before you buy saves a lot of grief later. It's also worth knowing your current car's MOT history, tax status and rough market value before deciding whether to keep it, sell it privately, or trade it in. That's exactly what our reg lookup tool is built for, enter the plate and you'll get the DVLA MOT and tax picture plus an indicative valuation, all as a guide to help you decide your next move rather than a guaranteed figure.

If a non-compliant car is costing you £12.50 a day just to get to work, upgrading to something compliant can start to look like the sensible option fairly quickly. Where that means funding a change of car, general information on car finance is available through MotifyMe, which introduces drivers to finance options, subject to status and affordability, without giving personalised financial advice. There's more on buying and running a car sensibly in our guides section too.

Exemptions, discounts and support that still apply

A handful of exemptions remain in place for specific groups. Keepers of vehicles registered with a 'disabled' or 'disabled passenger vehicles' tax class are exempt until 24 October 2027, as long as the vehicle doesn't change tax class. Beyond that, London residents on lower incomes or certain benefits may still be able to access TfL's scrappage scheme, which can offer grants to help scrap a non-compliant vehicle and move to a cleaner model, subject to eligibility and availability. It's worth checking directly with TfL if you think you might qualify, since eligibility criteria and available funding can shift.

The bottom line for drivers

The ULEZ expansion has been in force since August 2023 and, several years on, it's simply the reality of driving in London: no more zone growth expected imminently, but a real financial hit if your car isn't compliant and you're regularly inside the M25. Since the 2023 expansion, the Greater London Authority found harmful roadside emissions had fallen by 3.5 per cent, with nitrogen oxide estimated to have dropped by around 13 per cent from cars and seven per cent from vans, within six months of the scheme going London-wide. Whatever you make of the politics around it, the practical advice for drivers hasn't changed: know your Euro standard, check your registration properly, and don't let a £12.50 daily charge sneak up on you.

A note on the figures: charge levels, zone boundaries and exemption rules are set by individual local authorities and are reviewed from time to time, so the amounts quoted here may have changed. Whether you pay depends on your own vehicle emissions, so always check your registration on the relevant council checker before you travel.