Every UK City with a ULEZ, CAZ, or LEZ in 2026 — The Complete Guide

There are now 12 UK cities charging drivers for entering emission zones — and the list is growing. Between England's Clean Air Zones, London's ULEZ, Scotland's four Low Emission Zones, and Oxford's Zero Emission Zone, a non-compliant vehicle can cost you anywhere from £2 to £100 per day. Here's every active zone, what you'll pay, and how to check whether your car is affected.

ULEZ, CAZ, LEZ — what's the difference?

They all restrict polluting vehicles, but they work differently and are run by different authorities:

• ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) — London only. Covers all 32 boroughs plus the City of London. Charges non-compliant cars £12.50/day.
• CAZ (Clean Air Zone) — Used by English cities outside London. Charges vary by city and CAZ class (A–D). Some only charge commercial vehicles; others charge private cars too.
• LEZ (Low Emission Zone) — Used by Scotland's four largest cities. Penalty-based system: £60 fines that double with each repeat offence, up to £480.
• ZEZ (Zero Emission Zone) — Oxford only. The strictest type: only fully electric or zero-emission vehicles avoid charges entirely.

How CAZ classes work

England's Clean Air Zones are graded A through D. Each class builds on the one before, covering more vehicle types. The class determines whether your car is affected — or just commercial and public transport vehicles.

If you drive a normal car, only Class D zones affect you directly. In 2026, that means London (ULEZ), Birmingham, and Bristol. The other English zones only charge taxis, vans, buses, and HGVs — not private cars.

Every active zone in England

Greater Manchester scrapped its planned charging CAZ in favour of an investment-led approach — funding cleaner buses and taxis instead of charging drivers. As of February 2026, there is no charge to drive in Manchester.

Scotland's Low Emission Zones

Scotland's four largest cities — Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee — all have active LEZs. Unlike England's daily charges, Scotland uses a penalty system where fines escalate with each repeat offence. All four zones apply to all motor vehicles including private cars.

The fines are adding up. Scotland's four LEZs issued over 169,000 penalty notices worth more than £19 million in their first year of full enforcement — averaging around 8,000–9,000 penalties per month.

Is your car compliant?

The emission standards are the same across most zones. Here's what your car needs to meet to avoid charges:

The quickest way to check is to enter your registration on the GOV.UK Clean Air Zone checker. It tells you instantly whether your vehicle is compliant and which zones would charge you. For Scotland's LEZs, use the LEZ checker on lowemissionzones.scot.

What's coming next?

Emission zones are expected to expand further in 2026 and beyond. Several cities are in various stages of planning:

• Oxford's ZEZ is set to expand beyond its current pilot area, with charges expected to double
• London's Congestion Charge rose to £18/day in January 2026, with EVs now paying £13.50 — the first time electric vehicles have been charged
• The government's Euro 7 standards take effect in November 2026, tightening emissions limits further for new vehicles
• More English cities may introduce zones as air quality targets tighten under the Environment Act

The direction of travel is clear: driving an older, non-compliant vehicle in UK cities is getting more expensive every year. Even electric vehicles — previously exempt from every charge — are now paying London's Congestion Charge. For more on what's coming for fuel prices and driving costs, see our outlook for the rest of 2026.

How to avoid the charges

If your vehicle isn't compliant, you have a few options:

• Check before you travel — Use the GOV.UK checker or the Scottish LEZ checker to know before you go
• Plan your route — Some zones are avoidable if you know the boundaries. Birmingham's CAZ only covers the city centre, not the wider area
• Use park and ride — Most CAZ cities have park-and-ride schemes on the outskirts that keep you outside the zone
• Upgrade your vehicle — If you drive into a zone regularly, the daily charges can quickly exceed the cost of switching to a compliant car. A £9/day Bristol charge five days a week is £2,340/year
• Check for exemptions — Some zones offer exemptions for disabled drivers, historic vehicles, or temporary grace periods for residents

Wherever you're driving, use Fuelwise to compare fuel prices and find the cheapest station. Drivers in London and Birmingham — the two biggest CAZ cities — can save £40–60/year just by choosing the right forecourt. See live prices across all 264 UK locations.