Low Emission Zone, Scotland
Aberdeen Low Emission Zone
No daily charge exists. A non-compliant vehicle is not allowed in, and the first camera capture is a penalty.
Local detail
What is specific to Aberdeen
Aberdeen's scheme came into force on 30 May 2022 and was enforced from 1 June 2024 after a two year grace period for residents and visitors alike. The council trimmed the boundary following consultation, taking out East North Street, Commerce Street and the Wapping Street gyratory, so the harbour approaches sit outside the zone while Union Street sits firmly inside it. The council expected around 85 per cent of vehicles to comply by the time enforcement started, so the penalty lands on a small minority, mostly older diesels.
5 vehicle types
What each vehicle pays
| Vehicle | Daily charge | Standard that avoids it |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol car or van | No charge exists | Euro 4 |
| Diesel car or van | No charge exists | Euro 6 |
| Diesel bus, coach or HGV | No charge exists | Euro VI |
| Petrol bus, coach or HGV | No charge exists | Euro IV |
| Motorcycle or moped | Not charged | No standard is published for this row |
Every row reads as no charge because none exists. This is not a charging zone: a vehicle that fails the standard is not permitted in, so there is nothing to pay and no way to buy entry. The penalty below is what happens instead.
What the vehicle has to meet
Emissions standards
- Petrol cars and vans: Euro 4.
- Diesel cars and vans: Euro 6.
- Diesel buses, coaches and HGVs: Euro VI.
- Petrol buses, coaches and HGVs: Euro IV.
- Motorbikes, mopeds and fully electric vehicles are outside the rules. A hybrid is judged on its petrol or diesel engine, not on the battery.
The Euro standard is recorded on the vehicle's type approval rather than worked out from its age, so a car built in the year a standard came in can fall either side of it. Check the registration date on the V5C against the operator's own vehicle checker before relying on either.
Where and when
Boundary and hours
- Boundary
- The city centre, covering the Union Street and George Street area and the city centre masterplan area. The boundary was pulled back after consultation to leave out East North Street, Commerce Street and the Wapping Street gyratory.
- Hours of operation
- 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Enforcement since
- 1 June 2024
7 exemptions and discounts
Who does not pay
- Any vehicle being driven by a Blue Badge holder, or carrying one, including organisational badges.
- Vehicles in the disabled vehicle tax class, or with a vehicle tax exemption or reduction.
- Emergency service vehicles, including police cars and ambulances.
- Military vehicles.
- Historic vehicles: manufactured or first registered at least 30 years ago, no longer in production, and kept in original condition.
- Showman's vehicles as defined by section 62(1) of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994.
- Councils can grant time limited exemptions of up to a year for specialist vehicles such as construction or recovery vehicles.
Most of these have to be applied for, and several are time limited. An exemption you have not registered is not an exemption the cameras know about.
If you do not pay
Penalty charge
£60, reduced to £30 if you pay within 14 days. The amount doubles for each further contravention by the same vehicle in the same zone within 90 days, capped at £480 for a car or light goods vehicle and £960 for a minibus, bus, coach or HGV. Once 90 days pass with no contravention the rate resets to £60.
Questions about this zone
Does a car pay in the Aberdeen Low Emission Zone?
There is nothing to pay, because no charge exists. A car that fails the standard is not allowed into the zone at all, so it cannot pay its way in. Drive in anyway and the penalty applies: £60, reduced to £30 if you pay within 14 days. The amount doubles for each further contravention by the same vehicle in the same zone within 90 days, capped at £480 for a car or light goods vehicle and £960 for a minibus, bus, coach or HGV. Once 90 days pass with no contravention the rate resets to £60.
When does the zone operate?
24 hours a day, seven days a week. Enforcement started on 1 June 2024, and those hours have applied since, unless the operator has published a change.
Where does the zone start and end?
The city centre, covering the Union Street and George Street area and the city centre masterplan area. The boundary was pulled back after consultation to leave out East North Street, Commerce Street and the Wapping Street gyratory. The cameras belong to the operator, so treat that description as the route to plan around rather than a guess at where enforcement begins.
What happens if I drive in with a non-compliant vehicle?
£60, reduced to £30 if you pay within 14 days. The amount doubles for each further contravention by the same vehicle in the same zone within 90 days, capped at £480 for a car or light goods vehicle and £960 for a minibus, bus, coach or HGV. Once 90 days pass with no contravention the rate resets to £60.
Who is exempt?
7 exemptions and discounts are published for this zone, including: Any vehicle being driven by a Blue Badge holder, or carrying one, including organisational badges; Vehicles in the disabled vehicle tax class, or with a vehicle tax exemption or reduction; Emergency service vehicles, including police cars and ambulances. Most have to be applied for in advance, so read the full list before you travel.