Low Emission Zone, London
Low Emission Zone (LEZ), London
Covers larger vans, lorries, buses and coaches only. Cars and motorbikes have never been in this scheme.
Local detail
What is specific to London
The LEZ has run since February 2008 and is the London scheme people forget, because it never applied to cars. Its standards were tightened in March 2021 so lorries, buses and coaches now need Euro VI rather than Euro IV, and the penalties are the heaviest of any UK zone at £1,000 a day for a lorry. A motorhome or horsebox over 3.5 tonnes counts as a heavy vehicle here, so an owner who checked only the ULEZ can still face £100 or £300 a day.
5 vehicle types
What each vehicle pays
| Vehicle | Daily charge | Standard that avoids it |
|---|---|---|
| Van, minibus or specialist diesel vehicle over 1.205 tonnes unladen up to 3.5 tonnes, or minibus up to 5 tonnes | £100 | Euro 3 for particulate matter |
| Lorry or specialist heavy vehicle over 3.5 tonnes, bus or coach over 5 tonnes, meeting Euro IV for particulates but not Euro VI | £100 | Euro VI for nitrogen oxides and particulates |
| Lorry or specialist heavy vehicle over 3.5 tonnes, bus or coach over 5 tonnes, not meeting Euro IV for particulates | £300 | Euro VI for nitrogen oxides and particulates |
| Car | Not charged | No standard is published for this row |
| Motorcycle or moped | Not charged | No standard is published for this row |
One daily charge covers however many times you enter and leave in the same day. It does not cover any other scheme that overlaps the same streets.
What the vehicle has to meet
Emissions standards
- Vans, minibuses, motor caravans, ambulances and hearses between 1.205 tonnes unladen and 3.5 tonnes gross, and minibuses up to 5 tonnes: Euro 3 for particulate matter.
- Lorries over 3.5 tonnes and buses, minibuses and coaches over 5 tonnes: Euro VI for both nitrogen oxides and particulates, generally a vehicle first registered with the DVLA after 1 January 2014.
- Cars and motorcycles are not covered by the LEZ at all. They are dealt with by the ULEZ.
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
- Most of Greater London, the same broad area as the ULEZ, covering roughly 1,580 square kilometres.
- Hours of operation
- Midnight to midnight, every day of the year.
- Enforcement since
- 4 February 2008
3 exemptions and discounts
Who does not pay
- Cars and motorcycles, which the scheme has never applied to.
- Vehicles that already meet Euro VI, which pay nothing in either the LEZ or the ULEZ.
- Historic vehicles and specialist vehicles follow the same exemption list as the ULEZ.
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
£1,000 for a lorry, bus or coach and £500 for a larger van or minibus, each halved to £500 or £250 if you pay within 14 days. Left unpaid after 28 days they rise to £1,500 and £750.
Questions about this zone
Does a car pay in the Low Emission Zone (LEZ)?
No. A private car is never charged in this zone, however old it is, unless it is licensed as a taxi or private hire vehicle. Other vehicle types are charged from £100 a day, so check the charge table for the exact type.
When does the zone operate?
Midnight to midnight, every day of the year. Enforcement started on 4 February 2008, and those hours have applied since, unless the operator has published a change.
Where does the zone start and end?
Most of Greater London, the same broad area as the ULEZ, covering roughly 1,580 square kilometres. 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 is the penalty if I do not pay?
£1,000 for a lorry, bus or coach and £500 for a larger van or minibus, each halved to £500 or £250 if you pay within 14 days. Left unpaid after 28 days they rise to £1,500 and £750.
Who is exempt?
3 exemptions and discounts are published for this zone, including: Cars and motorcycles, which the scheme has never applied to; Vehicles that already meet Euro VI, which pay nothing in either the LEZ or the ULEZ; Historic vehicles and specialist vehicles follow the same exemption list as the ULEZ. Most have to be applied for in advance, so read the full list before you travel.