Driving in
Driving in Birmingham
Checked on 30 June 2025.Office for National Statistics, Population estimates, local authority based by single year of age (mid-2025) (as of 30 June 2025)
The Birmingham Clean Air Zone
Charged
£8.00 a day
2004 petrol car: No Euro figure is recorded, so we have read it from the first registration date of 1 January 2004. New cars had to meet Euro 3 from 1 January 2001, below the Euro 4 that Birmingham Clean Air Zone asks of a petrol car, so the daily charge of £8.00 applies.
Charged
£8.00 a day
2012 diesel car: No Euro figure is recorded, so we have read it from the first registration date of 1 January 2012. New cars had to meet Euro 5 from 1 January 2011, below the Euro 6 that Birmingham Clean Air Zone asks of a diesel car, so the daily charge of £8.00 applies.
Compliant
2018 diesel car: No Euro figure is recorded, so we have read it from the first registration date of 1 January 2018. New cars had to meet Euro 6 from 1 September 2015. Birmingham Clean Air Zone asks Euro 6 of a diesel car, so there is nothing to pay.
| Operated by | Birmingham City Council |
| In force since | 1 June 2021 |
| Hours | 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. |
| Area | Everything inside the A4540 Middleway ring road. The Middleway itself is outside the zone, so you can drive right round the city centre without paying, but almost every turn off it takes you in. |
| Penalty for non payment | £120, with 28 days to pay from the date the notice was issued, reduced to £60 if you pay within 14 days. |
Birmingham's zone went live on 1 June 2021 and is one of only two class D zones in England, which means private cars pay. The first fortnight was charge free, with daily charges starting on 14 June 2021. The A4540 Middleway is the part people get wrong: the ring road is outside the zone, so a non-compliant car can circle the centre for nothing, and the £8 charge only lands once it turns in.
Does Birmingham have local driving charges?
Birmingham, England, is covered by the Birmingham Clean Air Zone, operated by Birmingham City Council since 1 June 2021. Whether a charge applies depends on the vehicle and the scheme's rules.
Local figures for Birmingham
- Birmingham's clean air zone is a class D scheme covering 2.96 square miles of the city. Class D is the only type that charges private cars, so an older car driven into the zone pays a daily charge whatever its condition.
- The zone's minimum standard is Euro 6 for diesels and Euro 4 for petrol cars, and it runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
- About 443,600 licensed cars sat on the Birmingham council area's roads at the end of March 2026, roughly one for every 2.7 residents.
- 31.7% of Birmingham households had no car or van at the 2021 census, against 23.5% across England.
- DfT counted 1,640 public electric vehicle chargers in the city at 1 April 2026, which is 138.6 per 100,000 residents.
Official local statistics
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Vehicle fleet | Birmingham's clean air zone is a class D scheme covering 2.96 square miles of the city. Class D is the only type that charges private cars, so an older car driven into the zone pays a daily charge whatever its condition. |
| Public charging | Birmingham's clean air zone is a class D scheme covering 2.96 square miles of the city. Class D is the only type that charges private cars, so an older car driven into the zone pays a daily charge whatever its condition. |
| Car ownership | 31.7% of Birmingham households had no car or van at the 2021 census, against 23.5% across England. |
Does the Birmingham Clean Air Zone include the A4540 Middleway?
The Birmingham Clean Air Zone covers roads inside the A4540 Middleway, while the Middleway itself is outside the boundary. It runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year. A car, van or taxi that does not meet the required emissions standard is charged £8 for a charging day, and a bus, coach or HGV £50. Check the official vehicle checker before setting off, especially if the vehicle has a private plate or has recently changed hands.
You can pay from six days before the journey until 11:59pm on the sixth day after it, and no text or email tells you a payment is due. Miss that window and the council posts a £120 PCN, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
| Item | Current amount | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Clean Air Zone, non-compliant car, van or taxi | £8 per day | Inside the A4540 Middleway |
| Clean Air Zone, non-compliant bus, coach or HGV | £50 per day | Inside the A4540 Middleway |
| Parking PCN, higher level | £70 | Serious parking contraventions |
| Parking PCN, lower level | £50 | Less serious parking contraventions |
| Bus lane or banned manoeuvre PCN | £70 | Where signed and enforced |
Brum Breathes and Birmingham City Council, checked 26 September 2026. A charge is not a parking payment.
Is Birmingham's Clean Air Zone scrappage scheme still open?
Yes. The council's Brum Breathes pages, last updated on 9 September 2026, describe the vehicle scrappage scheme as open, with grant packages worth up to £4,000 for scrapping a vehicle that pays the daily charge. It began for people working inside the zone and now covers residents of the zone too.
A zone resident qualifies after receiving an eligible benefit in the last 12 months. A worker must live outside the zone, travel into it for work, work at least 18 hours a week and earn less than £32,000 a year. Each vehicle needs its own application, and the grant may affect means-tested benefits.
Private hire drivers licensed by Birmingham have separate grants if they kept a chargeable vehicle on 10 September 2018: up to £1,000 towards a compliant car, up to £2,000 towards a hybrid that does not qualify for the government plug-in grant, or up to £10,000 in two annual payments for a fully electric or long-range plug-in hybrid.
- Option A: £2,000 paid into your bank account.
- Option B: £1,600 paid into your bank account and £1,500 of Transport for West Midlands travel credit on your Swift account.
- Option C: £1,000 paid into your bank account, £1,500 of travel credit for you and £1,500 for a family member named on the application.
- Check the registration on the GOV.UK vehicle checker, because only a vehicle that pays the daily charge qualifies.
- Apply online through a BRUM account, uploading the V5C showing you have owned the vehicle since before 1 June 2021, your insurance certificate and evidence for every income source.
- Wait for approval before scrapping, then use an Authorised Treatment Facility and send the council its Certificate of Destruction.
How do you pay for council parking in Birmingham?
Start with the sign at the bay or car park entrance. It tells you the controlled hours, any maximum stay and the location number for payment. Since 3 August 2026 the council has used the National Parking Platform in its car parks and on-street pay and display bays, so you are no longer tied to one app. Its listed providers are APCOA Connect, AppyParking, Caura, JustPark, PayByPhone and RingGo, each with its own fees, and payment machines still work where they are provided. Register the correct vehicle and payment card, then enter the location number printed by the machine or sign. Wait for confirmation before walking away; an attempted payment that has not completed is not a parking session.
Check the registration shown in the app before you confirm the session. A private car park has its own operator's rules.
- Read the restriction and choose the exact bay or car park, including any maximum stay.
- Enter its location number in your chosen app and check the registration before confirming payment.
- Keep the confirmation and leave before your session or permitted maximum ends.
How much is a Birmingham parking ticket?
Birmingham City Council distinguishes higher and lower parking contraventions. Parking on double yellow lines is an example of a higher level £70 PCN; an expired paid ticket is a lower level £50 PCN. Paying during the ordinary 14-day discount period reduces those to £35 and £25 respectively; for a parking PCN issued by CCTV camera, the reduced rate lasts 21 days. The date and method printed on your own notice control what you must do.
If the notice is fixed to your windscreen, you have 28 days to pay or make an informal challenge. Explain the event rather than sending only a statement that you were nearby briefly. A pay and display receipt, parking app record, photographs of a missing sign or evidence of a vehicle breakdown may be relevant. If you challenge within the 14-day discount period and the council rejects it, you can still pay the reduced amount. Once it serves a Notice to Owner, the registered keeper has 28 days to pay or make formal representations.
After a Notice of Rejection you have 28 days to pay or appeal to the independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Follow the Notice of Rejection rather than ignoring a Charge Certificate, which increases the debt.
| Contravention | Full PCN | Early payment |
|---|---|---|
| Higher level parking | £70 | £35 |
| Lower level parking | £50 | £25 |
| Bus lane | £70 | £35 |
| Banned manoeuvre | £70 | £35 |
Birmingham City Council PCN, bus lane and moving traffic pages, checked 26 September 2026. Read the individual PCN for its deadline.
- Read the PCN number, vehicle mark, alleged location and service date.
- If the allegation is wrong, use Birmingham's challenge route and submit the evidence promptly.
- After a formal rejection, follow the enclosed Traffic Penalty Tribunal appeal instructions.
Where are Birmingham's Broad Street bus gates?
Broad Street is a particular trap for a driver following an old route through Five Ways. The council's Metro consultation page says camera enforcement began in December 2024, on restrictions introduced in 2022 when the Metro reached Five Ways. It covers the underpass linking Broad Street to Hagley Road, parts of Broad Street in both directions, and the bus and tram interchange by Centenary Square. The permitted vehicles vary by section. The underpass is for buses and trams, while some of the Broad Street lanes also admit black cabs. Private hire vehicles may not use any bus lane in Birmingham. Do not infer permission to drive the whole corridor from permission at one sign.
The Broad Street restrictions operate at all hours. Temporary works can change an approach, so follow the current sign. The bus lane PCN is £70, reduced to £35 for timely payment.
Example
A visitor heading from Five Ways towards Centenary Square
- Approach
- Broad Street from Five Ways
- Vehicle
- Private car
- Restriction
- Bus and tram routes on the signed corridor
- The driver checks the sign before the underpass, rather than following a remembered through route.
- The private car must take an ordinary traffic route to the chosen car park.
- If a camera PCN arrives, the driver checks the recorded location and the sign for that exact section.
A valid bus gate PCN is £70 before the council's early payment discount; parking and Clean Air Zone charges are separate.
Which Birmingham park and ride suits a city centre trip?
Transport for West Midlands lists free parking at its Metro park and ride sites, including The Hawthorns, Wednesbury Parkway, Black Lake, Bradley Lane and Priestfield. Your tram ticket remains a separate cost. Most rail station car parks in the network are free too, but the authority identifies Longbridge, Bromsgrove, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield as charged locations. Check which operator runs your chosen train and its timetable before relying on the last service back.
Longbridge has its own tariff: £3 for an all-day weekday stay and £2 on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. A stay of up to 30 minutes is free. Transport for West Midlands says the Longbridge car park uses number plate recognition and payment on exit, at the ground-floor machines or remotely until 1.30am after you leave. Blue Badge holders in designated bays park free but must scan the badge at a pay station before leaving. At its other sites, do not mistake a free parking bay for permission to leave a car there while doing something other than taking public transport; the operator warns of enforcement.
| Site or group | Parking | Planning point |
|---|---|---|
| The Hawthorns, Wednesbury Parkway, Black Lake, Bradley Lane, Priestfield | Free | Metro ticket needed |
| Longbridge | £3 weekday, £2 weekend or bank holiday | Pay on exit |
| Most other rail stations | Free | Check the chosen station |
| Bromsgrove, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield | Charged | Check live station tariff |
Transport for West Midlands, checked 26 September 2026. This is parking only.
Example
A Longbridge commuter travelling on a weekday
- Station
- Longbridge
- Parking stay
- All day on a weekday
- Car park tariff
- £3
- The driver checks the train timetable and parks in a marked bay at Longbridge.
- The separate rail fare is added to the £3 parking charge before comparing with a city centre drive.
- The parking session is paid at exit using the station's stated method.
The known parking part is £3. No rail fare or city centre saving can be claimed without the actual journey and ticket.
Can Birmingham residents buy parking permits for visitors?
A permit is tied to an individual parking scheme, not a general right to park anywhere in Birmingham. The council issues permits, subject to availability, to residents who can prove they live in a scheme area and have a vehicle registered there, and each scheme sets its own household limit. You apply through a BRUM account with the V5 log book and proof of residency such as a council tax or utility bill.
Visitor permits exist only in some schemes. Where they do, each costs £1.05, they are sold in multiples of five, and each lasts 24 hours from activation in the resident's BRUM account. Changing the registration on a resident permit costs £15, replacing a lost or stolen one £27.60, and cancelling carries a £20 admin charge.
Newer schemes are still drawn street by street. The council's St George's proposals for Newtown and its Area 3C proposals near Harborne, covering streets including Quinton Road, Poole Crescent and Cadleigh Gardens, set different permit hours, so read the bay signs rather than assuming another scheme's times.
| Permit | Price | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| First household permit outside the city centre | £23.80 | Subject to availability |
| Each additional household permit outside the city centre | £47.60 | Subject to availability |
| Resident with a Blue Badge, outside the city centre | Free | A carer's permit is also free |
| Jewellery Quarter or Gun Quarter resident permit | £345 a year | Streets in the scheme only |
| Digbeth and Irish Quarter resident permit | £334 a year | Streets in the scheme only |
| Visitor permit | £1.05 each | Some schemes only, sold in fives |
Birmingham City Council permit pages, updated April 2026 and checked 26 September 2026.
Where can you charge an electric car in Birmingham?
Birmingham City Council describes two distinct public charging arrangements. Fast and rapid hubs are prioritised near amenities, taxi ranks and busy roads, and ESB Energy is installing that network with an initial focus on the taxi fleet. The council also partners with Shell Recharge for residential lamppost charging operated by Ubitricity, with 560 points in the first rollout. That network is aimed at streets where people cannot charge at home, so it serves a different pattern from a rapid charger on a through journey.
Check the operator's live connector status and price, then read the bay's parking sign. Ubitricity handles faults and billing on the council's Shell Recharge lamppost network, through a helpdesk on 0800 024 6279 that is open 24 hours a day.
Where can you book an MOT in Birmingham?
The DVSA active station list contains 52 authorised MOT stations in the Birmingham postcode districts used by this page. The table also shows the wider B postcode area, which is not the same catchment. Start with the class your vehicle needs: an ordinary car, a motorcycle and a light commercial vehicle may require different test classes. Do not use a simple town count as proof that each listed garage can test your particular vehicle.
Ask the garage to confirm its test class, appointment and price. The count alone cannot tell you which station has a convenient booking.
| Where or what | Stations |
|---|---|
| Districts B1, B8, B13, B23, B31, B33 | 52 |
| Whole B postcode area | 628 |
| In those districts: cars, light vans and small buses | 43 |
| In those districts: goods vehicles 3,000kg to 3,500kg | 10 |
| In those districts: motorcycles over 200cc | 1 |
DVSA active station list, 7 September 2026.
Common questions
- Is there a clean air zone in Birmingham?
- Yes. Birmingham is covered by the Birmingham Clean Air Zone, run by Birmingham City Council, in force since 1 June 2021. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year..
- What does a car pay to drive in Birmingham?
- No Euro figure is recorded, so we have read it from the first registration date of 1 January 2012. New cars had to meet Euro 5 from 1 January 2011, below the Euro 6 that Birmingham Clean Air Zone asks of a diesel car, so the daily charge of £8.00 applies.
- How many public chargers are there in Birmingham?
- Birmingham's clean air zone is a class D scheme covering 2.96 square miles of the city. Class D is the only type that charges private cars, so an older car driven into the zone pays a daily charge whatever its condition.
- Are motoring rules different in England?
- Vehicle tax, speeding penalties and licensing are set nationally, so they are the same everywhere in Great Britain. What varies locally is whether a charging zone applies and what it costs.
- Can I drive along Birmingham's Middleway without paying the Clean Air Zone charge?
- The A4540 Middleway itself is outside Birmingham's Clean Air Zone, according to the council's boundary description. That does not mean every slip road or turn off it is outside. Check the official map against your destination and approach before setting off. If your vehicle is chargeable and you drive on a road inside the boundary, the daily charge can apply even if you then leave quickly. Parking, bus gates and roadworks are independent of the clean air boundary, so follow the actual signs at each junction.
- Does my Birmingham resident permit let a friend park outside my home?
- A resident permit is for the eligible vehicle and parking scheme, so it does not cover a visitor's registration. Where a scheme offers visitor permits, the council sells them at £1.05 each in multiples of five, and each lasts 24 hours from the moment the resident activates it in their BRUM account. Not every scheme has them, so check the scheme covering your address before your friend arrives. Read the bay sign as well, because some streets combine permit spaces with paid bays or restrictions at different times.
- What if I paid for the wrong registration in a Birmingham parking app?
- Birmingham takes phone payments through the National Parking Platform, so the app could be RingGo, JustPark, PayByPhone or another listed provider. If the app shows the wrong vehicle, correct it and start a new session before leaving the car, and keep the transaction record. If a PCN has already been fixed to the windscreen, you can send the council an informal challenge if you think it was issued by mistake, explaining which registration you paid for and where you parked. The council says not to pay a PCN you want to challenge, and a challenge made within the 14-day discount period keeps the reduced rate if it is rejected.
- Is a Birmingham bus gate fine the same as a Clean Air Zone penalty?
- No. Broad Street bus lanes and other prohibited routes are enforced as traffic restrictions, with a council PCN of £70. A missed Clean Air Zone payment is a different allegation and Birmingham lists a £120 penalty for it. Paying the clean air daily charge does not buy permission to use a bus gate. If you receive either notice, read its location and dates, then use the challenge route named on that notice. Two notices from one trip may have different evidence and different payment windows, so do not combine them in a single unexplained appeal.
- Can I leave a car at a free West Midlands Metro car park for another errand?
- Transport for West Midlands presents its Metro spaces as park and ride parking for public transport users. It warns that a car or bike may be fined if parked there without using public transport. The Hawthorns, Wednesbury Parkway, Black Lake, Bradley Lane and Priestfield have free parking, but the tram journey has its own fare. Check the site's signs for any additional restriction before leaving the vehicle. If you are only visiting a nearby shop or business, use a parking place intended for that visit instead of assuming the park and ride is a general free car park.
- What happens after Birmingham rejects my parking PCN challenge?
- The next step depends on which challenge was rejected. After an informal challenge to a windscreen ticket, read the council's response for any remaining payment discount or wait for a Notice to Owner and make formal representations as the registered keeper. A formal Notice of Rejection gives you 28 days to pay or appeal to the independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Use the paperwork you actually received, keep copies and act before its deadline. Ignoring the case can lead to a Charge Certificate and later recovery steps, which make the matter more expensive.
- Will a Birmingham EV charge point remove a parking charge?
- Not by itself. The council describes public ESB Energy hubs and Shell Recharge residential lamppost chargers, but each location has its own parking setting. Read the bay sign and the charger instructions before plugging in. A standard council car park may have a parking tariff as well as the operator's electricity price. In a council car park, parking in a charging place without charging is a lower level contravention, which the council lists at £50. If the equipment fails, report it to the operator shown on the unit and find a lawful alternative bay rather than occupying a charging-only space without charging.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics, Population estimates, local authority based by single year of age (mid-2025) (as of 30 June 2025)
- Office for National Statistics, Population estimates for England and Wales: mid-2025 (as of 29 July 2026)
- Office for National Statistics, Census 2021, TS045 car or van availability (as of 21 March 2021)
- Department for Transport, Vehicle licensing statistics, table VEH0105 (2026 Q1) (as of 31 March 2026)
- Department for Transport, Electric vehicle charging infrastructure statistics, table EVCI0102 (as of 1 April 2026)
- GOV.UK, Driving in a clean air zone (as of 30 July 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Paying the clean air zone (CAZ) daily charge (as of 14 June 2021)
- Birmingham City Council, Clean Air Zone (CAZ) penalty charge notices (as of 30 July 2026)
- Brum Breathes (Birmingham City Council), Where is the Zone? (as of 1 June 2021)
- Brum Breathes (Birmingham City Council), The Clean Air Zone vehicle scrappage scheme: how to apply (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, About Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Parking PCN left on your vehicle (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Notice to Owner (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Pay, view or challenge a PCN (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Bus lanes in Birmingham: legal information (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Who can use a bus lane? (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Moving Traffic Enforcement: legal information (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Metro Edgbaston Extension Traffic Regulation Order (as of 26 September 2026)
- Brum Breathes (Birmingham City Council), How do I pay the Clean Air Zone charge? (as of 26 September 2026)
- Brum Breathes (Birmingham City Council), The Clean Air Zone vehicle scrappage scheme (as of 26 September 2026)
- Brum Breathes (Birmingham City Council), Vehicle scrappage scheme: who can apply? (as of 26 September 2026)
- Brum Breathes (Birmingham City Council), Vehicle scrappage scheme: what is on offer (as of 26 September 2026)
- Brum Breathes (Birmingham City Council), Private hire drivers (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Apply for a resident parking permit (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, City centre schemes and costs (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Outside city centre permit schemes and costs (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Visitor permits (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, St George's Permit Parking Scheme 2024 (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, University and Hospital Parking Measures, Area 3C (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Pay for parking using your phone (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, Birmingham City Council joins national scheme making it easier to pay for parking (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for West Midlands, Park and ride (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for West Midlands, Find out about park and ride maintenance work (as of 26 September 2026)
- Birmingham City Council, City-wide EV charging network (as of 26 September 2026)
- ESB Energy, Birmingham City Council and ESB Energy launch new EV charging network (as of 26 September 2026)
- Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Free, fair and fast appeals (as of 26 September 2026)