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Driving in

Driving in Dundee

Dundee City, Scotland. What is different here rather than what is the same everywhere.
148,390
Population, Dundee City
Office for National Statistics, Population estimates, local authority based by single year of age (mid-2025) (as of 30 June 2025)
Dundee Low Emission Zone
Charging or low emission zone
Dundee City Council, Dundee Low Emission Zone Scheme (LEZ) (as of 30 May 2024)
DD
Postcode areas
Office for National Statistics, Population estimates, local authority based by single year of age (mid-2025) (as of 30 June 2025)

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 Dundee Low Emission Zone

Exempt

2004 petrol car: Dundee Low Emission Zone does not charge cars, whatever they are registered as.

Exempt

2012 diesel car: Dundee Low Emission Zone does not charge cars, whatever they are registered as.

Exempt

2018 diesel car: Dundee Low Emission Zone does not charge cars, whatever they are registered as.

Dundee Low Emission Zone: the essentials
Operated byDundee City Council
In force since30 May 2024
Hours24 hours a day, seven days a week.
AreaThe city centre, the area inside the A991 inner ring road.
Penalty for non payment£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.

Dundee's zone came into force in May 2022 and enforcement began on 30 May 2024, two days ahead of Edinburgh and Aberdeen. The boundary is the A991 inner ring road, which makes it unusually easy to describe and to avoid, because staying on the ring road keeps you out of the zone. In practice the standard rules out diesel cars registered on or before 31 August 2015 and petrol cars registered before 2006, so the registration date on the V5C tells you more than the badge on the boot.

Full detail on the Dundee Low Emission Zone

What is different about driving in Dundee?

Dundee is covered by the Dundee Low Emission Zone, so an older car pays a daily charge that the same car would not pay in most of the country. Vehicle tax, fuel duty and speeding penalties are national and identical everywhere.

Local figures for Dundee

  • Dundee began enforcing its low emission zone on 30 May 2024, two days before Aberdeen and Edinburgh, making it the second Scottish city to switch on after Glasgow.
  • Dundee has 709 public chargers for 148,390 people, which is 473.0 per 100,000, more than twice the Edinburgh figure of 202.8.
  • About 59,600 licensed cars were recorded in the Dundee City council area at the end of March 2026, the smallest fleet of the four Scottish cities with a zone.
  • Rapid provision is strong too: 119.4 chargers of 50kW or more per 100,000 people, against 47.1 in Glasgow.

The numbers behind those lines

Official statistics for Dundee City
MeasureFigure
Vehicle fleetAbout 59,600 licensed cars were recorded in the Dundee City council area at the end of March 2026, the smallest fleet of the four Scottish cities with a zone.
Public chargingDundee has 709 public chargers for 148,390 people, which is 473.0 per 100,000, more than twice the Edinburgh figure of 202.8.

Common questions

Is there a clean air zone in Dundee?
Yes. Dundee is covered by the Dundee Low Emission Zone, run by Dundee City Council, in force since 30 May 2024. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week..
What does a car pay to drive in Dundee?
Dundee Low Emission Zone does not charge cars, whatever they are registered as.
How many public chargers are there in Dundee?
Dundee has 709 public chargers for 148,390 people, which is 473.0 per 100,000, more than twice the Edinburgh figure of 202.8.
Are motoring rules different in Scotland?
The low emission zones are. A Scottish zone has no daily charge: a non compliant vehicle is barred and the first camera capture is a penalty that doubles for each repeat inside 90 days. Vehicle tax and speeding law are set nationally.

Sources

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