ULEZ for London PHV drivers

The Ultra Low Emission Zone, usually called ULEZ, exists to improve London's air quality. For a PHV driver the question is simple: does your vehicle meet the standard, or will someone pay a daily charge every time it enters the zone? This guide covers what the handbook says and how to check your own vehicle.

The handbook rule

Section 6 says PHVs need to meet the ULEZ emissions standards, or their drivers must pay a daily charge to drive within the zone. It gives two benchmarks:

• Petrol PHVs must be Euro 4.
• Diesel PHVs must be Euro 6.

The handbook points to TfL's website for the times, the days and the area covered. It also says the emissions standard of a vehicle can usually be worked out from the date it was first registered as new. That date is on the vehicle registration document, the V5C.

What TfL's page says now

On 2 October 2026 TfL's ULEZ page described the zone as operating 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day. It said the zone covers all London boroughs, excluding the M25. It also pointed to a vehicle checker tool that tells you whether a vehicle needs to pay, and to a Pay to drive in London portal with an Auto Pay option. Zone boundaries and hours can change, so confirm them on the page.

Why a registration date is a clue, not a proof

The handbook says the standard "can usually" be worked out from the first registration date. Note the word usually. A date tells you roughly which standard a vehicle was built to, but it does not replace an official check. The safe route is two steps:

1. Look at the first registration date on the V5C and compare it with the standard for your fuel type.
2. Confirm with TfL's vehicle checker, using the registration number.

If the two disagree, trust the checker, and ask TfL if you still doubt the answer.

The wheelchair accessible exemption

The handbook says PHVs registered as wheelchair accessible by TfL are exempt from the ULEZ charge. This is separate from the Congestion Charge exemption, which applies only when you are entering the zone to carry out a booking. The handbook does not attach that condition to the ULEZ exemption. Even so, check TfL's wording for your own vehicle before you rely on it.

If you are buying or changing a vehicle

The licence conditions for vehicles are on TfL's own pages and are not in the driver's handbook, so we do not cover them here. What the handbook does tell you is that ULEZ compliance depends on the vehicle, not the driver. If you are choosing a car to work in, check its standard before you buy, not after the first charge arrives. Our cost per mile calculator can show how a recurring daily charge would affect your costs if you ever had to pay it.

Who pays: another question for your operator

The handbook says drivers must pay. In practice, arrangements between drivers and operators vary, and the handbook is silent on them. If you rent a vehicle, ask the owner in writing whether it meets the standard and who pays if it does not. Our guide to choosing an operator has more questions of this kind.

Congestion Charge and ULEZ together

TfL's Congestion Charge page says a vehicle that does not meet ULEZ standards must also pay the ULEZ charge. The two schemes run separately, with different hours and different rules for PHVs. Read our Congestion Charge guide alongside this one.

What this guide cannot tell you

It does not state the daily charge, any penalty for non-payment, or the date any standard changes. The handbook is version 1.0 from 30 September 2021, and ULEZ boundaries and rules may have changed since then, which is why we send you to TfL's live pages. For the costs of getting licensed, see the fees overview.

Where this comes from

Handbook section 6 (Ultra Low Emission Zone). TfL Ultra Low Emission Zone page and TfL Congestion Charge discounts and exemptions page, read on 2 October 2026. Related: driving and parking rules.

Work out what the charges cost you with the Congestion Charge and ULEZ cost estimator, or compare fuel types in the running-cost comparison.