Clean Air Zones
To improve air quality, some local authorities are introducing Clean Air Zones. If your vehicle exceeds emission standards, you may have to pay a charge if you drive in a Clean Air Zone.
Cities with Clean Air Zones
Bath has a Class C clean air zone.
Birmingham has a Class D clean air zone.
Bradford has a Class C clean air zone.
Bristol has a Class D clean air zone.
Portsmouth has a Class B clean air zone.
Sheffield has a Class C clean air zone.
Tyneside (Newcastle and Gateshead) has a Class C clean air zone.
Future Clean Air Zones
Greater Manchester (Under review)
Types of Clean Air Zones
There are 4 types of Clean Air Zones, Class A to D.
Class | Vehicle type |
|---|---|
A | Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles |
B | Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles |
C | Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses |
D | Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses, cars, the local authority has the option to include motorcycles |
If you’re a business with multiple vehicles
Businesses that own or manage 2 or more UK registered vehicles can set up an account to check and pay charges for multiple vehicles. You can create an account when you check or pay online.
To create an account, you’ll need:
your company name
an email address
Once your account is set up, you can:
upload multiple number plates from a spreadsheet (CSV) or add them one by one
view what each vehicle will be charged in each clean air zone
manage your vehicles – add and remove them
add up to 10 team members to help manage the account
set up an agreement to pay by bank account, ready for when charging starts
view maps of the clean air zones, see when they are live and find out about exemptions
Exemptions
There are some national and local exemptions from the change.
You're automatically entitled to a national exemption, and do not have to pay a charge, if you have:
- A vehicle that's ultra low emission
- A disabled passenger tax class vehicle
- A military vehicle
- A historic vehicle
- A vehicle retrofitted with technology accredited by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation (CVRAS)
- Certain types of agricultural vehicles