What is a Clean Air Zone?
A Clean Air Zone is an area where older, more polluting vehicles pay a daily charge to drive. Each zone has a class that decides which vehicle types can be charged:
| Class | Vehicles that can be charged |
|---|---|
| A | Buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles |
| B | Class A plus heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) |
| C | Class B plus vans and minibuses |
| D | Class C plus cars (and, where the council chooses, motorcycles) |
Within those types, only vehicles that miss the emissions standard pay: broadly Euro 4 for petrol, Euro 6 for diesel cars and vans, and Euro VI for lorries and buses.
How do I pay a Clean Air Zone charge?
- Use the government’s Drive in a Clean Air Zone service — it covers every Clean Air Zone in England.
- Enter the registration and choose the zone and the date(s) you drove in.
- Pay by card. You can pay up to 6 days before, on the day, or by 11:59pm on the sixth day after you drove in. You can also pay by phone on 0300 029 8888.
There’s no paper ticket and no sign telling you it’s time to pay — the zone is enforced by cameras, and the first reminder most people get is the penalty charge notice.
Want a reminder next time? EveryDrive alerts you when you enter a charging zone or use a toll crossing and reminds you before the deadline. Join the free beta →
Which cities don’t have a charging Clean Air Zone?
Some cities people often ask about don’t charge private drivers. Greater Manchester, Leeds and Cardiff have no charging CAZ for cars — see does my city have a Clean Air Zone?. Scotland’s Low Emission Zones (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee) work differently: non-compliant vehicles aren’t allowed in at all and are fined rather than charged.
