Birmingham Clean Air Zone

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Birmingham Clean Air Zone Explained: Charges, Location and Exemptions

Birmingham Clean Air Zone daily charges, how to pay, plus exemptions for workers and local residents.

The Birmingham Clean Air Zone Launched on 1st June 2021 to help create a cleaner, healthier, less polluted city. You pay a charge to enter parts of the city if your vehicle has high carbon emissions to help lessen the impact motorists have on the environment. Clean air zones have been set up to encourage people to leave high polluting vehicles at home, purchase cleaner alternatives or go on public transport.

Birmingham Clean Air Zone charges

Birmingham Clean Air Zone charges apply 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You pay if your car, taxi, van, coach, bus, lorry or other vehicle cannot meet its applicable emission standard which is Euro 4 for a petrol car, for or Euro 6 for a diesel car. The cost is £8 a day for a car, taxi, or small van rising to £50 for a larger vehicle such as a coach over 3.5 tonnes.

Birmingham Clean Air Zone Map

The Birmingham Clean Air Zone covers all roads within the A4540 Middleway Ring Road. However, it excludes the Ring Road itself.

How to pay

The Clean Air Zone Birmingham does not include toll booths at the roadside. Instead, the automatic number plate recognition camera system sees your vehicle, calculates its carbon emissions, then charges you if required. You can pay via the internet at www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones. However, if you forget to pay there is a £120 penalty. This falls to £60 if you settle within a fortnight.

Exemptions

Birmingham Clean Air Zone exemptions let you enter for free with a vehicle that respects the next criteria:

The Diesel engine cars have to meet at least the Euro 6 standard
The Petrol engine cars have to meet at least the Euro 4 standard
The Gas engine cars have to meet at least the Euro 6 standard
The Fully electric or Hydrogen fuel cell cars are all exempt from the CAZ fees
The Hybrid diesel/petrol engine cars have to meet the diesel/petrol conditions from above

Check City Clean Air & Low Emission Zones

From Birmingham to Edinburgh, more cities are introducing Clean Air and Low Emission Zones. Use Regit to see if your car is compliant, understand the charges, and plan your journeys with confidence.

Daily Charge, Location and Expansion

Check charges for petrol, diesel and taxi drivers in central Bristol.

UK’s first CAZ – see which vehicles pay and who’s exempt.

Covers city centre and port routes – check daily fees for vans and taxis.

First ZEZ in the UK – stricter rules apply, even for hybrids.

Charges for taxis, vans, buses and HGVs to reduce city pollution.

Applies in Newcastle and Gateshead – charges vary by vehicle type.

Daily charges for buses, coaches, taxis and HGVs in the inner ring.

Scotland’s first LEZ – phased rules now apply to cars and vans.

City centre restrictions – full enforcement from 2024.

Applies to central Edinburgh – non-compliant vehicles will be fined.

Targeting older vehicles in the city centre to cut pollution.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the “Birmingham clean air zone” start?

Starting with June 14, 2021, drivers who drive into the Birmingham CAZ with vehicles that do not meet emission standards will be required to pay an £8.00 daily fee unless there is a valid exemption.

Where is the clean air zone in Birmingham?

It covers all roads within the Middleway Ring Road.

How much is the Birmingham CAZ charge?

It’s £8.00 per day for cars that do not meet the exception rules.

What cars are exempt from the clean air zone Birmingham?

Full electric, hydrogen, Euro 6 diesel and Euro 4 petrol, hybrid Euro 6 diesel and Euro 4 petrol vehicles may not pay the Birmingham congestion charge.