Clean Air Zone (England)
Clean Air Zones (CAZ) charge older, more-polluting vehicles to drive in certain English cities. Whether you're charged depends on your vehicle and the city — many drivers assume they're exempt and find out otherwise via a penalty.
A single gov.uk portal covers every live English zone, and signage is notoriously poor — often just a small “cloud” symbol — so it's very easy to enter a zone without realising.
Free tool: check if your car is charged in a Clean Air Zone →Typical charge
£8.00
Fine if you forget
£120.00
Pay-by deadline
Pay by 6 days after you drive in the zone (by 23:59 on the sixth day). Miss it and a penalty follows.
How to pay it yourself
- 1Check whether your vehicle is chargeable in the specific city's zone.
- 2Go to the official gov.uk Clean Air Zone payment service.
- 3Enter your number plate and the date you drove.
- 4Pay the daily charge (typically £8+ for a chargeable car, varying by city and vehicle class).
What happens if you don't pay
A Penalty Charge Notice of around £120 (reduced if paid early), on top of the missed daily charge.
Want us to handle the Clean Air Zone?
This charge is on our roadmap. Join the waitlist and we'll let you know the moment automatic payment goes live.
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Frequently asked questions
Which UK cities have a Clean Air Zone?
Live English CAZ cities include Birmingham, Bristol, Bradford, Sheffield, Portsmouth, Tyneside and Bath, with more planned. Scotland runs stricter Low Emission Zones separately.
How much is the Clean Air Zone charge?
It varies by city and vehicle class — typically from around £8 a day for a chargeable car, and considerably more for larger vehicles.
How long do I have to pay a Clean Air Zone charge?
You generally have until 6 days after you drove in the zone. Miss the window and you'll face a penalty of around £120.
How does Snaptoll handle Clean Air Zones?
CAZ coverage is on our roadmap. Join the waitlist and we'll let you know the moment automatic CAZ payment goes live.