Classic Cars and ULEZ – What You Need To Know

London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, commonly known as ULEZ, was introduced in 2019 before being extended in 2023 to cover the entirety of Greater London. In simple terms, the ULEZ requires non-compliant vehicles to pay a charge every time they enter the zone, with the goal being to discourage drivers from purchasing vehicles that release significant emissions into the atmosphere over the South East of England. Initially covering the same area of the existing congestion charge, the ULEZ now extends over all London boroughs and has become a hot topic of conversation for all motorists.

That being said, there are a number of ways drivers can be exempt from ULEZ charges, depending on factors like the age of the car, whether the driver receives Personal Independence Payments and whether the car meets certain ULEZ emissions standards, plus a handful of other exemptions.

In this article, we’re going to focus on what the ULEZ charge means for classic cars and their owners, with many automatically exempt from paying the daily rate. Read on for more details and to ensure you don’t get caught out next time you venture inside the M25.

Now, let’s start with the big question…

Are Classic Cars Exempt from ULEZ?

The majority of classic cars are exempt from paying ULEZ charges. If your classic car was built before 1st January 1973, or is over 40 years old and registered with the DVLA as a historic vehicle, you can avoid ULEZ charges when travelling into London. TFL (Transport For London) offers more information on the ULEZ classic car exemption rules on their website, and you can register your car as a historic vehicle here.

How the 40-Year Historic Vehicle Exemption Works

It’s important to understand exactly how the 40-year exemption from the daily ULEZ charge works, to make sure you don’t get caught out. In simple terms, it is a rolling 40-year rule, whereby every April all cars that have hit 40 years of age in the previous year become eligible to be registered with the DVLA as historic vehicles. For example, in April 2026, vehicles built before 1 January 1986 will become eligible. for this exemption. This also extends to exemptions for tax and MOTs.

What You Need to Do to Claim the Exemption

It’s really simple for classic car owners to get their pride and joy registered as a historic vehicle and exempt from the pesky ULEZ charge. You can apply via the DVLA website by first registering your vehicle to drive in London online, or you can apply using a V10 form along with your tax and MOT exemptions.

Once your vehicle is registered as historic, you can use TFL’s own ULEZ vehicle checker to confirm that you do not need to pay ULEZ fees.

Remember, even if your car qualifies for the exemption, you may well still get charged if it is not pre-registered with the TFL.

Summary: ULEZ and Classic Cars

Hopefully by reading this guide from Restoria Classics, you will feel confident in knowing whether or not your classic car qualifies for an exemption from paying the ULEZ daily fee. The table below outlines the information above in an easy, TL;DR format, but feel free to reach out to us if you want any more detail.

And, for classic car restorations, look no further than our expert team, ready to restore your vintage car to its former glory.