ULEZ : How old does a car have to be to be ULEZ exempt?

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will be expanding across all of Greater London in just a few weeks. 

As residents of the affected areas worry about how they will pay the £12.50 daily charge, some may be exempt from paying the fee. 

Recently, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan confirmed that the ULEZ scrappage scheme would help Londoners by providing financial assistance. 

The scheme, costing £110 million, meant that people on low incomes or on disability benefits as well as many others could apply for the scheme.

However, those who weren’t eligible would still need to make the decision of buying a car that met the standards to avoid paying the charge or to keep their current vehicle and pay the fee.

But, if you have a classic car, you could be exempt from paying the ULEZ fee.

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How old does a car have to be to be ULEZ exempt?

According to Transport for London (TfL), vehicles which met the ‘historic vehicles’ requirements can avoid the fee. 

Adding: “All vehicles that have a historic vehicle tax class are exempt from the ULEZ.”

The TfL also shares that in line with the existing Low Emission Zone (LEZ) discount, “all vehicles constructed before 1 January 1973 are exempt from the ULEZ, regardless of commercial use or otherwise.”

You can find out more information via the TfL website here.

How to apply for ULEZ exemption with a classic vehicle? 

As the website states: “You can apply with the DVLA to stop paying vehicle tax if your vehicle was built more than 40 years ago.

“This date moves forward on a 40-year rolling system. For example, when the ULEZ launched in April 2019, vehicles built before 1979 were eligible to apply for historic vehicle tax class.”