Birmingham Clean Air Zone: Your CAZ Guide

As of April 2021, the City of Birmingham has had a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), an area in which there are regulations in place to tackle air pollution.

These rules are universally used throughout various cities in the UK that also have Clean Air Zones in their city centres.

But what are Clean Air Zones? And how does it affect motoring throughout Birmingham? Let’s explore that today.

What is a Clean Air Zone?

A Clean Air Zone is an area where government/councils have set rules to tackle on-road air pollution. Air pollutants that are targeted are the likes of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).

By helping reduce the number of air pollutants caused by cars, the UK hope to safeguard public health through the betterment of our eco-system.

Many cities in the United Kingdom have implemented these Clean Air Zones, such as Bath and Portsmouth, to help contribute towards a greener future.

The rules and penalties are mostly more lenient than a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

Technically speaking, LEZs and ULEZs are Clean Air Zones, but both LEZs and ULEZs have stricter rules and punishments in place.

With a few cities in the UK having LEZ rules in place, London is the only area with ULEZ restrictions, that being the largest restrictions possible.

In terms of Birmingham, a Clean Air Zone is in place.

Where are Clean Air Zones located?

Fully enforced Clean Air Zones are located in:

•  London (ULEZ since 2023)
•  Glasgow (LEZ)
•  Edinburgh (LEZ)
•  Aberdeen (LEZ)
•  Dundee (LEZ)
•  Bath (CAZ)
•  Bradford (CAZ)
•  Portsmouth (CAZ)
•  Birmingham (CAZ)
•  Bristol (CAZ)
•  Newcastle and Gateshead (CAZ)
•  Oxford (ZAZ)

Although Low Emission Zones (LEZ) are often called Clean Air Zones (CAZ), certain cities implement a specific CAZ in their city centres, with less stringent regulations for non-compliant vehicles.

Want to dive deeper into the distinctions between LEZ, ULEZ, and CAZ? Check out our article on emission zone terminologies for a detailed explanation.

Where is CAZ Located in Birmingham?

See the below image to locate where the Clean Air Zone is located within Birmingham.

Image credit: Birmingham Live

Birmingham Clean Air Zone Rules

Clean Air Zone rules will be very similar between different cities that have them in place, however, depending on the ‘class’ of CAZ, rules within the zone will vary.

Vehicles such as passenger cars, heavy good vehicles (HGVs), light goods vehicles (LGVs), commercial vehicles, and more, have to abide by the rules.

The following vehicles are affected by these emission standards:

• Diesel cars: Euro 6
• Petrol cars: Euro 4
• HGVs – Euro 6 diesel including alternative fuels
• LGVs – Euro 6 diesel, Euro 4 petrol, LPG (Euro 4 petrol)
• Taxis – Euro 6 diesel, Euro 4 petrol, LPG (Euro 4 petrol)
• Coaches – Euro 6 diesel
• Buses – Euro 6 diesel including alternative fuels

Birmingham CAZ Charges

Non-compliant vehicles driving within the vicinity of Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone will face the following charges:

• Diesel cars: £8
• Petrol cars: £8
• HGVs – £50
• LGVs – £50
• Taxis – £8
• Coaches – £50
• Buses – £50

What is the difference between LEZ and CAZ?

Since a Low Emission Zone is technically regarded as a Clean Air Zone, there is no real difference between the two, apart from the rules.

Clean Air Zones are areas in which there are policies in place to tackle emission polluting vehicles. This makes Low Emission Zones being defined as Clean Air Zones, as areas with a LEZ are tackling air pollution.

However, areas that are regarded ‘Low Emission Zones’ tend to have much stricter rules and punishments for non-compliance in place, as seen in cities such as Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

What is the difference between ULEZ and CAZ?

Much like the comparison of LEZ and CAZ, there is no difference between a ULEZ and CAZ.

ULEZ is a Clean Air Zone, as an Ultra Low Emission Zone is an area in which air pollution is being improved through rules & regulations implemented.

ULEZ however, is the stricter of the three when it comes to non-compliance charges and emission standards. In the UK, London is the only city that has an Ultra Low Emission Zone.

CAZ Compliance Checker

Want to know if your vehicle is CAZ compliant? Enter your registration at gov.uk and find out today.