London’s ULEZ expansion: where are the ULEZ cameras?

To manage the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ), Transport for London (TfL) uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras across the capital to monitor the vehicles that enter and exit the city.

These cameras snap your vehicle’s plates to check if your car is compliant – or if you should be charged for entering the ULEZ.

Key Takeaways

Technology: TfL uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to monitor compliance 24/7 (except Christmas Day).
Daily Charges: Drivers of non-compliant vehicles must pay a £12.50 daily fee to enter the Greater London ULEZ area.
Penalties: Failure to pay within three days results in a £180 Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.
Coverage: The ULEZ expanded on August 29, 2023, to encompass all of Greater London.
Financial Support: Eligible Londoners can access a £2,000 scrappage grant to replace non-compliant vehicles.

An interactive map shows the location of known ULEZ cameras across Greater London. Since the zone expanded to cover all of Greater London in August 2023, TfL has significantly grown its camera network, and continues to add more to improve coverage.

The ULEZ cameras never sleep. Save for Christmas Day – when ULEZ charges are paused as a sign of goodwill – they’re active 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round.

Need to check your car’s ULEZ status?

Our free ULEZ checker can tell you instantly if your car is compliant. Just enter your vehicle’s reg to find out.

Is it time to sell your car?

ULEZ expansion may cause changes to prices of compliant and non-compliant cars this year. Get a free valuation and sell your car now .

Read our guide to find out what you need to do to avoid any surprise PCN post turning up on your doorstep.

What are ULEZ cameras?
Why has ULEZ been controversial?
How can I avoid the ULEZ charges?
How do ULEZ cameras catch non-compliant vehicles?
When are the ULEZ cameras in use?
Where are the ULEZ cameras?

What are ULEZ cameras?

ULEZ cameras are Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras operated by Transport for London (TfL). They photograph the number plates of vehicles driving in and around Greater London, then cross-check them against TfL’s database to see whether each vehicle meets the Ultra Low Emission Zone’s pollution standards.

If your vehicle doesn’t meet the required emissions standards — and you haven’t paid the £12.50 daily charge — TfL sends a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to the address of the registered keeper on file with the DVLA.

The cameras run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with the exception of Christmas Day. There are around 2,800 known cameras across Greater London, with more being added following the zone’s expansion in August 2023.

Not sure if your car is affected? Use our free ULEZ checker — just enter your reg to find out instantly.

Why has ULEZ been controversial?

On 29 August 2023, London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was extended to encompass the whole of Greater London. This was done by the London Mayor’s office and Transport for London, in an effort to combat poor air quality in the nation’s capital.

However, the policy has been controversial – and has been met with significant resistance by many drivers who have been negatively impacted by the imposed charges. Many MPs and news agencies have subsequently claimed that expanding the ULEZ during the cost-of-living crisis was tantamount to a ‘tax on drivers’.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan defended the policy, accusing critics of creating a ‘ bogus war on the motorist ’.

Then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticised the expansion for ‘ hitting working families ’ during a period of economic uncertainty, though no central government support scheme for affected drivers was introduced. Whatever your view on the politics, the charges remain in force, so it pays to know where you stand.

How can I avoid the ULEZ charges?

The only way to avoid the charges is to drive a compliant vehicle . You can use our free ULEZ checker to find out instantly if your car or van is ULEZ compliant. Just enter your vehicle’s reg and tap the ‘Check Compliance’ button.

Non-compliant vehicle drivers face a £12.50 fee each time they drive on London’s streets. The ULEZ cameras located throughout the city use Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology to snap vehicle plates. If they discover non-compliant cars and vans that have not paid the requisite charge, TfL responds by sending a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to the postal address of the registered keeper – as shown on the vehicle’s V5C logbook .

However, to make the transition easier for London residents, provision has been put in place by TfL to aid households in trading up to compliant vehicles – and, thus, avoid fines.

In August 2023, a £160m ULEZ scrappage scheme was introduced by Transport for London, offering Londoners with a non-compliant car a £2,000 grant towards a compliant replacement. Scheme availability and eligibility criteria can change, so it is worth checking the TfL scrappage scheme page for the latest details.

ULEZ expansion guide — Non-compliant vehicle drivers face a £12.50 fee each time they drive on London’s streets.

How do ULEZ cameras catch non-compliant vehicles?

ULEZ cameras use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to catch non-compliant vehicles. As your car passes a camera, it photographs your number plate and instantly cross-checks it against TfL’s compliance database. The network includes both fixed and mobile cameras, so enforcement is not limited to permanent installations.

If you don’t pay your ULEZ charge within three days of your journey, you’ll be sent a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) – and, if the DVLA database does not have your current address, then your fine could increase over time without you even realising it.

The following vehicle types can all receive a Penalty Charge Notice:

Cars
Vans
Motorcycles and mopeds
Caravans
Minibuses

The standard penalty is £180. Pay within 14 days and it’s reduced to £90.

When are the ULEZ cameras in use?

The ULEZ cameras never sleep. Save for Christmas Day – when ULEZ charges are paused as a sign of goodwill – they’re active 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round.

At the time of the ULEZ expansion in August 2023, London had 1,775 ULEZ cameras across the city. Since then, TfL has significantly expanded the network. There are now roughly 2,800 known ULEZ cameras across Greater London, with more being added over time.

Individual cameras may occasionally go offline for maintenance, but TfL does not publish the status of specific cameras, so you should always assume they are active.

Why are ULEZ cameras being vandalised?

Many drivers vandalised ULEZ cameras in protest at the daily £12.50 charge introduced when the zone expanded to cover all of Greater London in August 2023. Critics saw the fee as an unfair tax on motorists — particularly those who couldn’t afford to upgrade to a compliant vehicle.

Since the expansion, one in four ULEZ cameras has been damaged or tampered with. Bromley saw the highest rate of vandalism, with 100 out of 120 cameras targeted. Other heavily affected areas include Lewisham, Sutton, and Bexley.

In September 2024, a man was sentenced for encouraging others to damage cameras, after vigilantes repeatedly targeted the network following the zone’s expansion.

Not every Londoner is opposed. Many support the ULEZ as a necessary step to tackle air pollution, which has reportedly been at illegal levels in London since 2010.

Where are the ULEZ cameras?

Transport for London keeps the exact locations of the ULEZ cameras a closely guarded secret. However, the ulez.co.uk website provides an interactive camera map that displays where the known ULEZ cameras are currently positioned. Community-sourced Google Maps have also been created by volunteers tracking camera locations across specific boroughs.

Currently, ULEZ charges are based on petrol vehicles that do not comply with Euro 4, an earlier emissions standard, and diesel vehicles that do not comply with Euro 6d. Check our guide for more information on which cars are currently exempt.

On top of that, navigation apps such as Waze can alert you when you’re approaching a ULEZ camera and suggest alternative routes. If you regularly drive near the zone boundary, these tools are worth having on your phone.

The original London ULEZ area mirrors the Congestion Charge Zone, so you will find a high concentration of cameras around its perimeter. Since the zone expanded to cover all of Greater London, cameras have also been installed across outer boroughs.

As a general rule, expect to find cameras on:

Major roads that cross the zone boundary
Significant bridges within the ULEZ area
Key internal junctions used by drivers making journeys that start and end within the zone

Around 2,800 ULEZ cameras are currently known to be in operation. Most are concentrated around the perimeter of the original central London ULEZ zone — which mirrors the Congestion Charge Zone — covering key roads including the A501, A1210, Tower Bridge Road, and Vauxhall Bridge Road. More cameras are being added across the wider Greater London area following the 2023 expansion.

Currently, ULEZ charges apply to petrol vehicles that don’t meet Euro 4 standards and diesel vehicles that don’t meet Euro 6d. Check our guide to find out which cars are currently exempt.

Selling your car?

TfL’s scrappage scheme is now open to all London households. However, if you’re not looking to scrap your car and would prefer to sell it quickly and easily, at Motorway we offer a simple method of getting you your best price.

Just enter your reg on the app or homepage and you will be provided with an instant estimated sale price based on up-to-the-minute market data. We’ll then ask you a few easy questions about your car and guide you through the photos you need to take to complete your vehicle profile. It can be done on your phone — in a matter of minutes.

If you choose to enter your car into one of our live sales, it will be shown to our nationwide network of more than 8,000 verified dealers looking to add to their stock of used cars. Interested dealers will then compete to buy your car, offering you their best price.

In as little as 24 hours you will receive your best offer — and, if you choose to go ahead with the sale, your car will be collected by the dealer and the money will be quickly and securely transferred to your bank account.

Need more info?

Read about everything you need to know about how to sell your car with more guides here. There’s a lot to learn as Clean Air Zones and emissions standards in the UK change in the run-up to 2035.

The information provided on this page is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice.