Will Your Vehicle Comply with Glasgow's LEZ?

Overview

Glasgow's LEZ is being phased in to give everyone the chance to prepare:

• Phase 1 (buses only) was introduced on 31 December 2018

• Phase 2 (all vehicles) will be enforced from 1 June 2023

• Enforcement for zone residents will start on 1 June 2024. The vehicle must be registered to a residential address within the LEZ zone area to qualify for this grace period.

Motorcycles and mopeds are unaffected by LEZ schemes in Scotland.

Fully electric vehicles comply with LEZ requirements in Scotland.

LEZ Emission Standards

The emission standards for LEZs in Scotland have been set nationally, these are:

• Euro 4 for petrol vehicles
• Euro 6 for diesel vehicles
• Euro IV for heavy duty petrol vehicles such as buses/coaches and HGVs
• Euro VI  for heavy duty diesel vehicles such as buses/coaches and HGVs

Vehicles which have been appropriately modified or retrofitted to meet or exceed these emission standards will also be permitted entry to LEZs in Scotland.

For practical purposes, it is generally the case that diesel engine vehicles registered after September 2015, and petrol vehicles registered from 2006 onwards will meet the required LEZ standards. Buses and HGVs from 2013 onwards also generally meet the Euro 6 standard.

You can see if your vehicle meets LEZ emission standards by using Transport Scotland's vehicle registration checker. 

Exempt Vehicles

Certain vehicle types are also exempt from LEZ emission requirements in Scotland - these are:

• Vehicles for disabled persons (including blue badge holders)
• Police, Fire, Ambulance and other emergency service vehicles
• Military vehicles
• Historic vehicles
• Showman's vehicles

Full details of each exemption is set out below: 

Vehicles for Disabled Persons:

• the vehicle is being driven by any person who is in receipt of a badge (a blue badge) that has been issued under section 21(2) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970,
• a passenger in the vehicle has been issued with a badge under that section of that Act, or
• a badge for the vehicle has been issued under section 21(4) of that Act,
• a reduction in annual rate of vehicle excise duty applies because the vehicle is being used by a disabled person in receipt of personal independence payment at the standard rate, or
• Vehicles registered with a 'disabled' or 'disabled passenger vehicles' tax class e.g. the vehicle is exempt from payment of vehicle excise duty under paragraph 19(1) or 20(1) of schedule 2 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 (exemptions from excise duty for vehicles used by disabled persons).

Blue Badge holders who require exemptions can register their details on Transport Scotland's LEZ exemption system.

Emergency Vehicles:

The vehicle is being driven by any person who is:

• undertaking their duty as a constable
• providing a response to an emergency at the request of the Scottish Ambulance Service Board
• exercising the functions of the Scottish Ambulance Service Board, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Her Majesty's Coastguard or the National Crime Agency

Naval, Military or Air Force Vehicles:

• vehicles being used for naval, military or air force purposes

Historic Vehicles:

Vehicles of 'historical interest' means a vehicle which is considered to be of historical interest to the UK, and which -

• was manufactured, or registered, for the first time at least 30 years previously,
• is of a type no longer in production, and
• has been historically preserved or maintained in its original state and has not undergone substantial changes in the technical characteristics of its main components.

Showman's Vehicles:

Vehicles described as either "showman's goods vehicle" or "showman's vehicle" according to section 62(1) of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994. Note: these are highly specialised vehicles used for the purposes of travelling showmen, where the vehicle is used during the performance, used for the purpose of providing the performance or used for carrying performance equipment

Time-Limited (Temporary) Exemptions

Glasgow's LEZ scheme will allow for applications for a time-limited (temporary) exemption under circumstances where entry of a non-compliant vehicle is required for a specific, defined purpose not considered in legislation or regulations.

Please note that private vehicles will not be considered for time-limited exemptions.

Applications will be determined on their individual merits. Examples of this may be but are not limited to:

• abnormal loads or machinery transport
• historic vehicles or vehicles of particular speciality not covered by other exemptions and used for a specific purpose
• any other non-compliant vehicle use deemed appropriate on application to the council

Applications for time-limited exemptions will not normally be considered for the routine transport of people or goods or for routine commercial operations. However, the council may apply a time-limited exemption, by reference to the vehicle's use, upon consideration of an application.

It is expected that any exemptions will only be granted in exceptional circumstances and where the organisation applying can clearly demonstrate that timely efforts are being made to comply with LEZ requirements.

Time-limited exemptions can be granted for up to a year and may be subject to conditions or restrictions as deemed appropriate by the council.

The application form is available by clicking on this link.

Public Hire Taxi Operators:

There is a separate application process for public hire taxi operators who require a time-limited exemption. The online application form can be accessed by clicking on this link.