Portsmouth Clean Air Zone

Who pays

Class B: taxis, private hire vehicles, HGVs (including some larger motorhomes), buses and coaches that are older than Euro 6 if diesel or Euro 4 if petrol. Private cars, motorcycles and vans are not charged.

When it applies

24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year (GOV.UK, applies to all English CAZs).

How much

Discounts and exemptions

• National exemptions (automatic, all English CAZs): ultra low emission vehicles, disabled and disabled passenger tax class vehicles, military vehicles, historic vehicles, vehicles retrofitted under the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS), certain agricultural vehicles
• Lifetime exemptions: emergency service vehicles (emergency tax class, plus authorised volunteer support vehicles); specialist heavy vehicles (special, recovery, special concessionary tax classes - renew yearly)
• Up to 10 free days a year: non-commercial vintage buses (first registered 20-39 years ago); HGV-sized horse transporters (incl. Isle of Wight residents using equine services) - give travel dates in advance
• Emergency rail replacement buses/coaches (unplanned disruption up to 2 working days)
• Refunds possible if requested by 6pm the day before travel (£3 admin fee)

How to pay

Online at GOV.UK Drive in a Clean Air Zone service or by phone 0300 029 8888 (Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 8am-2pm). No reminders sent.

Payment deadline

Up to 6 days before or up to 6 days after the day of travel (GOV.UK: by 11:59pm on the 6th day after).

If you don't pay

PCN: you pay the unpaid daily charge plus a late fee of £60 if paid within the first 14 days, rising to £120 after 14 days. Challenge within 28 days. If unpaid, a charge certificate increases the amount by 50%; court registration adds £10.

Good to know

Live since 29 November 2021. The charge-certificate 50% increase comes from the council's general PCN guide (same guide as the CAZ PCN page). lat/lon approximate (the zone is in the south-west of the city around the city centre/Portsea).