With the expansion of the ULEZ to the boundaries of Greater London any vehicles are being drawn into the net. Vehicles complying with Euro emission standards are however exempt.
The Transport to London (TFL) web site gives the following information
Petrol cars that meet the ULEZ standards are generally those first registered as new with the DVLA after 2005, although cars that meet the standards have been available since 2001. This is Euro 4.
Diesel cars that meet the standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA as new after September 2015. This is Euro 6.
As you can see for petrol that is generally cars registered after 2005 and diesel 2015 but note the web sites say ‘generally’ and this is leading to some confusion. Cars produced prior to these dates may comply but don’t appear on the vehicle checker.
There is a way to get compliant cars registered as exempt by obtaining an ‘exemption certificate’ from the manufacturer. This only applies to a few models which were manufactured to the Euro 4 or 6 standards prior to 2005 or 2015 and there is a charge.
However, the press is now reporting that this exemption is being used by scammers:
“Fraudsters selling counterfeit exemption certification for London’s newly extended ultra low emission zone are advertising widely on social media, Sky News has found.
Adverts on Facebook Marketplace, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp claim to be able to make vehicles “ULEZ exempt” in as little as 24 hours using nothing more than the vehicle’s logbook.
Transport for London (TfL) says it is aware of criminals attempting to submit applications and has already removed “many” that it suspects of being fraudulent.”
The only thing we can say is be very careful. If you believe your car is compliant but made before the relevant dates, contact the manufacturer who will confirm the cars eligibility and then if appropriate issue a formal letter for a charge. You can then contact TFL to get your car listed as exempt. Make sure you are not dealing with a fraudster as the consequences could be very expensive at the least.