Low Emission Zone penalty charges
If your vehicle does not meet the minimum emission standards, it is described as non-compliant. Non-compliant vehicles will be fined if they drive within the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).
For consistency, all of Scotland’s Low Emission Zones use the same penalty charge structure, as set by the Scottish Government in The Low Emission Zones (Emission Standards, Exemptions and Penalty Charges) (Scotland) Regulations 2021.
Charges for non-compliant vehicles
Light passenger vehicles (cars) M1, Light goods vehicle N1, Special purpose vehicle
- Initial penalty £60
- Second penalty £120
- Third penalty £240
- Fourth and subsequent penalties £480
Minibus M2, bus and coach M3, Heavy goods vehicles N2 N3
- Initial penalty £60
- Second penalty £120
- Third penalty £240
- Fourth penalty £480
- Fifth and subsequent penalties £960
All non-compliant vehicles
We will
- detect non-compliant vehicles using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras
- use data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to check if the vehicle meets the LEZ emission standards
- issue PCNs to the registered keeper of the non-compliant vehicles
- issue no more than one PCN per vehicle per day between midnight and 23:59pm
- reduce all PCNs by 50% if paid within 14 days
- revert future PCNs back to the initial charge of £60 if your vehicle has not driven within the LEZ for 90 or more consecutive days
- use all revenue generated from PCNs to contribute towards running the LEZ. Any surplus revenue may only be used to support LEZ objectives, which are primarily to reduce harmful emissions from transport and encourage sustainable travel.
You must pay the PCN within 28 days from the date the PCN was served. If you do not pay within 28 days a charge certificate will be issued and increases the PCN penalty charge amount by 50%. If the increased charge is not paid within 14 days, we can recover the charge certificate and PCNs as an enforceable debt. We will pursue these vehicle owners for the payment through legal processes.
LEZ Contraventions Detected
Last updated 12 September 2024. Please not the following statistics are subject to review and may change
June 2024
6,039 total LEZ contraventions detected, of which
- 5,765 were for first offences
- 274 were for second offences
July 2024
5,622 total LEZ contraventions detected, of which
- 4,690 were for first offences
- 638 were for second offences
- 204 were for third offences
- 67 were for fourth offences
- 23 were for fifth or subsequent offences*
August 2024
5,682 total LEZ contraventions detected, of which
- 4,695 were for first offences
- 597 were for second offences
- 193 were for third offences
- 98 were for fourth offences
- 99 were for fifth or subsequent offences*
September 2024
4,081 total LEZ contraventions detected, of which
- 3,334 were for first offences
- 372 were for second offences
- 158 were for third offences
- 69 were for fourth offences
- 148 were for fifth or subsequent offences*
* For example, any vehicle issued with a sixth contravention will be issued this at the fifth charge level
