Clean Air Zone exemptions

Which vehicles are exempt for life?

Which vehicles are exempt for a limited time?

Other exemptions

Drivers and operators of non-compliant buses, coaches, heavy goods vehicles, taxi and private hire vehicles are required to pay a daily charge to enter the CAZ unless their vehicle has been granted an exemption.

Check if you will be charged

Apply for an exemption

Exemptions for some vehicles have been set nationally, and others are only applicable to the Portsmouth CAZ. In Portsmouth some vehicles are also being offered a time-limited ‘sunset period’ which will give drivers and operators a short time to replace or retrofit their vehicle once the CAZ is launched.

If you operate a non-compliant vehicle that would normally be charged to drive in the CAZ, applying for an exemption or sunset period will allow you to avoid a charge. Your exemption will only be valid once you’ve received confirmation from Portsmouth City Council.

You’ll need to apply for an exemption or sunset period through an online form. You’ll also need to supply evidence to prove you’re eligible, which is outlined below.

You can check your registration on the government’s CAZ checker. Vehicles which are nationally exempt or non-chargeable don’t need to apply for a local exemption. However, if your vehicle is appearing with a charge for travel through the Portsmouth CAZ, you may be eligible for a local exemption.

Some vehicle types, such as Non-Commercial Vintage Buses and Horse Transporters, are exempt for up to ten days per year. If you intend to apply for this exemption, you should still apply now, even if you don’t know the exact dates you’ll be travelling. You can tell us later when you’ll be entering the CAZ.

If you’re not sure what Euro standard your vehicle is, please check your vehicle log book.

The zone is approximately 3km2, and is located to the south west of Portsmouth.

Which vehicles are exempt for life?

Emergency Service Vehicles

All vehicles that have an Emergency Service Vehicle tax class are exempt from paying a charge to use the Portsmouth CAZ. This includes:

  • Ambulances (including veterinary ambulances)
  • Fire Engines
  • Fire Service vehicles
  • Police vehicles
  • Mine Rescue vehicles
  • Lifeboat Haulage vehicles
  • Lighthouse Authority vehicles

If your emergency service vehicle is not listed, but you think it may be eligible for this exemption, please contact us.

You’ll need to provide the following pieces of evidence to support your application:

  • Vehicle list from an Emergency Service Fleet manager, to be updated at least yearly (details in the Exemption Approvals Email)
  • V5 document (if the vehicle is not in an Emergency Service Vehicle tax class)

Volunteer vehicles that support the emergency services are also eligible to apply. You’ll need to supply a V5 document, as well as a request from the relevant emergency service on headed paper as your evidence.

Apply for an exemption

Specialist Heavy Vehicles

Vehicles in the following tax classes are exempt from paying a charge to use the Portsmouth CAZ:

  • Special Vehicles
  • Recovery Vehicles
  • Special Concessionary Vehicles

More detail on each of these tax classes can be found here. If your Specialist Heavy Vehicle is not listed, but you think it may be eligible for this exemption, please contact us.

You’ll need to provide the following pieces of evidence to support your application:

  • V5 document
  • Photographs of the front, back and both sides of the vehicle
  • Proof that your vehicle is unsuitable for retrofitting, or an evidenced explanation for why purchasing a new vehicle is not economically feasible for you.

These vehicles will be exempt for as long as the Portsmouth CAZ is in operation, but you’ll need to renew your vehicle with Portsmouth City Council at least every year. Details of how to do this will be sent in your confirmation email, if your exemption is approved.

Apply for an exemption

Which vehicles are exempt for a limited time?

Non-commercial Vintage Buses

Vintage buses that are not used for commercial purposes are exempt from paying a charge to use the Portsmouth CAZ for up to ten days per year. These don’t have to be consecutive.

The bus will need to have been first registered 20-39 years ago, and you’ll need to provide the following pieces of evidence to support your application:

  • V5 document
  • Photographs of the front, back and both sides of the vehicle

You don’t need to renew the application, but you must contact us with any change in vehicle ownership.

You’ll need to provide Portsmouth City Council with any dates you intend to travel through the CAZ before you travel.

If you know these dates when you apply, you can list them as part of your application. If you don’t know the dates yet, you can still apply for an exemption and let us know specific dates later. Contact us at CAZExemptions@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call 023 9283 4593.

Apply for an exemption

Horse transporters classed as heavy goods vehicles

HGV sized horse transporters are exempt from paying a charge to use the Portsmouth CAZ for up to ten days per year. These don’t have to be consecutive. This will allow people on the Isle of Wight to travel to specialist equine services on the mainland without having to pay a charge.

Horse transporters that are classified as vans will not need to pay the CAZ charge, and nor will compliant vehicles.

You’ll need to provide the following pieces of evidence to support your application:

  • V5 document
  • Photographs of the front, back, both sides and inside rear of the vehicle

You don’t need to renew the application, but you must contact us with any change in vehicle ownership.

You’ll need to provide Portsmouth City Council with any dates you intend to travel through the CAZ  before you travel. This will give us time to upload your details onto our system, to prevent you from receiving a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

If you know these dates when you apply, you can list them as part of your application. If you don’t know the dates yet, you can still apply for an exemption and let us know specific dates later. Contact us at CAZExemptions@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call 023 9283 4593.

Apply for an exemption

Other exemptions

Some other exemptions have been agreed by Portsmouth City Council.

Stop-gap exemption

If you’ll be replacing your ‘non-compliant’ vehicle with a CAZ compliant one, but for reasons out of your control you cannot get a vehicle that is compliant with the Clean Air Zone until after the zone launches, you may be able to apply for a short-term exemption.

For example, if supply chain issues due to Brexit or Coronavirus affect the delivery of your replacement vehicle or delay your planned vehicle retrofit, you may be able to apply for this exemption.

You’ll need to provide evidence which shows the circumstances surrounding the delay. This could be an email from the supplier, dealership or finance company confirming the delay, as well as the reason for it and the expected completion time. You should also include details of any actions you’ve already taken to avoid this delay.

If you’re upgrading your vehicles through the Clean Air Fund, we reserve the right to check-in with retrofitters to verify that your vehicles are booked in.

These exemptions will be judged on a case by case basis. Our officers will need to be satisfied that your business has taken all steps to upgrade non-compliant vehicles before the Clean Air Zone launches, so you shouldn’t assume you’ll be automatically entitled to this exemption.

If you’ve received a Clean Air Fund grant, you should speak to your workplace engagement officer if you don’t think you’ll have completed your vehicle upgrade before the launch of the CAZ.

If you haven’t received a Clean Air Fund grant, and you feel you fit the eligibility criteria set out above, please contact us.

Emergency rail replacement buses and coaches

Any buses or coaches that are required at short notice to provide unplanned rail replacement services will be given an exemption. Additionally bus or coach services heading into the zone that have broken down unexpectedly and need to be replaced will also be given an exemption.

This exemption is only for unplanned events, such as trains or coaches that are heading into the zone breaking down. Planned replacement services will still be subject to the charge if they are not compliant vehicles.

Where necessary, this exemption can apply over two working days. For example, if an emergency rail replacement bus enters the CAZ at 11:30pm and leaves at 12:30am.

You’ll need to apply for this exemption online and will need to justify why a replacement vehicle was needed. This could be an explanation of why an emergency service was required to be run in the CAZ, providing evidence where possible, such as a last minute booking from a rail company. If you provide your vehicle V5 form, this will help us make sure the vehicle belongs to you.

You should notify us of travel within the CAZ on the day of travel or the day after. The sooner you inform us that your vehicle has entered the CAZ, the lower the likelihood of you receiving a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). If you’ve followed the process outlined above and still receive a PCN please contact us.

Apply for an exemption