Bath Clean Air Zone: everything you need to know
Learn about the Bath Clean Air Zone, its purpose, and how it affects you. Find out the rules of the Bath CAZ here.
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by Nic Hopkirk
Last updated: 6 May, 2025
The Bath Clean Air Zone (CAZ) launched in 2021 to help lower pollution levels in the city.
Most car owners and motorcyclists won’t need to pay to drive through the zone, but it’s worth knowing the rules just in case.
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know.
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What is the Bath Clean Air Zone?
The Bath Clean Air Zone covers the city centre, where high traffic levels have had the biggest impact on air quality.
Bath is a ‘class C’ clean air zone, which means drivers and motorcyclists with private vehicles can drive through the zone free of charge.
Vans (including pick-up trucks and campervans), some 4x4s and taxis will need to pay £9 each day they drive in the zone.
Drivers of higher-emission vehicles (lorries, coaches and buses) can expect to pay £100.
You can pay to enter the Bath CAZ up to six days before you plan to drive through it and up to six days after on the Bath Council website.
When was it introduced?
The zone was introduced in March 2021, after the government set targets to reduce pollution levels in Bath as quickly as possible.
London’s low emission zone was the first of its kind in the UK, and in more recent years, other clean air zones have cropped up.
Why is it needed?
The Bath CAZ was introduced to reduce tailpipe emissions in the city.
Gases like carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide are made by cars burning petrol and diesel and are harmful to our health – particularly for children, the elderly and those who are already unwell.
Find out more about the UK's low emissions zones here, which are designed to help us meet the 2050 goal of zero net carbon emissions.
What areas of Bath are covered?
Bath's Clean Air Zone covers the historic city centre and surrounding areas, including Walcot, Bathwick, Widcombe, Beechen Cliff, Kingsmead and the Royal Victoria Park.
It’s monitored 24/7 by ANPR cameras.
See a map of the Bath CAZ zone.
How to know if you’re travelling in the Bath CAZ
You’ll see road signs with a white cloud in a green circle and the words ‘clean air zone’ around the boundary of the zone.
Bath Clean Air Zone charges
Charges for the Bath CAZ range from £0 for private cars and motorbikes to £100 for buses and heavy goods vehicles.
Owners of private HGVs can reduce this cost to £9 by registering their vehicle with the council.
How much does it cost?
Most private cars and motorcycles don’t need to pay to enter the Bath CAZ. Let’s take a look at the charges:
Cars (except taxis and private hire vehicles) - £0
Motorbikes - £0
Taxis and private hire vehicles - £9
Some pick-ups and 4x4s - £9
Motorhomes and campervans £100 / £9
Horse transporters £100 (reduced to £9 if registered with the council)
Minibuses - £9
Vans and light goods vehicles - £9
Coaches and buses - £100
Trucks and lorries - £100
How to pay the Bath CAZ
You may not need to pay to enter the Bath CAZ. You can check if you do and pay the charge by entering your vehicle’s registration on the Bath Council website.
Penalties for not paying
If you don’t pay the charge for entering Bath’s Clean Air Zone when you should have, you can be fined £120.
Luckily, there’s a payment window of 13 days when you can pay the charge, including:
up to six days before you plan to enter the zone
on the day your vehicle enters the zone
up to six days after you’ve entered the zone (up to 11:59pm on the sixth day).
Do I need to pay the Bath clean air charge?
If you’re driving your personal car or motorbike in the Bath CAZ, you generally won’t need to pay. The charge only applies to the following vehicles:
Taxis and private hire vehicles
Some pick-up trucks and 4x4s
Motorhomes and campervans
Vans and light goods vehicles
Buses and coaches
Heavy goods vehicles
Check if your vehicle is exempt or how much you need to pay on the Bath Council website.
Check if you need to pay
The charges for driving in the Bath Clean Air Zone are based on emissions, so there can be some exceptions to the categories listed above.
The easiest way to find out if you need to pay to drive in any clean air zone is by checking on the government’s website.
Exemptions and discounts
Some vehicles are exempt from Bath’s CAZ charges. They include:
Cars and motorcycles (except taxis and private hire vehicles)
Vehicles eligible for national exemptions, including:
Ultra-low emissions vehicles
Disabled tax class vehicles
Historic vehicles
Military vehicles
Find out more and apply for local exemptions and discounts with Bath’s MiPermit portal.
More UK clean air zones
Outside of Bath, clean air zones have also sprung up in Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Greater Manchester, London, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Tyneside.
Find out more in clean air zones outside of London you might not have heard of.
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