# Euro Emissions Check: What Euro Standard Is My Car?

> Euro 6 check by reg: find your car's Euro emissions standard from the DVLA record, V5C or registration date. Euro 1 to 6 dates, ULEZ and clean air zone rules.

Find your car's Euro emissions standard by registration, with the Euro 1 to Euro 6 dates and what they mean for ULEZ and clean air zones.

A **Euro emissions check** tells you which European emissions standard a car was built to, from Euro 1 to Euro 6, which is what ULEZ, clean air zones and low emission zones use to decide whether you pay. Enter the registration in the search box above: the free check reads the DVLA record and shows the car's fuel type, first registration date, CO2 figure and, where the DVLA holds it, the Euro status, together with our likely ULEZ verdict. The full report adds the manufacturer's full specification and the history checks that matter when buying: finance, write-offs, stolen markers and previous keepers.

## Is my car Euro 6?

The quick answer, by fuel and first registration date:

- **Diesel registered from 1 September 2015:** Euro 6 in almost every case, because every new car sold from that date had to meet it. Many diesels registered from September 2014 are Euro 6 too, because new models had to comply a year earlier.
- **Diesel registered 2011 to mid-2015:** usually Euro 5, with a growing number of Euro 6 cars through 2014 and 2015. This is the group that most needs a check, because Euro 5 diesels pay ULEZ and most clean air zone charges and Euro 6 diesels do not.
- **Petrol registered from 2006:** at least Euro 4, which is all ULEZ asks of a petrol car. Petrols registered from 2011 are Euro 5, and from September 2015 Euro 6.
- **Electric cars:** no Euro standard applies; they are zero-emission and compliant everywhere.

Registration dates are a good guide, not proof, because carmakers often fitted compliant engines before the deadline and sometimes registered older stock after it. Where the DVLA holds the Euro status for your car, the free check shows it; where it does not, the sections below tell you how to confirm it.

## What the Euro emissions standards are

Euro standards are EU limits on what comes out of a new car's exhaust: nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and particulates. Each stage tightened the limits, with separate figures for petrol and diesel. A standard applies first to newly approved models ("new types") and, usually a year later, to every new car registered. They are about local air pollution, not CO2, which is why a car can have a low CO2 figure and a poor Euro standard at the same time.

| Standard | New types from | All new cars from | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Euro 1 | July 1992 | January 1993 | Catalytic converters and unleaded petrol became the norm |
| Euro 2 | January 1996 | January 1997 | Lower CO and hydrocarbon limits; separate petrol and diesel limits |
| Euro 3 | January 2000 | January 2001 | A separate NOx limit; the warm-up period removed from the test |
| Euro 4 | January 2005 | January 2006 | NOx and particulate limits halved; the ULEZ standard for petrol |
| Euro 5 | September 2009 | January 2011 | Diesel particulate filters effectively required |
| Euro 6 | September 2014 | September 2015 | Diesel NOx cut by more than half; the ULEZ standard for diesel |
| Euro 6d-TEMP | September 2017 | September 2019 | Real-driving emissions (RDE) testing on the road, with a generous margin |
| Euro 6d | January 2020 | January 2021 | RDE margin tightened |
| Euro 7 | Late 2026 (planned) | Around a year later | Adds brake particle and tyre limits and battery durability rules; dates may still move |

Dates are for passenger cars (category M1). Light vans and heavier vehicles followed a year or so later at each stage, which is why a van's Euro status needs its own check.

## How to find your car's Euro standard

1. **Run the free check above.** If the DVLA holds the Euro status for the car it is shown on the result, with the fuel type and first registration date. The DVLA only started recording it for newer vehicles, so many cars registered before about 2016 show no figure.
2. **Look at the V5C log book.** On log books issued since 2016 or so, section D.2 is "Type approval number"; the Euro status is often printed near it, under the heading "Euro status", but only when the DVLA has it. Older V5Cs do not show it at all.
3. **Ask the manufacturer.** Any dealer or the maker's customer service can confirm the standard from the VIN. The certificate of conformity that came with the car when new also states it.
4. **Use the zone operator's own checker.** TfL's ULEZ checker and the GOV.UK clean air zone checker look the car up by registration and give a yes or no for their own zone. They are the official answer for whether you pay; they do not always tell you the Euro standard itself.
5. **Estimate from the date.** If none of the above is available, the table gives the standard the car had to meet when it was first registered. For a diesel registered between September 2014 and August 2015, confirm it before you rely on it.

## Why the Euro standard matters

- **ULEZ (London):** petrol cars need Euro 4, diesels need Euro 6, or a daily charge applies across all of Greater London. The [ULEZ check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/ulez-check) explains the rules and the exemptions.
- **Clean air zones (England) and LEZs (Scotland):** Birmingham, Bristol, Bradford, Sheffield, Portsmouth and others use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel thresholds, though which vehicles are charged differs by city; Scotland's LEZs fine non-compliant cars rather than charging them. The [clean air zone check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/clean-air-zone-check) covers each zone.
- **Resale value:** a Euro 5 diesel is harder to sell near any zone, and that is already priced into the used market. Buying one is fine if you never drive into a zone, but allow for it when you sell.
- **Vehicle tax:** the Euro standard does not set your tax band; CO2 does. The [CO2 emission check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/co2-emission-check) and [car tax band check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/car-tax-band-check) cover that side.

## Euro 6 diesel: what to look for when buying

A Euro 6 diesel almost always has a diesel particulate filter and, on most models from 2016 onwards, an AdBlue (selective catalytic reduction) system. Both are expensive to replace and both suffer on short urban trips. On a test drive, check for an AdBlue warning or a DPF light, and look in the MOT history for repeated emissions-related advisories or failures. The [MOT history check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/mot-check) shows every test, and the [fuel type check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/fuel-type-check) confirms what the DVLA record says the car runs on before you worry about any of this.

## What the free check shows, and what the full report adds

| Free Euro emissions check | Full history check |
|---|---|
| Euro status where the DVLA holds it, fuel type and first registration date | Manufacturer specification: engine, power, transmission, performance and fuel economy |
| CO2 g/km, type approval category and likely ULEZ status | Outstanding finance: lender, agreement type and date |
| MOT history with emissions-related advisories and failures | Insurance write-offs, police stolen marker, high risk register |
| Tax status, due date and SORN | Previous keepers, plate changes, imported or exported markers and 200+ more data points |

See how it is laid out in the [sample report](https://carcheckup.co.uk/sample-car-history-report), or go straight to the [full car history check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/car-history-check).

## Euro emissions check FAQs

**What Euro is my car?** Enter the registration above. If the DVLA holds the Euro status it is on the free result; otherwise read it from the V5C, ask the manufacturer with the VIN, or estimate it from the first registration date using the table on this page.

**Is a 2015 diesel Euro 6?** Registered from September 2015, yes. Registered January to August 2015, often but not always: new models had to be Euro 6 from September 2014 but run-out models could still be Euro 5. Confirm it before buying.

**Is a 2014 diesel Euro 6?** Some are, particularly models launched or updated in 2014. Most are Euro 5. Check with the manufacturer or the TfL checker rather than assume.

**Is my petrol car ULEZ compliant?** Almost certainly if it was registered from 2006, because it will be Euro 4 or better. Many petrols from 2001 onwards also meet Euro 4.

**Where is the Euro standard on the V5C?** Where the DVLA holds it, it is printed near section D.2 (type approval number) under "Euro status". If that line is blank, the DVLA does not have the figure.

**Does Euro 6 mean lower road tax?** No. Road tax is set by CO2 and registration date, not the Euro standard. A Euro 6 car can sit in a high tax band.

**Can a car be upgraded to Euro 6?** Not in practice for cars. Retrofit schemes exist for buses, taxis and some vans, but there is no approved retrofit that changes a car's recorded Euro standard.

Run the check: enter a UK registration or VIN at https://carcheckup.co.uk/euro-emissions-check (free: DVLA details, MOT history and mileage readings; finance, write-off, stolen, keeper records and the mileage anomaly check are in the full report). HTML page: https://carcheckup.co.uk/euro-emissions-check