BIRMINGHAM CLEAN AIR ZONE
Pay the Birmingham CAZ Charge, super-fast. Download the app and sort it in two taps.
Pay the Birmingham Clean Air Zone charge with Caura
Birmingham. A place bustling with 1.1 million citizens. And a whole lot of traffic. Heading into the city centre? Don’t forget to pay the CAZ.
Sort the charge in seconds with Caura. Open the app, find City Charges and tap Birmingham Clean Air Zone. Select the day and pay, then drive away. Simple.
What's the Birmingham CAZ charge?
The charge was introduced in 2021 as a way of decreasing traffic in the city centre and creating cleaner air for all.
The charge only applies to vehicles that don’t meet emissions standards. No vehicle is outright banned, but owners of high-polluting (most likely older) vehicles must pay up every time they drive into the zone.
If your vehicle meets emissions standards, it means you don’t have to pay. These are:
- Diesel engines: Euro 6 (VI) or better
- Petrol engines: Euro 4 or better
- Gas engines: Euro 6 (VI) or better
- Diesel/petrol electric hybrids: meet the latest relevant emission standards
- Fully electric or hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles: exempt
What you need to know
Birmingham is a Class D Zone, meaning buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses, cars and motorcycles as well as scooters are all included in the charge.
Birmingham CAZ operating times
Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All year round.
How much is the Birmingham CAZ charge?
The charge is £8 for cars, vans (light good vehicles) and taxis, and £50 for coaches buses and HGVs.
It’s down to you to know if your vehicle meets emissions standards. It’s also your responsibility to know if you’ve driven through the charge zone. No one tells you.
Fines for the Birmingham CAZ
If you forget to pay the fee, you’ll get a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) in the post for a £120 fine. This is reduced to £60 if you pay it within 14 days.
Birmingham CAZ charge exemptions
If your vehicle meets the emission standards, the app will automatically tell you that you're exempt and you don't have to pay the charge.
Most temporary exemptions that were in place when the zone initially launched have now expired.
The only exemptions still active are:
- Residents – If you live in the Clean Air Zone and have a vehicle that will be charged, you can apply for a temporary exemption permit. This will expire on 31 May 2023.
- Community and school transport vehicles - this exemption doesn't expire, however you will need to apply for an exemption permit via the government website.
- Visitors to certain medical centres that offer 24/7 emergency care - Visitors can claim a one-time voucher to pay the daily CAZ charge.
- Specialist vehicles - Emergency service vehicles like police, fire and ambulance services.
- Historic and military vehicles
- Recovery vehicles
- Showman's vehicles
CAZ charge alternatives
If switching to a vehicle that meets emissions standards isn’t part of your near-future plan, you could:
- Share a ride with a friend
- Consider walking
- Take the bus
- Get on your bike
See what’s in store for alternative travelling with Birmingham’s exciting 2031 transport plan.
Pay your clean air charges in seconds
How much of Birmingham does the zone cover?
Most postcodes are in the Birmingham CAZ, along with many well known landmarks and visitor hotspots:
- B1 – Birmingham City Centre, Broad St (EAST)
- B2 – Birmingham City Centre, New St
- B3 – Birmingham City Centre, Corporation St
- B4 – Birmingham City Centre, Corporation St
- B5 – Digbeth, Highgate, Lee Bank
- B6 – Aston, Birchfield, Witton
- B7 – Nechells, Vauxhall
- B9 – Bordesley Green, Bordesley
- B10 – Small Heath
- B12 – Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook, Highgate
- B15 – Edgbaston
- B16 – Ladywood
- B18 – Harborne, Edgbaston
- B19 – Lozells, Newtown, Birchfield
- All city theatres
- The Bullring
- Grand Central
- Birmingham Cathedral
- Colmore Business District
- Centenary Square
- Birmingham Council House
- Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
How do I know if I'm about to drive into the CAZ?
As you drive towards Birmingham, you’ll start to see CAZ signs. These advance warnings are in prominent locations around the A4540 Middleway. It’s now time to find another route if you don’t want to enter the zone. Because once you’re in, there’s no going back.
One (or more) of 67 cameras around the zone perimeter, and in the zone, will log your vehicle registration number (VRN).
The signs have a symbol with the Letter D, showing the Clean Air Zone class. Cameras (67 of them!) use an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system to identify the vehicle’s owner.
Pay the CAZ charge with Caura
Caura is the quickest way to pay the Clean Air Zone charge. Two taps and you’re done. Then sit back and enjoy the city centre journey.
Downloading Caura’s app takes seconds. Enter your number plate and sort the payment without any extra admin fees or charges.
Caura is the only app you need
Welcome to the app for all things car. We don’t just help you with city charges. From vehicle tax to yearly insurance – Caura sorts all your boring car admin needs, all in one place.
Or thinking of heading to London for the day? Plan ahead and pay for Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and congestion charges, ultra-fast. Then keep all the receipts in the app, just in case you need to check back. Sorted.
Questions?
Find answers to common questions here. If you can't find what you're looking for then email us on support@caura.com and we'll get back to you.
My account
Do I have to sign up to access Caura?
Yes. To enjoy the benefits of Caura, like timely reminders for tax and insurance, and ultrafast city charge and toll payments, you’ll need to create an account. This is so we can let you know about important expiry dates and booking details.
Can I change the email address I use for Caura?
You can’t currently change your email address on Caura (but we are working on it). As a workaround, you can log out of your current account and sign up with a new email address. We won’t be able to transfer the history over.
What happens if I forget my account credentials?
Easily done. Just tap ‘Forgot Password’ on the Log In screen - we’ll send you a password reset link via your registered email address. If you used your Google or Apple profile details (instead of an email address) to create your account, you’ll need to continue to use this sign-in method.
My account has been suspended, why?
Your account may be suspended as a precaution if we see evidence of fraud or a violation of our terms of service. Please email support@caura.com or send us a message in-app, and we can investigate this with you.
How do I delete my account?
Please email support@caura.com or send us a message in-app, and we can take care of that for you. Please feel free to let us know why you want to leave, as we’re always working to improve Caura for drivers like you.
Managing vehicles
How do I add or remove vehicles from my account?
To add a vehicle, simply swipe to the left on your current vehicle or tap the ‘+’ icon on the Home screen. To remove a vehicle, tap and hold on the vehicle image.
My vehicle cannot be found when I add my number plate, why not?
All vehicles registered with the DVLA should show on Caura. Please make sure you are entering a valid number plate recognised by the DVLA. If the problem persists please email support@caura.com.
Why can’t I see my updated vehicle details (e.g. tax, MOT) on Caura?
If you have made the update on Caura (e.g. paid for tax on Caura), it should update automatically within a few days. If it doesn't, you can pull down the image of your vehicle from the Home screen, which will refresh the app.
Managing payment methods
How do I add or remove a payment method?
You can add, remove and set your default payment method via the Payment Methods screen, accessed via the Account tab. To remove a payment method, swipe it to the left. To set a payment method as the default option, swipe it to the right.
What if I need to change my AutoPay payment method?
Go to your AutoPay account in-app (by going to the City Charges screen). From your AutoPay account, tap the current payment method selected. You can then choose to change your payment method tied to your AutoPay, either select an existing payment method or add a new card to Caura.
City Charges
What is a Clean Air Zone charge?
Clean Air Zones are coming soon to many UK cities, helping our air stay fresh for future generations. All vehicles are allowed in CAZ zones – but if their emissions are above a certain level, they’ll have to pay to pass through.
You can learn more about different Clean Air Zones and the charges in place here.
Which cities have Clean Air Zones?
You can find details of all active and planned Clean Air Zones here.
What Clean Air Zones can I pay for on Caura?
Currently, you can pay for Birmingham’s Class D Clean Air Zone charge, as well as the London Ultra Low Emission Zone charge and the Oxford Zero Emission Zone charge, in two-taps on Caura.
We’re working hard to bring more Clean Air Zones to Caura very soon. We’ll notify users via email or in-app notification when new zones launch, as well as communicate this on social media. In the meantime, if there is a charge payment you really want to see on Caura, let us know by emailing support@caura.com (it may just be what we focus on next!).
What do the different types of Clean Air Zones mean?
There are four types (class) of Clean Air Zone. The class of Clean Air Zone dictates which vehicles have to pay for entering the zone.
For each of the class types, the following non-compliant vehicle types have to pay:
- Class A: buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles
- Class B: buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles and heavy goods vehicles
- Class C: buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans and minibuses
- Class D: buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses and cars, and the local authority has the option to include motorcycles too
How do I know if I have to pay the Clean Air Zone?
Please refer to the class type of the Clean Air Zone to understand which vehicle types have to pay.
You will also be able to see exactly what you have to pay for a given Clean Air Zone, based on your vehicle’s type and emissions.
The Clean Air Zones use ANPR cameras to automatically detect your vehicle when you drive into the charging zone. Look out for signs that clearly indicate the boundary of the zone.
If you try to pay for a charge that you're exempt from then Caura will not process the transaction, and you will not be charged.
What days can I pay the Clean Air Zone charges for on Caura?
Currently, you can pay for either today, tomorrow or yesterday in-app on Caura. Make sure you pay for the right date for any trips you make, as we’re unable to offer a refund for any payments made for the wrong day by mistake.
Does Caura charge an additional fee?
Caura charges no additional fee to pay for any Clean Air Zone, or to make any other transaction via the app. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider.
What happens if I pay for the wrong day?
If you’ve paid for the wrong day, unfortunately we aren’t able to offer a refund. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider. We’re unable to recover funds so we aren’t able to offer a refund. If you paid for a charge unnecessarily then you can request a refund from the zone operator, referencing the transaction ID on your payment receipt in the Caura app.
Where can I view my payment receipts in Caura?
You can view any payments you’ve made by going to the History tab in Caura. Tap on any payment in the list to view more detail. From there, you can even export a receipt to your email.
Birmingham Clean Air Zone
What is the Birmingham Clear Air Zone (CAZ)?
A zone, covering central Birmingham, that drivers of more polluting vehicles must pay a charge to drive within. You can read more about the Birmingham CAZ here.
Where is the Birmingham CAZ?
The Birmingham CAZ covers all roads within the A4540 Middleway Ring Road, but not the Middleway itself. You can view a map of the zone here.
What times does the Birmingham CAZ apply?
The charges apply all day, every day.
How much is the Birmingham CAZ?
The charge is £8 for cars, vans (light good vehicles) and taxis.
How do I pay for the Birmingham CAZ?
Download Caura and find Birmingham CAZ under City Charges, where you can pay for today, yesterday or tomorrow. You can pay up to six days before or after on the Birmingham CAZ website.
Are there any discounts or exemptions?
Many cars and vehicles are exempt: commercial, specialist, ultra-low emission, retro-fitted, certain types of agricultural vehicles, community, school, disabled passenger tax class 85, historic, military and visitors to certain medical centres. Residents and workers may also apply for an exempt status.
How do I know if I’ve driven in the Birmingham CAZ?
As you drive towards Birmingham, you’ll start to see CAZ signs. These advance warnings are in prominent locations around the A4540 Middleway. You'll need to check your route to determine if you drove within the zone or not.
Will I get fined if I don’t pay the Birmingham CAZ?
You’ll get a £120 Penalty Charge Notice if you don’t pay for your Clean Air Zone charges by 11:59 pm within six days of travel in the zone. You can reduce this fine to £60 if you pay it within 14 days.
Is the Birmingham CAZ live?
Yes, it's been in place since June 2021.
Does Caura charge an additional fee?
Caura charges no additional fee to pay for Birmingham CAZ, or to make any other transaction via the app. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider.
What happens if I pay for the wrong day?
If you’ve paid for the wrong day, unfortunately we aren’t able to offer a refund. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider. We’re unable to recover funds so we aren’t able to offer a refund.
Where can I view my payment receipts in Caura?
You can view any payments you’ve made by going to the History tab in Caura. Tap on any payment in the list to view more detail. From there, you can even export a receipt to your email.