What are my options?

It's important to fit an approved filter, as this is the only way to get the certificate to prove that your vehicle meets the LEZ emissions standards. A list of approved equipment and their suppliers can be found on the LEC approved devices list (PDF 48KB).

Accredited equipment manufacturers can advise you on approved filters for your particular vehicle. We recommend you contact several filter manufacturers and get a minimum of three quotes.

We are aware that a small number of operators have experienced difficulties in getting their filter fitted in time, even when they ordered it before 3 January 2012.

In order to avoid penalising responsible operators unnecessarily, if an operator can provide evidence that they purchased a filter before 3rd January, we will not issue a penalty charge notice to the vehicle owner if it is driven within the zone before the filter is fitted.

All claims made under these circumstances will be examined on a case by cases basis, to check they are valid.

If this affects you, please call 0845 607 0009 as soon as possible.

When requesting a filter quotation it's important that you provide (via email or phone):

• Vehicle make
• Vehicle model
• Body type/style (eg. motor home/caravan, light 4x4 utility, van)
• Drive cycle/vehicle use (eg. urban/inner city, suburban, motorway/long distance) and percentage of time spent in each type of driving
• Gross vehicle weight (tonnes or kg)
• Year of manufacture
• Engine size/displacement (litres)
• Engine power (bhp/kW)

Approximate cost of buying and fitting a filter

• The cost of buying and fitting abatement equipment will vary depending on the age, type and usage patterns of your vehicle.
• Buying a filter will cost between £1,800 and £3,500 for most vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles and between £3,500 and £7,000 for HGVs, buses and coaches.
• Fitting costs are often included in the purchase price, and are generally between £200 and £500 for vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles and between £300 and £500 for HGVs, buses and coaches.
• For large vehicles or those which have been specially modified, costs may be higher. It may prove cheaper to upgrade to a newer model which meets the standards, rather than retrofit an older vehicle.

Maintenance costs

• Most filters will need to be serviced once a year, depending on how many miles are travelled.
• Some filters can be self-serviced by the vehicle operator, but most require a full service by a suitably trained mechanic. This will cost around £100-£200 for vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles, and around £150-350 for HGVs, buses and coaches.

We recommend that you seek a range of quotes before making a purchase.

We are not responsible for suppliers not responding or the quotation received.

The table below includes details of accredited suppliers, and the vehicles they have filters for.

Please note that Baumont, Clean Diesel and Dinex have put together bespoke offers on abatement equipment to meet the required LEZ standards.

The supplier of your filter should be able to recommend an approved fitter, who will fit the filter into your exhaust system (often replacing the exhaust silencer).

Make sure you keep all the documentation for the engine and filter, as you'll need to provide this to the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to get a certificate for your filter.

VOSA are the government agency that carries out annual tests on all lorries, buses and coaches, and licences MOT garages. It also tests filters and issues all certificates showing that vehicles meet the LEZ standards.

Once your filter has been fitted, it'll need to be tested so you can get your Reduced Pollution Certificate (RPC) or Low Emission Certificate (LEC) to prove your vehicle meets the LEZ emissions standards. You can get a LEC for all types of vehicle, but RPCs are only issued to certain lorries, buses and coaches.

You can either have your filter tested by an Authorised Examiner (AE), or at a VOSA test station:

Option 1: Book and take a test with VOSA

Each VOSA test costs £32. To find your nearest centre and book your test, call 0300 123 9000.

VOSA will examine your vehicle to confirm that the filter fitted is approved, and will carry out a smoke test to confirm that it's fitted and functioning correctly (the smoke test doesn't measure the particulate matter emissions of your vehicle). Once the test is successfully completed, VOSA will issue either a LEC or RPC and submit this to TfL automatically.

It may take up to 10 days for TfL's database to be updated, so in the meantime, you'll need to pay the daily charge if you're driving in the LEZ.

Visit the VOSA website

Option 2: Take a test on site with an Authorised Examiner

You may find that the fitter of your filter is a VOSA Authorised Examiner (AE), which means they will be able to test your vehicle for you (and you won't need to book a separate test with VOSA). A fee of £32 will be charged for the test. If not, your filter supplier may be able to recommend a mobile AE who can carry out the test for you at your premises.

Once the test is successfully completed, the AE will submit documentation to VOSA, which will conduct a quality check on the documentation received.

If everything is in order, VOSA will issue either a LEC or RPC to the vehicle owner by post and will notify TfL that the certificate has been issued.

It may take up to 10 days for TfL's database to be updated, so in the meantime, you'll need to pay the daily charge if you're driving within the LEZ.

A map showing the location of Authorised Examiners

RPCs and LECs are normally valid for 12 months, after which you'll need to get your vehicle re-tested, or pay the daily charge if you're driving within the LEZ.

If you have a lorry, bus or coach your first RPC or LEC will be valid up until your next annual vehicle inspection at VOSA, to allow you to schedule the re-test at the same time. If you do decide to schedule your re-test with your annual vehicle inspection it will cost £19.

If you have a larger van or minibus you will need to get your vehicle re-tested at a VOSA test centre at a cost of £32. This is separate to your normal annual MOT.

Please note, AEs can only test filters the year they are fitted - after that you'll need to go to a VOSA test centre.

It is very important that the filter manufacturer's maintenance schedule is followed so that the filter doesn't block.

It is also important to heed any warning lights or loss of vehicle performance and contact the filter installer if this occurs. It may mean there is a build-up of soot in the filter that has not burned off. The trapped soot has a similar chemical composition to coal and needs to burn off at high temperatures. If the filter becomes overly laden with soot it can lead to increased back pressure, which can cause the trapped soot to combust and release heat. This can cause the filter to fail rapidly and means the vehicle would no longer pass the annual test at VOSA.

We've developed some case studies to show how vehicles can meet the requirements of the LEZ scheme.

Lorries, buses coaches & heavy specialist vehicles

• Euro III lorry (PDF 110KB)

• Pre-euro Coach (PDF 41KB)

• Euro III Small lorry (PDF 64KB)

• Euro II motorized horsebox (PDF 55KB)

• Euro III Large lorry (PDF 67KB)

• Euro II minibus (PDF 42KB)

Larger vans, minibuses & specialist diesel vehicles

• Pre-Euro motor caravan (PDF 44KB)

• Euro 2 Minibus (PDF 40KB)

• Euro 2 van (PDF 41KB)

• Euro 2 Light Utility Vehicle (PDF 51KB)

• Euro 1 horsebox (PDF nnKB)