National and local exemptions are available to support vital services and owners of hard-to-replace vehicles.
You do not need to apply for an exemption in Bath’s Clean Air Zone if your vehicle meets required emission standards or if it is a car or motorbike, unless it is a taxi or private hire vehicle.
National exemptions
You can check whether your vehicle is nationally exempt on the GOV.UK website.
If your vehicle is eligible for a national exemption, you can drive freely in any clean air zone in England without further action.
Apply for a local exemption or discount
Local exemptions and discounts just apply to Bath's Clean Air Zone. These are applied for and managed using our MiPermit service.
For example, once you have successfully registered for your exemption and you want to pay for a discounted journey or log an exempt journey for the fee to be waived, you must do this using MiPermit.
Your local exemption or discount will not be applied at GOV.UK.
You can pay the discounted charge or log exempt travel at MiPermit within the normal payment window, which is up to 6 days in advance, on the day the vehicle is driven in the zone, or in the following 6 days.
Read more about how to pay, and how to manage your discount or exemption
When you make an application, you will need to upload evidence, including your V5C document.
Select the correct exemption or discount below for more information, including what documents you will need to upload, if you apply online.
- Showman's vehicles
- General haulage vehicles
- Recovery vehicles
- Special vehicles
- Emergency service vehicles
- Volunteer vehicles supporting the emergency services
You will need to pay the daily Clean Air Zone charge if you travel within Bath's Clean Air Zone from 00:00 hours on 15 March 2025
The following exemptions are no longer offered and expired on 14 March 2023:
• Wheelchair accessible taxis and private hire vehicles
• Community transport
• Blue Badge holders
• Community health, education or social care workers
• Exemptions under the terms of the Financial Assistance scheme (declined finance)
Drivers of higher emission larger motorhomes and horse transporters that are classed as PHGV and are not being used commercially for hire or reward, can pay a discounted daily charge of £9 (rather than the standard £100) in Bath’s CAZ. Applications for this discount must be made and authorised before the date of travel. Be aware, applications can take up to 14 days to be approved. Until then, you must pay the charge within six days of driving in the zone at Gov.uk. Once registered with the council, you must pay for each journey using MiPermit.
There is no expiry for this discount, but you will need to renew your details with us each year.
Evidence required
When you apply, you will need to upload the following evidence:
- V5 certificate
- Photos of the front, back, sides and inside rear of the vehicle
This will need to be a digital file, or a photograph, scan or screenshot of the original document.
Agricultural or similar vehicles
This exemption applies to higher emission non-road-going vehicles, such as tractors, gritters, snow ploughs, mowing machines, and steam powered vehicles (on a case-by-case basis) that are not nationally exempt. Once registered with the council, you do not need to do anything else to activate your exemption.
There is no expiry, but you will need to renew your details with us each year.
Showman’s vehicles
Higher emission vehicles classed as ‘showman’s vehicles’ for road tax purposes are exempt from charges.
Once registered, you do not need to do anything else to activate your exemption, but you will need to renew your details with us each year.
This exemption will expire on 14 March 2025.
General haulage vehicles
Higher emission vehicles classed as ‘general haulage vehicles’ for road tax purposes are exempt from charges.
Once registered, you do not need to do anything else to activate your exemption, but you will need to renew your details with us each year.
This exemption will expire on 14 March 2025.
Recovery vehicles
Higher emission vehicles classed as 'recovery vehicles' for road tax purposes are exempt from charges.
Once registered, you do not need to do anything else to activate your exemption, but you will need to renew your details with us each year.
This exemption will expire on 14 March 2025.
Special vehicles
Higher emission vehicles classed as ‘special vehicles’ or ‘special type vehicles’ for road tax purposes are exempt from charges.
Once registered, you do not need to do anything else to activate your exemption, but you will need to renew your details with us each year.
This exemption will expire on 14 March 2025.
Evidence required
For all these categories of vehicle, you will need to upload the following evidence:
- V5 certificate
- Photos of the front, back, and sides of the vehicle
This will need to be a digital file, or a photograph, scan or screenshot of the original document.
Health service vehicles
Higher emission health service vehicles that are exempt from vehicle road tax are also exempt from charges.
Once registered with the council, you do not need to do anything else to activate your exemption.
There is no expiry, but you will need to renew your details with us each year.
Evidence required
When you apply you will need to upload the following evidence:
- V5 certificate
- Photos of the front, back, and sides of the vehicle
This will need to be a digital file, or a photograph, scan or screenshot of the original document.
Emergency service vehicles
Higher emission emergency service vehicles such as police, fire, and ambulance vehicles that are exempt from road tax are also exempt from charges.
Once registered, you do not need to do anything else to activate your exemption, but you will need to renew your details with us each year.
This exemption will expire on 14 March 2025.
Evidence required
When you apply you will need to upload the following evidence:
- V5 certificate
- Photos of the front, back, and sides of the vehicle
This will need to be a digital file, or a photograph, scan or screenshot of the original document.
Volunteer vehicles supporting the emergency services
Higher emission vehicles used by voluntary organisations in support of emergency services may be exempt from charges.
Once registered, you must log your day’s travel in the zone using MiPermit for the charge to be waived. This can be done within the payment window. You will need to renew your details with us each year.
This exemption will expire on 14 March 2025.
The exemption applies for up to four years from the launch of the zone and you will need to renew your details with us each year.
Evidence required
When you apply you will need to upload the following evidence:
- V5 certificate
- Request from the relevant emergency service on headed paper
This will need to be a digital file, or a photograph, scan or screenshot of the original document.