How do I know if my car is Euro 6?

Euro 6 is an emissions standard that most cars registered from around September 2015 (for new type approvals) or September 2016 (for all new registrations) onward are required to meet — but the exact cut-off point can vary depending on vehicle type, so it's worth checking rather than assuming based on registration date alone.

How to check:

• V5C logbook — doesn't always explicitly state "Euro 6," but the registration date combined with the vehicle's technical details can usually confirm it
• Registration lookup — an official vehicle record will often state the Euro emissions standard directly
• Manufacturer or dealer confirmation — particularly useful for vehicles registered close to the transition dates, where the standard applied can depend on the exact model and engine

Why the registration date alone isn't always enough:

Some manufacturers began meeting Euro 6 standards ahead of the mandatory deadline, meaning a car registered slightly before the official cut-off could still be Euro 6 compliant, while in rarer cases, some vehicles near the transition might not be. Because of this, if Euro 6 status matters for your situation — most commonly for clean air zone or ULEZ charges — it's worth confirming the standard directly against the vehicle's official record rather than estimating from the registration date alone.