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Low-emission zone (LEZ) fines: how they work and how to contest

Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels have low-emission zones. Here's why you got a LEZ fine and how to dispute it if it's wrong.

Updated 9 June 2026 · 5 min read

Belgium's three regions run low-emission zones (LEZ / zone de basses émissions / lage-emissiezone) in Antwerp, Ghent and the whole Brussels-Capital Region. Cameras read your plate; if your vehicle isn't allowed or registered, you get a fine.

Why you got one

  • Your vehicle's emission class isn't admitted in that zone.
  • You needed to register (foreign or temporary vehicles) and didn't.
  • You needed to buy a day pass and didn't.

When it's worth contesting

Good grounds include: your vehicle actually meets the standard, you had a valid registration or day pass, the plate was misread, or the car was sold. Gather the proof (registration certificate, pass receipt) and state it plainly.

How to contest

Each zone has its own objection route, but the safe approach is the same everywhere: send a written objection with your evidence and keep proof of sending — registered post is the reliable channel. Respect the deadline printed on the fine.

Quitte reads a LEZ fine like any other, tells you whether it's contestable, and drafts the letter in French and Dutch.

Don't pay a fine you can contest

Snap a photo of your fine. Quitte finds the flaws and writes your contestation letter in French and Dutch, better than a €200 lawyer, free and in seconds.

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