Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from asphalt pavements are increasingly recognized as contributors to urban air pollution and associated health risks. While emissions during production and paving have been widely studied, continuous releases during the service life of pavements remain poorly quantified, despite asphalt covering over 90 % of global road surfaces and up to 20 % of urban areas. These in-use emissions are influenced by binder type, mixture design, and environmental drivers such as temperature, solar radiation, humidity, and material aging. Recent chamber studies show that hydrocarbons and oxygenated VOCs dominate at service temperatures (20–70 °C), contributing to ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation with yields of 10–20 % of the reacted VOC mass. Mitigation strategies such as warm mix asphalt, recycling, and bio-based binders reduce production-phase emissions, yet their effectiveness in limiting service-phase releases remains uncertain. This review consolidates current knowledge on VOC emissions from in-use asphalt pavements and highlights major gaps, including the absence of standardized quantification methods and emission factors suitable for inventories within life-cycle assessment frameworks. Addressing these gaps is essential in order to comprehensively evaluate the current contribution of asphalt pavements to urban air quality and to guide sustainable infrastructure strategies that mitigate the effects of climate change.