Low-emission zones · France
Do I need a Crit'Air sticker to drive in France?
Checked 18 September 2026 on certificat-air.gouv.fr and each métropole's own page · skynomad
Verdict
Yes, in almost every ZFE, foreign plates included, and it only comes by post.
Every French low-emission zone that restricts cars wants a Crit'Air sticker on the windscreen, foreign plates included: order it from certificat-air.gouv.fr before you leave, because it only comes by post.
What to do before you go
Order the Crit'Air sticker from certificat-air.gouv.fr before you leave home. A foreign-registered car needs a copy of its registration document; there is no exemption for foreign plates.
- Cost
- €5.11 posted outside France, €3.85 to a French address (the sticker itself is €3.11, the rest is postage)
- Lead time
- About 10 working days by post, per Service-Public; order weeks ahead
certificat-air.gouv.fr ↗
Only .gouv.fr sells the real one
certificat-air.gouv.fr is the only official site. The ministry warns on its own page that lookalike middlemen sell the same sticker for many times the real price; if the address does not end in .gouv.fr, close the tab.
France runs its low-emission zones off a paper disc in the windscreen, and it only comes by post. The Crit'Air certificate is compulsory for a foreign-plated car in every ZFE that restricts cars, and there is no border kiosk, no app and no way to buy one on arrival. The drivers who get stung are the ones who found out about it at Calais.
France: ordering the Crit'Air sticker
One site issues it: certificat-air.gouv.fr, run by the ministry for ecological transition, and it works in English and German as well as French. You upload a scan or photo of the registration document, which for a foreign-registered car is a hard requirement, and pay by card or PayPal.
The disc itself is €3.11. The rest is postage: the state's own portal quotes €3.85 posted to a French address and €5.11 posted abroad. Delivery is given as about 10 working days, and it goes to the address on the registration document, not to your hotel. I order mine the week I book the crossing, and I would not cut it finer than a month.
Class is decided by fuel and Euro standard, not by how the car feels: 0 (a green disc, battery electric and hydrogen), then 1 to 5, then unclassified. It lives inside the windscreen, bottom right, readable from outside. On a motorbike it goes on the fork. In the glovebox it is worth nothing.
Now the part that costs real money. Search for "Crit'Air" and the first results are resellers charging €25 to €40 for the same disc, and some are phishing pages after your card. The ministry says as much on its own page. If you are collecting a hire car, ask the desk whether the disc is already on the glass: you cannot order one for a vehicle whose registration document you do not hold.
France: which cities have a ZFE
Twenty-five agglomerations run a ZFE. Only Paris and Lyon are still obliged by law to keep Crit'Air 3 out; everywhere else sets its own line, and several have paused or pushed back theirs. Parliament voted to abolish the whole system in 2026 and the Conseil constitutionnel struck that article out on 21 May 2026, so the zones stand. Read each zone's note: it is where the movement is.
- When
- Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00 for cars, vans and motorcycles; free at night, at weekends and on public holidays
- Kept out
- Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified
- Foreign plates
- Sticker compulsory, foreign plates included
- Electric
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
- Fine
- €68 for a car, van or motorcycle
Where the boundary runs
The 77 communes of the Métropole du Grand Paris inside the A86 ring road
Until 31 December 2026 the métropole says checks are occasional and informational rather than fines (checked 18 September 2026)
Official page ↗Parking in Paris ParkingInEurope ↗
- When
- 24 hours, every day
- Kept out
- Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified, since 1 January 2025
- Foreign plates
- Sticker compulsory, foreign plates included
- Electric
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
- Fine
- €68 for a car, van or motorcycle; €135 for a lorry, bus or coach
Where the boundary runs
Lyon, Caluire-et-Cuire, Villeurbanne and the parts of Bron and Vénissieux inside the ring road. The M6, the M7, the périphérique nord and the boulevard Laurent Bonnevay have been inside the zone since 1 January 2024, so the bypass is not a way round it.
Police are fining now. Lyon is one of the two agglomerations the law still obliges to keep Crit'Air 3 out (checked 18 September 2026)
Official page ↗Parking in Lyon ParkingInEurope ↗
- When
- 24 hours, every day
- Kept out
- Lorries over 3.5 t, buses and coaches in Crit'Air 4 and 5. Cars and light vans are no longer restricted.
- Foreign plates
- Nothing to do in a car or a light van; a foreign-plated lorry, bus or coach needs the sticker
- Electric
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
- Fine
- €135 for a lorry, bus or coach
Where the boundary runs
The Promenade des Anglais between avenue des Grenouillères and avenue Max Gallo, the quai des États-Unis and quai Rauba-Capeù, plus the Nice hypercentre bounded by the Promenade, the voie Mathis, boulevard Carabacel and avenue Désambrois, and boulevard Grosso
The métropole's order of 11 April 2025 took cars and light vans out of the restrictions; only heavy vehicles remain (checked 18 September 2026)
Official page ↗Parking in Nice ParkingInEurope ↗
- When
- 24 hours, every day
- Kept out
- Crit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified, since September 2023
- Foreign plates
- Sticker compulsory, foreign plates included
- Electric
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
- Fine
- €68 for a car or van; €135 for a lorry, bus or coach
Where the boundary runs
Central Marseille, bounded by the boulevards de Plombières, du Jarret and Prado. The A55 viaduct and the tunnels stay open to everyone.
Crit'Air 3 is still allowed here; the zone runs on the metropolitan decree of 28 June 2022 (checked 18 September 2026)
Official page ↗Parking in Marseille ParkingInEurope ↗
- When
- 24 hours, every day
- Kept out
- Crit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified, since 1 January 2023
- Foreign plates
- Sticker compulsory, foreign plates included
- Electric
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
- Fine
- €68 for a car or van; €135 for a lorry
Where the boundary runs
Toulouse inside the ring road, plus small slices of Colomiers and Tournefeuille: 72 km², about 430,000 residents
Crit'Air 3 is still allowed. The métropole says automatic number-plate enforcement is not installed yet, so checks are done by police (checked 18 September 2026)
Official page ↗
- When
- 24 hours, every day
- Kept out
- Crit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified
- Foreign plates
- Sticker compulsory, foreign plates included
- Electric
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
- Fine
- €68 for a car, van or motorcycle; €135 for a lorry, bus or coach
Where the boundary runs
All 33 communes of the Eurométropole, except the A4 north of the Vendenheim interchange, the A35 north of Vendenheim, the M35 as far as the Geispolsheim exit and the M353, which stay open so through traffic can pass
Crit'Air 3 is in an educational phase with no fine; the Eurométropole's published calendar bans it from January 2027 (checked 18 September 2026)
Official page ↗Parking in Strasbourg ParkingInEurope ↗
- When
- Mon–Fri 07:00–19:00 for cars and motorcycles; free after 19:00, at weekends and on public holidays
- Kept out
- Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified, since 1 January 2025
- Foreign plates
- Sticker compulsory, foreign plates included
- Electric
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
- Fine
- €68
Where the boundary runs
Thirteen communes for cars and motorcycles: Grenoble, Échirolles, Eybens, Fontaine, Gières, La Tronche, Le Pont-de-Claix, Meylan, Saint-Égrève, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux, Seyssinet-Pariset and Seyssins
An educational period runs to 30 June 2027: no fine for the class restriction, but driving with no Crit'Air sticker at all is still €68 (checked 18 September 2026)
Official page ↗
- When
- 24 hours, every day
- Kept out
- Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified since January 2025: petrol first registered before 2006, diesel before 2011
- Foreign plates
- Sticker compulsory, foreign plates included
- Electric
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
- Fine
- €68 for a car or van; up to €135 for a lorry or bus
Where the boundary runs
Eleven communes in phase one: Montpellier, Castelnau-le-Lez, Clapiers, Grabels, Jacou, Juvignac, Lattes, Le Crès, Pérols, Saint-Jean-de-Védas and Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, with signed transit routes left out
The métropole's published calendar extends the zone from these 11 communes to all 31 from 1 July 2026, so read the map before you drive (checked 18 September 2026)
Official page ↗
- When
- 24 hours, every day
- Kept out
- Crit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified, since 1 September 2022
- Foreign plates
- Sticker compulsory, foreign plates included
- Electric
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
- Fine
- €68 for a car or van; €135 for a lorry, bus or coach
Where the boundary runs
Thirteen communes: Rouen, Amfreville-la-Mi-Voie, Bihorel, Bois-Guillaume, Bonsecours, Darnétal, Déville-lès-Rouen, Grand-Quevilly, Le Mesnil-Esnard, Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville, Petit-Quevilly, Saint-Léger-du-Bourg-Denis and Sotteville-lès-Rouen
The Crit'Air 3 step planned for 1 January 2025 is suspended: local nitrogen dioxide readings came back inside the EU limit (checked 18 September 2026)
Official page ↗
Low-emission zone
Reims
ZFE-m of the Grand Reims
- When
- 24 hours, every day
- Kept out
- Crit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified; motorcycles are exempt
- Foreign plates
- Sticker compulsory, foreign plates included
- Electric
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
- Fine
- €68 for a car or van; €135 for a lorry, bus or coach
Where the boundary runs
Reims city centre, plus the stretch of the A344 between the Tinqueux and Cormontreuil interchanges
Reims is now a “territoire de vigilance”, so no Crit'Air 3 step is required of it (checked 18 September 2026)
Official page ↗
- When
- 24 hours, every day
- Kept out
- Vans and lorries in Crit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified, since 1 January 2025. Cars and motorcycles are not restricted.
- Foreign plates
- Nothing to do in a car; a foreign-plated van or lorry needs the sticker
- Electric
- Battery electric and hydrogen are Crit'Air 0, allowed at all times
- Fine
- €68 for a van; €135 for a lorry
Where the boundary runs
The 200 km² triangle inside the M201, the A72 and the RN88; those roads themselves are outside the zone
Cars stay outside the rules. The métropole's calendar adds Crit'Air 3 vans and lorries from 1 January 2027 (checked 18 September 2026)
Official page ↗
France: what the fines cost
The fixed penalty is €68 for a car, van or motorcycle and €135 for a lorry, bus or coach, whether you are driving or parked. Service-Public puts the theoretical ceiling at €450. The same €68 applies to a car that is clean enough to be there but carries no disc at all, which is the trap for a modern hire car.
Enforcement is mostly human. Toulouse says in writing that its automatic number-plate system is not installed, and the Métropole du Grand Paris calls its own checks occasional and informational until the end of 2026. So the realistic way this reaches you is a police officer at the kerb, on the spot, in cash or by card. If a notice does arrive later on a rental, the hire company passes it on and adds a handling fee of its own.
France: electric, hybrid and older cars
Battery electric and hydrogen cars get the green Crit'Air 0 and are welcome in every zone, at every hour. A plug-in or full hybrid is graded like its engine: petrol from 2011 is Crit'Air 1, petrol from 2006 to 2010 is Crit'Air 2. Diesel is treated harder. A diesel registered between 2006 and 2010 is Crit'Air 3, which is enough to keep it out of Paris, Lyon, Grenoble and Montpellier. Anything petrol or diesel first registered before 1997 is unclassified, and cannot be given a disc at all. A hire car booked this year will be Crit'Air 1, 2 or 0 — the class is rarely what catches a hire car. The missing disc is.
France: three ways visitors get caught
- Ordering in the week of travel. It is posted, to the address on the registration document, and roughly ten working days is the official figure, not a promise.
- Taking the Lyon bypass to dodge the zone. The M6, the M7 and both périphériques have been inside the Lyon ZFE since January 2024.
- Paying a reseller €35. The disc arrives and it works — you are simply thirty euros down on a form you could fill in yourself.
Parking on the way
Where to leave the car, from our sister site. Each card is the short version; the full guide has every car park, the tow pound and the charging points.
- Best bet
- Sundays and public holidays: all street parking is free. On weekdays, a Saemes garage costs €39–45 for 24 hours; the Bois de Vincennes sells a €3 three-hour ticket Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri.
- Watch out
- Unpaid parking costs €75 (zone 1) or €50 (zone 2); €225 / €150 for heavy cars. Max 6 hours per spot. August is not free. Crit'Air sticker needed inside the A86.
- Best bet
- Saint-Jean: €3.40 an hour, €7.70 for 20:00–09:00, at the foot of Vieux Lyon. Roof 1.80 m.
- Watch out
- Crit'Air sticker compulsory for foreign cars in the ZFE, 24/7, M6 and M7 included. Crit'Air 3 and worse banned. Car fine €68.
- Best bet
- A Parcazur park-and-ride: the space costs nothing if you make a return trip by Lignes d'Azur the same day. The "1 Aller-retour" ticket is €3.40 and includes that day's parking.
- Watch out
- On-street parking is capped at 2h15 and the meter sells nothing longer. Overstay and it is a €25 forfait post-stationnement.
- Best bet
- Vieux-Port Mucem: first 30 minutes free, €3.50 an hour, 3.20 m high. Under the esplanade by the Mucem and the Fort Saint-Jean; the other central garages are 1.90 m.
- Watch out
- The ZFE bans Crit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified cars 24/7, and every car needs the sticker, foreign plates included. Fine: €68.
- Watch out
- Crit'Air sticker compulsory for foreign plates in the whole Eurométropole, 24/7; €68 fine. Crit'Air 3 is due to be banned from 1 January 2027.