Crit'Air sticker for France - do we need one?

[TJBi]

We have one, if we hadn't would probably get one, saying that, last year the French parliament voted to abolish them, but the law hasn't yet been introduced, and they might be handy for Spain who accept them for foreign registered vehicles.

To the best of my knowledge, the vote was not to abolish Crit'Air stickers but the LEZs and that vote has not yet passed into law. Even if/when LEZs are abolished, the stickers might still be of use if short-term restrictions are implemented due to poor air quality.

 

[TeamRienza]

And as stated by Colinm, the acceptance of the French sticker in Spain as an equivalent permission would continue to be useful.

Davy

 

[YeoBlade]

And as stated by Colinm, the acceptance of the French sticker in Spain as an equivalent permission would continue to be useful.

Davy

Whats the situation in Spain for UK vans ?

 

[TeamRienza]

Spain only issues emissions certificate/stickers for Spanish registered vehicles. Other nationalities cannot apply, however the government gives an equivalent acceptance of the French crit air scheme, I haven't read of other countries doing similar.
The British system is (over) simply to charge vehicles for entry as in London, so nothing else is available to UK residents other than the french system. I would be curious as to wether the German sticker is acceptable too.
I don't believe non Spanish vehicles are subject to restrictions, but it would be good to know.
Ideally we are for Italy in may, any personal experience by members with regard to the Italian approach would be appreciated.

Davy

 

[marchie]

Spain only issues emissions certificate/stickers for Spanish registered vehicles. Other nationalities cannot apply, however the government gives an equivalent acceptance of the French crit air scheme, I haven't read of other countries doing similar.
The British system is (over) simply to charge vehicles for entry as in London, so nothing else is available to UK residents other than the french system. I would be curious as to wether the German sticker is acceptable too.
I don't believe non Spanish vehicles are subject to restrictions, but it would be good to know.
Ideally we are for Italy in may, any personal experience by members with regard to the Italian approach would be appreciated.

Davy

Spain accepts both French & German emissions stickers [*think* Portugal may do the same, but no sure]

Steve

 

[SandyLegz]

I ordered my crit'Air sticker for all vehicles (I have a moped on the back of my motorhome and also tour by motorbike) and it was a right carry on. You have to register all vehicle details and then upload the V5 form. BUT, it has to be less than 400kb and only in certain formats. To get round it I had to email the photos to myself, save them to my MacBook, manually change the file extension from jpeg to png and only then would the site accept my application. I received email confirmation immediately which is all you need if you are stopped, the stickers should arrive by post soon.

 

[jann]

For what it costs, get one.
Even if you don't plan to go in the areas,you could get diverted into one

 

[RichardP]

I'm attempting to get a crit'air sticker for our 22reg fiat Swift Compact which is Euro 6D compliant. However the online form requires the CO2 emissions which isn't listed on my V5C (just a blank field) and the application keeps getting rejected. Is anyone able to advise me how to proceed please?

 

[colinm]

I'm attempting to get a crit'air sticker for our 22reg fiat Swift Compact which is Euro 6D compliant. However the online form requires the CO2 emissions which isn't listed on my V5C (just a blank field) and the application keeps getting rejected. Is anyone able to advise me how to proceed please?

Very few uk motorhomes list the co2 emissions, this has never been a problem as the French take the registration date to determine which sticker it gets, it sounds like you are making another error on the form.

 

[TJBi]

To the best of my knowledge, the vote was not to abolish Crit'Air stickers but the LEZs and that vote has not yet passed into law. Even if/when LEZs are abolished, the stickers might still be of use if short-term restrictions are implemented due to poor air quality.

The Chambre des Députés and the Sénat have both now approved the bill that will abolish ZFEs (LEZs), but it has been suggested that the French government will appeal to the Conseil Constitutionnel. Watch this space!

 

[YeoBlade]

The Chambre des Députés and the Sénat have both now approved the bill that will abolish ZFEs (LEZs), but it has been suggested that the French government will appeal to the Conseil Constitutionnel. Watch this space!

 

[vindiboy]

Trying to get my head around the Crit'Air sticker for France. We have a 2009 Diesel, Fiat Ducato, 2,200cc - so Euro4 I think. Do we need one? I may have left it too late as the ferry is on 29 April.

On the website https://www.france.fr/en/article/cr...e-sticker/#is-the-critair-sticker-mandatory-3 it states 'The air quality certificate is mandatory for all vehicles wishing to drive in France, even occasionally, in certain urban areas known as Low Emission Mobility Zones'.

Looking at the list of places

'The Crit'Air certificate is only compulsory in certain zones. In Paris, the sticker is compulsory within the perimeter of the A86 motorway from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 8pm, except on public holidays. Several large cities have also set up low emission mobility zones. The agglomerations concerned are: Lyon, Aix-Marseille, Toulouse, Nice, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Rouen, Reims and Saint-Étienne. From 2025, all cities and agglomerations with more than 150,000 inhabitants will be required to introduce a Low Emission Mobility Zone.'

As the only places that we might go anywhere near are Reims and Strasbourg, and if we do we will most likely park outside and get public transport in. Are there signs we should not go past to avoid getting a fine?

thank you

I recently got the sticker from France gov site about £6 inc the exchange rate easy on line got the sticker in a week of applying and an email confirming my application straight away a 2006 2.8 fiat Ducato adria number 3 sticker yellow colour only wanted it for skirting Rouen really just in case go lost or diverted .

 

[TJBi]

On 21/05/2026, the Conseil Constitutionnel censured the abolition of ZFEs (LEZs) on the basis that the measure was insufficiently related to the purposes of the original bill into which it was introduced.

Le Conseil constitutionnel censure la suppression des zones à faibles émissions contre les voitures polluantes et l'assouplissement des règles sur l'artificialisation des sols

Initiées en 2019, puis étendues deux ans plus tard, les ZFE entendent limiter les émissions de particules fines, responsables de maladies respiratoires et de décès, en interdisant certains véhicules en fonction des vignettes Crit'Air.

www.franceinfo.fr

 

[bartman]

I assume all this is still up in the air (as it were).
I'm due to have a new windscreen fitted tomorrow and have been busy removing stickers, bip&go, etc, but found that the crit'air sticker disintegrates if you try to remove it. The question is do I bother getting another one or not? It's not exactly a major expense of course, just more hassle.
As it's a 2002 motorhome it's only a category 4 anyway.

 

[barryd]

Apparently its not being scrapped now. Quite the opposite. Number plate recognition will be used to spot unregistered vehicles.

This is from Gemini

Here is the direct breakdown of that specific ruling and how it connects to the automated number plate recognition.

France keeps ZFE low-emission zones after repeal is blocked

France keeps ZFE low-emission zones after repeal is blocked

trans.info

1. The Constitutional Council's Ruling​

When the French Parliament snuck the abolition of the ZFEs into a massive "Economic Life Simplification Act" (Loi de simplification de la vie économique), it was a populist move to win votes.

However, France’s Constitutional Council (the "Sages") officially struck down that specific section (Article 37) of the law.

• The Reason: They didn't even judge whether scrapping clean air zones was good or bad for the planet. Instead, they tossed it out on a strict procedural rule known as a cavalier législatif (a legislative rider). In simple terms, you cannot legally use a business simplification bill to sneak through a major environmental rollback.
• The Result: The entire attempt to abolish the zones was wiped out. The original legal framework instantly became active again.

(Note: The headline also mentions "land artificialisation" — this refers to another environmental law limiting how much concrete/building can be done on natural soil, which parliament also tried to weaken in the same bill, and which the Council similarly blocked).

2. The Link to Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)​

Because the abolition failed, the French government and major metropolitan areas are now doubling down on enforcement.

Up until recently, the Crit’Air system was heavily criticized because it relied on random police checks, meaning most people driving without a sticker or in an old car rarely got caught. To fix this "failed enforcement" problem, France is deploying automated camera enforcement across key low-emission zones.

• How it works: Automated cameras scan the registration plates of vehicles entering the zones.
• The Cross-Check: The system instantly cross-references the plate against the national registration database to check the vehicle's age, fuel type, and euro-emissions standard.
• The Fine: If the car is too old (e.g., matching Crit'Air 4 or 5 in restricted zones) or if it's a foreign vehicle that hasn't been registered in the database via an official vignette application, the system automatically triggers a €68 fine, mailed straight to the owner.

Summary for Drivers​

The articles declaring the end of the Crit'Air scheme are now legally obsolete. The Franceinfo piece marks the moment the courts forced the system to stay. Cities like Paris and Lyon are moving forward with stricter ban schedules, and the automated cameras mean driving into these zones without a valid sticker is no longer a "gamble"—it is a guaranteed fine.

 

[TJBi]

My understanding is that the ZFEs will not be abolished. Even if they were, the Crit'Air sticker could still be required in the event of traffic restrictions due to severe air pollution events. As you say, not a major expense, but peace of mind.

 

[bartman]

Thanks for the update. It occurs to me that as the vehicle is already registered and they're now going to use ANPR, the sticker itself is redundant. However, just to be sure I think I'll get another one. I wonder if there's any complication about doing that as the vehicle is already registered?

 

[TJBi]

Thanks for the update. It occurs to me that as the vehicle is already registered and they're now going to use ANPR, the sticker itself is redundant. However, just to be sure I think I'll get another one. I wonder if there's any complication about doing that as the vehicle is already registered?

I would be wary of misinterpreting Gemini AI's analysis. I think that ANPR is likely to be longer coming into effect, and the reference is to "key low-emission zones", so there will still be instances when a human is checking. And even in ANPR-enforced zones, if French legislation requires a sticker to be displayed, failure to do so can result in a fine. There should be no complication when applying for a replacement sticker. Let's face it, some French vehicles must have had replacement windscreens.

 

[bartman]

I would be wary of misinterpreting Gemini AI's analysis. I think that ANPR is likely to be longer coming into effect, and the reference is to "key low-emission zones", so there will still be instances when a human is checking. And even in ANPR-enforced zones, if French legislation requires a sticker to be displayed, failure to do so can result in a fine. There should be no complication when applying for a replacement sticker. Let's face it, some French vehicles must have had replacement windscreens.

Yes, just looked it up, it's a repeat of the original application process

 

[mark61]

Yes, just looked it up, it's a repeat of the original application process

Yes, exactly same process. I got another one after losing first one. Did a handful of trips without one, and as mentioned, peace of mind, one less thing to think about.
Not that the new one is on the windscreen yet.