Do I need a Crit’Air sticker to drive in France? Yes, if you plan to drive into a French low-emission zone (ZFE), such as Paris, Lyon or Grenoble. Service-Public says the sticker is required to drive in these zones, and it offers an ordering route for foreign-registered vehicles. If you only stay on motorways and in rural areas, you may never be asked for one, but many holidaymakers choose to buy it anyway. As of 11 November 2026, it costs about £4 to £5 and is ordered online from the official French site only.
This guide explains what the sticker is, how the categories work, how to order it, and what can go wrong.
What is a Crit’Air sticker?
Crit’Air is France’s air-quality certificate. It is a small sticker that shows how much a vehicle pollutes, based on its fuel type and Euro emissions standard. The French government site Service-Public says it covers cars, vans, motorcycles and heavy vehicles. Each vehicle gets one sticker, and it does not need renewing.
Think of it as a French cousin of London’s ULEZ, though it works differently: in France the sticker must be on the windscreen, and each zone decides which categories it bans. If you also drive in London, see our guide to the London ULEZ charge, checker and fines.
Which French cities need it?
Rules are set locally, so there is no single national list that applies to every visit. Here is what the sources behind this guide confirm, with dates:
| Zone | What the sources say | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Paris (77 communes inside the A86) | Cars that are unclassified or Crit’Air 3, 4 or 5 cannot drive Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, excluding public holidays. Crit’Air 2 is still allowed. | Service-Public, verified 1 Jan 2026 |
| Lyon (inside the Bonnevay boulevard) | Crit’Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified vehicles are restricted at all times. Ticketing of Crit’Air 3 began on 1 July 2026. | Article of 9 Oct 2026 |
| Other French cities | One source reports about 43 zones in force; one guide lists Grenoble, Strasbourg, Marseille and Toulouse. Check each city before you go. | Mixed |
A word of caution on recent changes. According to a French registration-service article published on 9 October 2026, Parliament voted to abolish ZFEs, but France’s Constitutional Council struck that measure down on 21 May 2026 on procedural grounds. A separate bill reached the National Assembly on 8 October 2026 but no final vote was held. That article says the zones remain in force. It also says checks in Grand Paris remain informational through 31 December 2026, so fines there would not start before 1 January 2027 at the earliest. That source is a private company, so check the city’s own website before you travel, as the situation could change again.
Crit’Air categories and Euro standards
Electric and hydrogen vehicles get a green sticker, often called Crit’Air 0. Other cars are graded 1 to 5. For cars, Service-Public gives this guide (its table is partly garbled in the English version, so confirm yours with the official simulator before ordering):
| Sticker | Petrol | Diesel |
|---|---|---|
| Green (0) | Electric and hydrogen | |
| 1 (violet) | Euro 5 and 6 (from 2011) | Not listed |
| 2 (yellow) | Euro 4 (2006 to 2010) | Euro 5 and 6 (from 2011) |
| 3 (orange) | Euro 2 and 3 (1997 to 2005) | Euro 4 (2006 to 2010) |
| 4 (bordeaux) | Not listed | Euro 3 (2001 to 2005) |
| 5 (grey) | Not listed | Euro 2 (1997 to 2000) |
| No sticker | Registered before 1997 | |
Your category comes from your registration certificate (V5C): vehicle type, fuel and Euro standard, or the first registration date if the standard is missing. Roughly, a diesel registered before 2011 or a petrol car registered before 2006 is Crit’Air 3 or worse, and would be restricted in Paris and Lyon.
How to order, price and delivery
For a vehicle registered outside France, the sticker can only be ordered online, and the only official site is certificat-air.gouv.fr. As of 11 November 2026 (Service-Public, verified 1 January 2026), the details are:
- Price: €5.11 per vehicle, postage included. That is roughly £4.50, but the rate varies. Your bank may add a card fee.
- Documents: a scan or photo of your registration certificate (JPG, PNG or PDF under 5 MB), plus a card or PayPal.
- Delivery: usually about 10 working days. You get a confirmation email within 4 hours and an emailed invoice within about 24 hours.
- Address: the sticker is posted to the address on your registration certificate, so make sure it is current.
Other pages quote different totals (for example €3.85 for French-registered vehicles, and older guides give €4.61 or €4.80). The €5.11 figure for foreign vehicles comes from the French government’s Service-Public page. Check the amount shown at checkout. One guide advises ordering at least four weeks ahead because delivery can sometimes take longer.
Scam and reseller sites
Many unofficial sites charge extra for the same sticker. An older travel guide warns that sites ending in anything other than .gouv.fr, or charging well over the official price, are resellers, and it mentions one charging €29.65. Always type certificat-air.gouv.fr yourself rather than clicking an advert. If the price at checkout is far above about €5, stop.
Fines for not displaying it
Service-Public says driving in a ZFE with a banned vehicle or without a sticker can bring a fine of up to €450, with a flat-rate fine from €68. The vehicle may also be immobilised. One travel guide says the €68 fine rises to €180 if unpaid, but that figure does not appear on the official Service-Public page, so treat it as unconfirmed.
Foreign-registered and rental cars
Service-Public has a dedicated route for ordering a sticker for a vehicle registered abroad, and says the sticker is needed by anyone who wants to drive in a ZFE. It does not carve out an exemption for foreign plates. One guide adds that the sticker is tied to the vehicle, not the driver. For hire cars, one guide says rental companies pass on fines plus an admin fee, so ask the company whether the car already has a sticker and what category it is. If you cannot get one in time, park outside the zone and use public transport. Remember, UK drivers may also need other paperwork; our guide to the International Driving Permit in Europe covers permits (it is written for US drivers).
What to do now
- Look at your V5C for fuel type, Euro standard and first registration date.
- Check your route for Paris, Lyon, Grenoble or other zones on each city’s website.
- Order from certificat-air.gouv.fr at least four weeks before you travel.
- Stick it at the front of the windscreen, visible from outside.
FAQ
How long does the sticker last?
Service-Public says it does not need renewing. One travel guide says a replacement after windscreen damage costs the fee again.
Can I move it to another car?
No. One article states it cannot be moved from one windscreen to another, and each vehicle needs its own.
What if my car is Crit’Air 3 or worse?
You would still need the sticker, but Paris and Lyon restrict those categories, so avoid driving into those zones during restricted hours.
Bottom line
If your trip includes a French low-emission zone, order the Crit’Air sticker from certificat-air.gouv.fr and allow a month for delivery. It costs about €5, whereas a missed sticker can mean a fine of €68 or more, and lookalike sites can charge several times as much.
Sources
- Service-Public: Crit’Air label or tablet (air quality certificate)
- Service-Public: Apply online for a Crit’Air sticker for a vehicle registered abroad
- Guichet Carte Grise: Suppression des ZFE, le vote du 8 octobre 2026
- APH: Paris anti-pollution sticker Crit’Air
