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French Environmental Stickers

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Mike Fishwick View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike Fishwick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: French Environmental Stickers
    Posted: 21 Sep 2017 at 1:39pm
The French government has recently introduced a system of stickers to denote the level of exhaust emissions for most modern cars to be used in environmentally-sensitive areas, such as city centres..  This is known as a 'Crit'Air' sticker, and is obviously intended to prompt the disposal of many cars.

For purchase information see the website https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/ which provides details.  For further details click on the ''Link to Ministry Website' tab.  The cost is 4.80 Euros, with a £ equivalent system being available on the website for vehicles not registered in France.

The system is similar to that used in Germany, being based on the level of approval the car was built to, but in typically French style they have used nine levels of approval, rather than the three levels used in Germany.  The only vehicles to merit a 'Class 1' sticker are those of purely electric ('Plug-in') type, hydrogen or LPG-fuelled, hybrids, and petrol-engined cars of Euro 5/6 from 2011 onwards.  All other vehicles will be subject to various restrictions on their use.

No doubt many British travellers will - in the usual manner of Brits abroad - ignore this requirement in the belief that they are above such requirements, and that if they profess not to understand French les gendarmes wil give a gallic shrug and let them go!  This legislation is however being taken seriously, with chargable removal of the vehicle and a fine of 145 Euros for the driver.

It is unwise to ignore this law on the basis that one does not intend to enter cities, as environmental protection zones are liable to be introduced at the whim of local councils.  It would therefore be all too easy to take a wrong turning and find that you are in an EPZ, with a gendarme lurking by the roadside.

For the rest of this year the requirement will probably only be enforced in extreme cases, but from 2018 we should not expect any mercy - I am glad that my driving days are limited . . .


Edited by Mike Fishwick - 21 Sep 2017 at 5:06pm
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PhilBM View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PhilBM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Sep 2017 at 1:18pm
Thanks for highlighting this Mike.  I bought one of these Crit Air sticker's earlier in the year as we spent a couple of days in Grenoble back in August. It was a straight forward process to order and was delivered within a few days of me submitting the application, as I was obviously one of the Brits abroad who didn't fancy a 145 euro fine. The interesting thing was, as I walked around Grenoble was how few of the local French cars had the sticker, I presuming that as you say it wasn't being fully enforced at that point. Will be interesting to see if it's changed when I return in 2018.
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BrianW View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrianW Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Apr 2018 at 6:52pm
Just received my Crit Air sticker for my upcoming trip through France.
Very easy process, although had trouble getting my scanned V5C small enough to send.
Turn round was less than a week and cost just over 4 euros including postage, some sites are offering to do it for you for the bargain price of 29 euros Angry 
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