There are now 12 French cities that have low-emission zones in place, which restrict the types of vehicles that can drive within their limits.
All vehicles driving through these zones, including foreign-registered vehicles and two wheelers, must be equipped with a 'clean air' sticker.
This is known as a 'Crit’Air' vignette and must be placed on the vehicle's windscreen [or the front, such as fork or mudguard, of a motorbike], and show the pollution level of the vehicle.
Read more: A guide to Crit’Air stickers in France
You can buy a Crit’Air sticker for your vehicle through the official website (which is available in English)
The zones are known as ZFEs (zones à faibles émissions). Most ban vehicles of a Crit’Air level 4 and above.
In theory, all towns with a population of 150,000 or above are due to implement a ZFE before January 1, 2025, however local authorities are dubious about bringing in controls.
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Read more: Watch out for 2024 Crit’Air car sticker scam in France
Below, our map shows the rules in place within each city as well as the locations where new ZFEs are set to be brought in. Many cities have differing rules on which vehicles can enter.
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The list of cities with a ZFE already in place are:
Grenoble, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Paris, Lyon, Marseille Reims, Toulouse, Montpellier, Nice, Saint-Etienne, Clermont-Ferrand
Grenoble and Montpellier are running an ‘educational period’ with drivers of Crit’Air level 4 vehicles being informed of the rules, but not being penalised. Those driving Crit'Air level 5 cars will face penalties.
Crit’Air level 4 restrictions in Grenoble only apply on weekdays between 08:00 and 19:00.
Crit’Air level 3 vehicles are technically banned in Strasbourg, but drivers are facing an ‘educational period’ with no fines being handed out.
In Paris, Crit’Air level 3 vehicles may be banned before the start of 2025, but this will not come into play before the Olympics.
Toulouse and Montpellier offer ‘passes’ which allow vehicles otherwise banned to access the ZFE for a certain number of days per year.
The cities which have unique rules in place are listed below:
Nice: Cars of a Crit’Air level 5 (and those registered before 1997) are banned, but motorcycles are not yet affected.
Saint-Etienne: Only vehicles first registered before 1997 are banned. Other restrictions apply to lorries and other HGVs.
Clermont-Ferrand: Only vehicles first registered before January 1, 1997 are banned.
Drivers in breach of rules may face fines of €68 per infraction (increased to €135 for drivers of HGVs).
Cities set to bring in restrictions by 2025 are:
Bayonne, Pau, Perpignan, Nîmes, Avignon, Toulon, Chambéry, Annecy, Annemasse, Dijon, Mulhouse, Nancy, Metz, Amiens, Valenciennes, Doaui-Lens, Lille, Béthune, Dunkerque, Le Havre, Caen, Rennes, Brest, Le Mans, Nantes, Angers, Tours, Orléans, Limoges, and Bordeaux.
In theory, cities with restrictions already in place are meant to steadily increase the number of cars banned from roads.
Better-than-expected levels of air pollution in cities such as Marseille, however, mean expected changes in 2025 are now no longer set to come into force.
Read more: Air pollution improvement: Three French cities can ease car ban rules
Exact information on which districts within a city are affected can be found through prefecture websites, as well as any other specific rules relating to lorries or other vehicles.
