Is it necessary to pay a French driving fine before contesting it?

Reader Question: I have received a fine for speeding, but I am convinced I was driving under the limit when I was flashed. Can I contest the fine? 

Whether you must pay a driving fine to contest it in France depends on the type of fine you have received.

In most cases, you should not pay the fine if you wish to contest it.

Article L223-1 of France’s Highway Code states that “The reality of an offence resulting in the loss of points is established by the payment of a fixed fine.” 

This means that by paying the fine you are given, you implicitly accept it. 

Therefore, you should contest the fine without paying. 

This can be done in one of three ways: via a registered letter (enclosing the original notice of the fixed fine), a letter addressed to the public prosecutor (the address of which is found on the fine), or via the ANTAI website (through the désignation ou contestation section). 

Information on how to contest the fine can be found on the document you receive (either police notice or letter via post), and you will need this original notice, as well as copies of your ID and carte grise (certificat d’immatriculation) to contest it. 

A deposit may be needed 

Note however, that in some cases, you need to pay a deposit (consignation) to challenge a fine.

Four main offences are subject to a consignation according to the Highway Code: excess speeding, driving too close to another vehicle, not driving in the correct lane, and not stopping when expected (ie. at a red light). 

When challenging a fine based on these offences, you must pay this deposit (either by bank transfer, cheque, or a fine stamp if sending a physical letter contesting the fine). 

Note that from 2025, automatic radars using AI (artificial intelligence) will be able to issue fines for both of the first two offences. 

Read more: Does France use ‘AI’ speed radars? What does this mean for drivers?

Fines can be contested on grounds including whether you were driving the vehicle at the time, as well as if the fine is valid, however you cannot contest the amount of the fine. 

You have 45 days to contest – or pay – a fine from the date it was issued or sent out by post (not the date you receive it) 

This rises to three months for increased fixed fine notices. 

For fines sent abroad, an additional one month is given to contest the fine. 

More information on how to contest a fine can be found on the ANTAI website (in English), or in our article. 

Contesting a parking fine follows slightly different rules, which we covered in an article earlier in November. 

Read more: Number of wrongly issued parking fines rising in France: how to appeal

In 2023 a record number of driving fines were handed out in France. 

Read more: Mystery over how French driving fines continue to reach UK addresses