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Crit'Air Sticker France
The Crit'Air sticker (vignette Crit'Air) is France's mandatory clean-air windscreen sticker, and you need one before you drive into a French low-emission zone. It shows which emissions class your vehicle falls into, from green for electric cars through to grey for the oldest diesels, and it is what gets you into cities such as Paris and Lyon. Drive into a zone without one and you risk a fine, whether your car is registered in the UK or anywhere else. Order your Crit'Air sticker France below, and travel with valid proof in your inbox within 48 hours.
Why do I need a Crit'Air sticker in France?
The Crit'Air sticker has been compulsory in French cities since July 2016, when the government introduced the certificat qualité de l'air, the official name of the Crit'Air scheme. It lets local authorities create permanent and temporary low-emission zones, and inside those zones every motor vehicle must display a valid Crit'Air vignette. The colour on the sticker decides whether you are allowed in, and foreign-registered vehicles are treated exactly like French ones.
The Crit'Air rules tighten when pollution peaks: on smog days a city can bar the dirtier categories altogether, and a vehicle with no sticker at all is the first to be turned away.
A Crit'Air sticker is a round windscreen disc showing a number from 0 to 5, a colour and your registration number, and it tells the authorities how clean your vehicle is. That classification is why it is compulsory in every French low-emission zone: it decides which vehicles may enter when air-quality rules apply. Applying in advance is the only reliable way to be sure of access to those areas.
When do you need a Crit'Air sticker in France?
You need a Crit'Air sticker from the moment your route enters a low-emission zone. In permanent zones (ZFE) and restricted traffic zones (ZCR), such as those in Paris and Lyon, the sticker is required every day of the year. In temporary zones (ZPA) it only becomes compulsory when air pollution peaks, and those restrictions are announced at short notice, often only the day before. On motorways, in rural areas and in towns without a zone you may drive without one. Because a peak can be declared while you are already on the road, most drivers order in advance rather than gamble on the forecast.
Who can apply for a Crit'Air sticker, and what you need
Anyone can apply, wherever the vehicle is registered; you do not need to be French or live in France. All we need is your registration number and a photo or scan of your vehicle registration document, because that is where the emissions data and the vehicle identification number come from. We check those details against the French rules before submitting your application, so a typo does not cost you the sticker. For just €18.95 including handling and delivery, we apply on your behalf and send your digital proof within 48 hours. Apply for your Crit'Air sticker before you travel rather than once you are on the road.
Why order your Crit'Air sticker from VignetDirect:
- You receive an official Crit'Air vignette for France;
- Within 48 hours, you get an official proof to travel with;
- Very simple ordering process;
- Pay with card, Apple Pay or PayPal.
How to apply for a Crit'Air sticker in four steps
The Crit'Air application itself takes about a minute. Work through the four steps below; from there we check your details, submit the application to the French authorities on your behalf and keep you updated by email.
- Enter your registration number;
- Fill in your personal details;
- Upload your registration certificate;
- Checkout.
That is the whole Crit'Air application. Within 48 hours you receive digital proof you can travel on, and on average the physical sticker for your windscreen arrives within 14 days.
Crit'Air sticker France: where do you need one?
Wondering where a Crit'Air sticker is actually checked? France marks its low-emission zones with signs reading ZFE or Zone à Faibles Émissions, and the largest of them sit in and around Paris and Lyon. Inside those zones the sticker must be on your windscreen whenever the vehicle is driven or parked, and the rules apply to British and other foreign-registered vehicles exactly as they do to French ones.
France has stepped back from its original plan to force a low-emission zone on every large urban area. In practice, Paris and Lyon are the strictly enforced Crit'Air zones: both have refused Crit'Air 3 vehicles since January 2025, and both operate permanently rather than only on smog days. Other cities run lighter, voluntary or peak-pollution schemes, and those rules can be relaxed or tightened from one year to the next. Because enforcement differs so much per city, check the Crit'Air zones in France along your route before you leave. You will need a Crit'Air sticker in the following areas:
Do you need a Crit'Air sticker in Paris?
Yes — Paris operates a permanent low-emission zone (ZFE) covering the area inside the A86 ring road, and every car driven there needs a Crit'Air sticker, including vehicles registered abroad. Restrictions for cars apply on weekdays from 8am to 8pm, and since January 2025 Crit'Air 3 vehicles (orange) are refused alongside categories 4 and 5 — green, purple and yellow stickers still get you in. Checks combine cameras and roadside patrols, and driving without a sticker risks a €68 fine for a car. Order your Crit'Air sticker before you travel to Paris and it covers every other French low-emission zone for the life of your vehicle.
Read more about the Paris low-emission zone
Crit'Air rules for each vehicle type
The Crit'Air category you are given depends on fuel type, Euro standard and the year the vehicle was first registered, so petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric are treated very differently. Below is what to expect for each type of vehicle before you apply.
- Petrol cars: from Euro 1 (built from 1993) onwards qualify for a Crit'Air sticker. Euro 5 and Euro 6 get purple, Euro 4 gets yellow, and Euro 2 and Euro 3 get orange.
- Diesel cars: need at least Euro 2 (from 1997) to qualify for a Crit'Air sticker. Euro 5 and Euro 6 get yellow, Euro 4 gets orange, Euro 3 gets burgundy and Euro 2 gets grey.
- Hybrid cars: are classified like the equivalent petrol car. Most plug-in hybrids end up with a purple or yellow Crit'Air sticker.
- Electric cars: always get Crit'Air 0, the green sticker, and may enter every low-emission zone without restriction.
- Classic cars: registered in France with Véhicule de Collection status are exempt. Foreign classics are not, so a British-registered classic car still needs a Crit'Air sticker.
- Rental cars: must carry a valid Crit'Air sticker. The rental company normally arranges it, but the driver is the one fined if it is missing.
- Motorcycles: and scooters registered from 1 June 2000 can be classified and given a Crit'Air sticker based on their Euro standard; older two-wheelers cannot. Rules for two-wheelers differ per zone, so check your destination before you ride in.
Rules differ from one Crit'Air zone to the next: some refuse grey and burgundy stickers, others admit every category, and Paris and Lyon are the strictest of all. Check which Crit'Air sticker your vehicle gets with our registration check before you set off.
Which Crit'Air sticker do I need for France?
The Crit'Air sticker you need depends on what your vehicle emits, not on where it is registered. The French Ministry for Ecological Transition sorts vehicles into six Crit'Air categories, each with its own colour, based on fuel type, Euro standard and date of first registration. Enter your registration number or vehicle details below and you will see which category applies before you order.
Which environmental sticker will I get?
Enter your vehicle details and find out straight away which Crit'Air sticker your vehicle needs.
Crit'Air categories and colours
- Green (Crit'Air 0): zero-emission vehicles, meaning electric and hydrogen cars. This is the only category with access to every low-emission zone in France at all times, including on peak-pollution days.
- Purple (Crit'Air 1): the cleanest combustion vehicles: petrol cars meeting Euro 5 or Euro 6 (from 2011) and all gas-powered vehicles (LPG/CNG). Purple is admitted to every French low-emission zone under normal conditions.
- Yellow (Crit'Air 2): petrol cars meeting Euro 4 (2006-2010) and diesel cars meeting Euro 5 or Euro 6 (from 2011). Yellow still gets you into Paris and Lyon.
- Orange (Crit'Air 3): petrol cars meeting Euro 2 or Euro 3 (1997-2005) and diesel cars meeting Euro 4 (2006-2010). Paris and Lyon have refused this category since January 2025, so check before you drive in.
- Burgundy (Crit'Air 4): older diesel cars meeting Euro 3 (2001-2005). Access is limited in most Crit'Air zones and refused outright in the strictest ones.
- Grey (Crit'Air 5): the most polluting diesel cars, meeting Euro 2 (1997-2000). This category is barred from most permanent low-emission zones in France.
What if my Crit'Air sticker does not arrive in time?
You can still travel. Within 48 hours of ordering you receive digital proof of your Crit'Air application, and that document stands in for the physical sticker until it reaches you. Print it or keep it on your phone, show it behind the windscreen during checks, and you may enter low-emission zones as normal. Ordering late is therefore not a problem: at the roadside it is the proof that counts, and the sticker follows by post.
Don't forget: mandatory items in your car when driving to France
Besides your Crit'Air sticker, French law requires a few items in the car itself. You must carry a warning triangle for emergencies and a reflective safety vest for the driver. The vest has to be within reach from the driver's seat rather than packed in the boot, and it is sensible to carry one for every passenger.
- A warning triangle
- Reflective safety vest for the driver
An alcohol test has not been compulsory since 2020, but it is still worth carrying. Pack these items along with your Crit'Air sticker before you set off!
Which vehicles are exempt from the Crit'Air sticker?
Not every vehicle needs a Crit'Air sticker in France. The following are exempt:
- Police, fire service, and ambulances
- Agricultural tractors, work vehicles, mobile machinery, and equipment
- Vehicles belonging to registered local residents
- Classic vehicles registered in France that are over 30 years old (Véhicule de Collection)
Exemptions vary from city to city, so check the rules for the low-emission zone you are heading for and which permanent or temporary exemptions apply there.
Buy your Crit'Air sticker online
Buying a Crit'Air sticker online takes one minute and one payment. Pay securely by card, Apple Pay or PayPal and your order is confirmed in your inbox immediately. Within 48 hours you receive an invoice with a coupon that serves as temporary proof, so you may enter the zones straight away. The sticker itself follows by post, usually within 14 days: a round adhesive disc printed with the category number, its colour and your registration number, which goes on the inside of the windscreen. Order your Crit'Air sticker France before departure and there is nothing left to arrange en route.
Driving through more than one country?
Enter your route in the route planner and see straight away which vignettes and emissions stickers you need for France, Germany and Austria. All in one order.
More questions about the Crit'Air sticker?
If you have a question about applying for a Crit'Air sticker or about the low-emission zones in France, visit our FAQ page or contact our customer service. We're here to help!
Yes, inside a low-emission zone. A Crit'Air sticker is compulsory in French zones such as Paris, Lyon and Grenoble, and the rules apply to foreign-registered vehicles in exactly the same way. Outside those zones you may drive without one. Because a zone can start at a city boundary, check your route before you set off rather than at the sign.
Not for now. On 21 May 2026 the French Constitutional Council struck the abolition out of the simplification act, ruling that the clause had been added to a law it did not belong in. Every existing ZFE therefore stays in force, and in 2026 you still need a Crit’Air sticker for cities such as Paris, Lyon and Grenoble. If the law does change after all, we will update this page.
You can buy your Crit'Air sticker for France online at VignetDirect. Enter your registration number, upload your vehicle registration document and pay; the whole order takes about a minute. Digital proof reaches your inbox within 48 hours, and the physical Crit'Air sticker arrives by post within roughly 14 days, ready for the windscreen.
Your Crit'Air category depends on fuel type, Euro standard and the date your vehicle was first registered. Electric and hydrogen cars get green Crit'Air 0, cleaner petrol cars purple or yellow, and older diesels orange, burgundy or grey. Enter your registration number in the check above and you will see your category straight away.
Applying for a Crit'Air sticker takes four steps: enter your registration number, add your personal details, upload your vehicle registration document and pay. The application itself takes about a minute, and we submit it to the French authorities for you. Digital proof reaches your inbox within 48 hours and the physical sticker follows within roughly 14 days.
Yes, but not into a low-emission zone. You can drive to and through France without a Crit'Air sticker on the motorway and in towns that have no zone. The moment your route enters a zone such as Paris or Lyon you need a valid sticker on the windscreen, and entering without one risks a fine.
Driving without a valid Crit'Air sticker in a French low-emission zone costs €68 for a passenger car and €135 for a lorry or bus. Repeat offences can be fined more heavily. Foreign-registered vehicles are not exempt: a British car caught in a Paris zone faces exactly the same penalty as a French one.
A Crit'Air sticker is valid for life. There is no annual renewal and no expiry date: it stays valid for as long as the registration number and the technical details of the vehicle remain unchanged. You only need a new one if you change vehicle, change number plates, or the sticker becomes unreadable.
Stick the Crit'Air sticker to the inside of the windscreen, in the bottom-right corner on the passenger side, so an inspector can read it from outside the car. Clean and dry the glass first so it holds properly. Do not place it behind a tinted strip or a sunshade, and do not leave it loose on the dashboard.
Which Crit'Air sticker you need depends on your vehicle: its fuel type, Euro standard and date of first registration. The French Ministry for Ecological Transition sorts vehicles into six Crit'Air categories, each with its own colour:
0 – Green (electric and hydrogen)
1 – Purple (LPG, CNG and petrol Euro 5 and Euro 6)
2 – Yellow (petrol Euro 4 and diesel Euro 5 and Euro 6)
3 – Orange (petrol Euro 2 and Euro 3, diesel Euro 4)
4 – Burgundy (diesel Euro 3)
5 – Grey (diesel Euro 2)
No Crit'Air sticker is issued for cars registered before 1997 or motorcycles registered before 1 June 2000
Yes, a hire car needs a Crit'Air sticker like any other vehicle. The rental company normally arranges it, but the driver is the one fined at the roadside, so check the windscreen before you set off. If the sticker is missing, you can apply for one yourself using the vehicle registration document.
Yes. A European disabled parking permit does not replace the Crit'Air sticker, and there is no separate Crit'Air category for disabled drivers, because the classification is based purely on what the vehicle emits. Your permit still brings parking benefits in French cities, but on its own it will not get you into a low-emission zone.
Yes. You can apply for a Crit'Air sticker for a hire car, a lease car or a company vehicle, because the sticker belongs to the vehicle rather than the driver. The process is identical to a private application: you need a copy of the vehicle registration document and the vehicle identification number shown on it.
You receive an invoice with a coupon within 48 hours of ordering. That coupon, together with your registration number, counts as temporary proof of your Crit'Air sticker, so you can travel and enter low-emission zones before the sticker itself exists. The physical Crit'Air sticker then follows by post in about 14 days.
A Crit'Air sticker for France costs €18.95 at VignetDirect. That price covers the official certificate, our application service, administration and delivery to your address. There are no hidden costs and no annual renewal fee. The sticker is a one-off purchase that stays valid for as long as you keep the vehicle.
You can apply yourself through the official portal certificat-air.gouv.fr if you're comfortable with French government forms. The sticker costs €3.85 there (to a French address) and you enter the vehicle data manually. Or let us handle it for €18.95 including shipping: you fill in a short form, and we check your documents to prevent a wrong category and submit the application. You get English-language support, temporary digital proof within 48 hours and the sticker at home within 14 days.
Crit'Air zones are policed by local authorities and the national police, who check both moving and parked vehicles. Paris and other large cities also use automatic number plate recognition cameras that read the plate and look up the emissions class. Those cameras rely on French registration data, so foreign vehicles are checked in person instead. A missing sticker is fined under Article R.411-19-1 of the French Traffic Code.
