In France, you can receive a ticket either by being pulled over by a police officer or from a fixed speed camera. In the latter case you will probably notice the flash from the camera, and there is a good chance you might receive a speeding ticket by post from French authorities in the coming weeks.
For those looking for information about French parking tickets, click HERE.
How much will the fine be? Are there other consequences?
The amount of the speeding ticket (Avis de Contravention in French) depends on how many kilometres above the speed limit you were driving.
If your infraction is for under 20km/h in a speed zone where the maximum is above 50km/h, then you will receive a fixed fine of €68.
For speeding in an area with a maximum speed limit below or equal to 50km/h then your fine will be €135.
Speeding between 20km/h to 50km/h above the speed limit will also lead to a fine of €135, but you may be subject to point removal from your licence, and possibly a road safety awareness course requirement too.
For speeding 50km/h above the speed limit, you can incur a fine (amende in French) of up to €1,500.
If you were ticketed while driving a rental car, then your rental agency may impose an administrative fee for passing along the ticket from French law enforcement to the listed address on your contract.
READ MORE: France's speed camera cars: Where are they and how can you spot them?
What about points on my licence?
If you have a French driving licence, speeding violations will lead to points being automatically deducted from your licence. Keep in mind it may take a few weeks for this to process.
A French driver's licence (permis de conduire) is made up of a maximum of 12 points - if you lose 12 or more points through accumulated offences then you lose your licence. You can check how many points you have on your licence by going onto the government website "Service Télépoints" (HERE). In order to access the service, you will need to have your file number and confidential code on hand.
People who are either not resident in France or who are residents but are using a non-French licence face a slightly mixed picture when it comes to points on their licences.
Non-EU citizens who are resident in France need to either exchange their licence for a French one (if their country has an agreement with France that allows them to do this) or take a French driving test within one year of arriving in France. The situation for those with UK driving licences is slight different - full details here.
If you are resident in France and have not yet exchanged your licence, then you may be asked to do so when you receive the fine in the mail.
For non-EU citizens who incurred their speeding ticket while visiting France, whether or not you receive a point on your foreign licence depends on whether your country (or state) has a reciprocal agreement with France. Likewise not all countries have reciprocal agreements with France, so you may never receive the fine notice in the post.
Here is the sliding scale for points deducted for speeding offences:
- less than 20 km/h – 1 point
- more than 20km/h if the speed limit is under 50km/h – 1 point
- between 20km/h and 30km/h – 2 points
- between 30 km/h and 40 km/h – 3 points; driver's licence suspension for three years; prohibition to drive certain motor vehicles for up to three years; required completion of a road safety awareness course
- between 40km/h and 50 km/h – 4 points; driver's licence suspension for three years; prohibition from driving certain motor vehicles for up to three years; required completion of a road safety awareness course.
- more than 50 km/h – 6 points; licence suspension for three years, possible confiscation of the vehicle (if you are the owner); required completion of a road safety course. If you have more than on offence of speeding greater than 50km/h above the speed limit then you could be jailed for up to three months and be prohibited from driving certain motor vehicles for up to five years. Your vehicle may also be immobilised and impounded.
If you have a French licence, then you may be eligible for a point recovery courses (Stage de récupération des points du permis de conduire in French). You can find more information HERE.
When do you have to pay the ticket by?
In France, fixed fines should be paid within 45 days after the sending of the bill. Typically, if payment is made within 15 days (30 days for online procedures), then you may be eligible for a reduction (minoré) in the fine. If the payment is not made within 45 days (60 days for online procedures), then the amount will be increased (majoré).
If you were ticketed while driving in a rental car, then the rental car will first receive your fine. They will pass along the rental contract to French authorities, who will then send you your fine by post.
How do I pay the fine?
You can pay in a few different ways. First, you can pay online by using the French website Amendes.Gouv.Fr (HERE) - you will pay your credit or debit card.
Next, if you pay while the fine is still minoré (within 15 days) then you you can pay by a check. You can make it out to the Trésor Public (or the Direction Générale des Finances Publiques, depending on what is indicated on the fine). It must be accompanied by the fine you received in the mail.
You can also pay in person with cash, check or credit/debit card at a public finance centre, but you must do so while the fine is minoré. Cash payment is limited to €300.
What if I don't pay my fine?
Throwing away the fine will not help you, even if you live outside of France and you got the ticket while on holiday. The fee will increase with time. For example, your original fine was €68 then it can rise up to €180 if not paid within the required timeline. If your original fee was €135, then it can be raised up to €375.
According to Euronews, recent legislation by the European Union has made it so that if you fail to pay a speeding fine in one country, you may be blocked from renting a vehicle in another EU country. Therefore, you should be advised to pay your fine as soon as possible, and within the required timeframe.
On top of that - if you fail to pay a fine that was incurred while using a rental car, the rental agency can also charge more administrative fees if they need to process and send more information to you.
Can I contest the ticket?
Yes - you can appeal against a speeding ticket either by post or online. The appeal process used to be a lengthy one which involved sending a string of documents to the French Prosecutions Officer, or officier du ministère public, based in Rennes.
Technically, you can still choose this option - sending your appeal and supporting documents to the address in the top left corner of your ticket. However since 2015 it has also been possible to appeal online, and this process is a lot more straightforward.
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