Speeding laws - this is technically a 2025 change, but it came into effect on December 29th, so some people may have missed it while enjoying the post-Christmas chocolate haze.
The law change makes the most serious cases of speeding into a délit (a minor crime), meaning that drivers can be jailed, and will also get a criminal record.
This applies to people caught going more than 50km/h above the speed limit - the maximum sentence is three months in jail, a €3,750 fine and a criminal record. The courts also have the power to confiscate their vehicle for up to three years and ban them from driving for five years, with the requirement to attend a speed awareness course.
The rest of France's speeding laws remain the same - find the explanation of how they work HERE.
Contrôle technique - there is a change to the regular mandatory vehicle checks known as the contrôle technique (CT).
For most vehicles, the CT must be done every two years, and in 2024 it was extended to motorbikes.
It tests 134 things about the vehicle and includes 'critical faults' that "constitute a direct and immediate danger for road safety or that have a serious impact on the environment" - and from January 1st it includes a new section dedicated to vehicles subject to serious recall because it has Takata airbags, following difficulties encountered during recall campaigns.
READ ALSO: Contrôle technique: How to save money on your compulsory French car inspection✎
15-year driving licences - we may also get updates this year on the new rules for driving licences for older drivers.
Last year, the EU approved measures to end the practice of 'licences for life', and instead requiring countries to issue licences for a maximum of 15 years, after which they will have to be renewed.
However, while the EU suggests that countries add a medical examination as a requirement to renew a licence, the final decision on the exact process for renewal is down to each country.
For example, they may choose to replace the medical exam with self-assessment forms or other assessment systems designed at national level.
The period of validity may also be reduced for drivers over the age of 65 in order to require them to undergo more frequent medical exams and refresher courses - again, this will be up to each country.
France has until 2028 to approve and implement its version of the law - several French politicians have spoken out against the idea of a compulsory medical, saying that cars are vital to older people living in rural areas.
Péage fees - the annual increase on toll fees to drive on French motorways comes into effect on February 1st. This year, the average increase will be a small one of just 0.86 percent.
Free-flow tolls - over the course of the year, the extension of the 'flux-libre' system on the country's autoroutes will continue.
This is a change to how tolls are collected on the country's highway network, with more and more roads moving away from the péage system - where drivers stop at the tollbooth and pay the fee - to the 'free flow' system. The latter involves drivers going straight through the péage, and then paying the fees later, either online or in person at the tabac.
People who already have a télépéage badge continue to use it as before - find the full explanation HERE.
READ ALSO: How will France's new free-flow autoroute tollbooths work for foreign vehicles?✎
Pink car plates - Rules concerning temporary WW licence plates for newly imported vehicles or vehicles awaiting final registration, and W garage plates for professionals, change on January 1st, with affected vehicles obliged to display registration plates with a pink background, and include information such as the expiry date (month/year) of the provisional WW registration certificate for WW registrations.
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