The cartoon Crit’Airalready well known to motorists in France, will play an even more important role to better manage pollution in our cities. Of the 2026it will be compulsory in 42 French cities As well as in lots of new low -emission zones (ZFE) – sectors where we want to limit the most polluting vehicles. We therefore wonder what it means concretely for drivers and how to prepare for it as best as possible.
Understand the Crit’Air sticker
The Crit’Air sticker is a sticker that we put on the windshield to indicate the level of pollution of the vehicle. This classification is based on two elements: the year of circulation and the type of fuel used. There are six categories, ranging from Crit’Air 0 (intended for electric vehicles and hydrogen) up to Crit’Air 5 (allocated to the most polluting vehicles).
Its cost is rather affordable, with a price of 3,81 euros (shipping costs included). To order it, simply go to the official certifica-Air.gouv.fr website-(beware, this site will never ask you to pay by SMS, so beware of scams).
Legal fines and sanctions
If you do not respect the obligation to display this sticker in the ZFEs concerned, you may end up with a big addition. Indeed, offenders can be inflicted fines ranging from 68 euros has 450 euros.
Low -emission areas that are multiplying
For the moment, France has 25 ZFE. Among the best known, we can cite those located in the Metropolis of Grand Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Grenoble and Aix-en-Provence.
From here 2026several new ZFEs will be born, notably in Mulhouse and Perpignan. In these sectors, the restrictions will harden gradually: whereas already certain places prohibit classified vehicles Crit’Air 4, 5 and those which are not classified, certain cities, from 2026, will also refuse access to the vehicles Crit’Air 3 – especially those which drive to diesel registered before 2011 and petrol vehicles dating before 2006.
What cities concerned from 2026
Of the 2026the obligation to have a Crit’Air vignette will extend to a long list of French cities. There are Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Lille. Other cities like Nice, Nantes, Strasbourg (which postponed the ban on the Crit’Air 3 until December 31, 2026), Montpellier and Grenoble will also have to comply. Rennes, Reims, Saint-Étienne, Toulon as well as Le Havre are also in the spot.
- Dijon
- Angers
- Nîmes
- Villeurbanne
- Clermont-Ferrand
- Le Mans
- Aix-en-Provence
- Brest
- Tours
- Amiens
- Limoges
- Annecy
In addition, Perpignan will set up his own ZFE at the start of the year, followed by Metz and Boulogne-Billancourt, as well as Besançon or Orleans, and many other cities like Argenteuil or Rouen. Mulhouse will also adopt these measures next January, just like Caen, Nancy, Saint-Paul, Montreuil and even Avignon.
This approach aims to improve our environment and make everyone aware of the ecological challenges we meet today. Thanks to these strict but necessary measures around the Crit’Air vignettes and the various regulations implemented in low -emission zones, the whole nation is advancing towards sustainable urban mobility.
