While the Low Emission Zone (ZFE) of the Lyon metropolitan area has been extended to Crit'Air 3 vehicles since January 1, the sticker on the windshield remains mandatory for driving. What to do if you don't have it yet? Explanations.
As of this Wednesday, January 1, 2025, Crit'air 3 vehicles can no longer circulate in the Low Emission Zone (ZFE) of the Lyon metropolitan area, in addition to Crit'Air 5 (September 2022) and Crit'Air 4 (January 1, 2024). In addition, the Crit'Air sticker, which makes it possible to assess the degree of pollution of a vehicle, is now compulsory for driving in the ZFEs of new French cities (Bordeaux, Rennes, Lille, etc.). In Lyon, it is already compulsory since the establishment of the ZFE in September 2022. As a reminder, in the metropolis of Lyon, this zone concerns Lyon, Villeurbanne, Caluire-et-Cuire, the districts of Bron and Vénissieux within of the Laurent-Bonnevay ring road, as well as the M6-M7 and the North ring road.
Read also: Ban on Crit'air 3 vehicles: the Lyon ZFE is getting tough
Which sticker will you be entitled to?
From sticker 1 to 5, from purple to gray, the Crit'Air classification is defined from the least polluting vehicle to the most polluting. Age, vehicle type and fuel used are taken into account. Information that you find on your registration document. The new Crit'Air 3 vehicles concerned in Lyon are those running on gasoline and put into circulation between 1997 and 2005 or diesels marketed before 2010. Furthermore, the government has set up a simulator to know the classification of his vehicle (here). Please note that for sending a sticker to mainland France, the cost increased on January 1, 2025 from €3.77 to €3.81.
What should you do if your sticker has not yet arrived?
In anticipation of this new obligation, you may have already placed an order to obtain your future sticker on the official dedicated website. If you have not received it yet, remember to check the status of your order on this link. You will only need to enter the vehicle registration number and country of registration. Normally, the sticker is sent within 10 days, by mail. If it has been sent, but it is still not in your mailbox after ten days, you can report the problem to site support (here) or by telephone at 0 800 97 00 33 (free call).
Can you drive without a sticker?
According to the law, no: it is obligatory. However, if you ordered it online, you must have received an invoice with the facsimile of the macaron. Proof of purchase that you can show to law enforcement. If you order by mail, you will not have proof of purchase. But, as has been the case since the establishment of the ZFE in Lyon, checks of stickers by the police remain rare, very rare.
And local political actors do not seem against this gentle start. “To be able to fine, there must be people since obviously the State does not use radars. Everyone will understand that for several months, perhaps a little more, the priority of the municipal police of Villeurbanne is not completely oriented in this direction, given the security challenges we face.“, recently said Cédric Van Styvendael, PS mayor of Villeurbanne, in the municipal council.
Be careful though, driving without a sticker or with an unauthorized vehicle in ZFEs can cost you a 3rd class fine: 68 euros flat rate for light vehicles and 135 euros flat rate for heavy vehicles.
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