Crit'Air sticker
French air-quality certificate ranking vehicles from E to 5 by pollutant emissions. Required in low-emission zones and during pollution peaks.
Definition
The Crit’Air sticker, or air-quality certificate, is a round windscreen sticker that classifies every vehicle according to its air-pollutant emissions (nitrogen dioxide, fine particles). It conditions the right to drive in French low-emission zones (ZFE-m) and during pollution episodes, when the prefect imposes differentiated traffic restrictions.
In detail
There are six sticker classes: E (electric and hydrogen), then 1 to 5, from least to most polluting. Classification depends on three criteria: vehicle type (car, van, two-wheeler, heavy vehicle), powertrain (electric, petrol, diesel) and the Euro emission standard or first-registration date. The oldest vehicles are not eligible: they are “unclassified” and face the strictest restrictions.
The sticker can only be ordered on the official website certificat-air.gouv.fr. Once affixed, it remains valid as long as it stays legible: a vehicle’s classification never changes over its lifetime.
Driving without a sticker (or with a banned class) in a ZFE or during differentiated traffic carries a standard fine of €68, which can reach €450.
Worked example
The certificate costs €3.85 per vehicle, delivery included, for shipment within France (€3.11 plus postage), a price covering only production and delivery costs. Equipping a fleet of 100 vehicles therefore costs €385, as a one-off since the sticker follows the vehicle for life.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Crit'Air sticker mandatory everywhere in France?
No. It is only required to drive in a low-emission zone (ZFE-m) and during pollution episodes when the prefect imposes differentiated traffic. Outside those situations it remains optional, but recommended for any vehicle likely to enter a large agglomeration.
How do you obtain stickers for a company fleet?
Orders are placed exclusively on the official website certificat-air.gouv.fr, using each vehicle's registration certificate, at €3.85 per vehicle (delivery in France included). Beware of third-party sites reselling the process at a higher price.
Related terms
- Low-emission zone (ZFE), the perimeter where the sticker conditions driving
- LOM law, the legal framework behind traffic restrictions
