Emergency advices

Speeding fines in France

Foreigner or not, speeding is punishable by law (usual speed limits). Having a french driving licence or not, driving a vehicle with french driving plates or not, will make a difference in the outcome:
- You are arrested by the police or gendarmerie for moderate speeding ; fine to be paid on the spot or later. Points lost if french driving licence.
- You are arrested by the police or gendarmerie for inmoderate speeding (in excess of 50km/h) ; fine to be paid, licence confiscated, vehicle might be impounded.
- You are caught speeding by a speed camera, but not arrested with a foreign registered car ; you are not likely to ever have to pay the fine, except if you are from Luxembourg.

What to do if you wish to challenge the offence?

In that case you must not pay the fine, neither on the spot, nor later.

Call us immediately, to prepare your défence.

What is your risk ?

The police or gendarmerie for inmoderate speeding (in excess of 40 or 50km/h), may decide on the spot :

- a driving ban, for 72 hours.

- an immediate immobilization of your vehicule.

- a deposit of 750 euros, paid on the spot.

- a temporary and immediate driving ban on French territory up to six month.

You won't be allowed to take the wheel until the end of driving ban.

The Judge may decide :

- a fine to be paid equal or exceeding the amount of the deposit,

- a driving ban on french territory up to three years.

- an temporary or permanent impound of the vehicule, if it is yours.

What about your European Community driving licence if you live in France.

If you commit in France an such offence, you might be obliged to exchange your European Community driving licence for a french one.

In that case, 4 or 6 points will be taken off your new french driving licence, after the exchange.

If you wish to drive in France on a driving licence obtained abroad or wish to exchange your foreign licence for a French one, then we can advise you.

Driving on a European Licence

If you are a visitor from within the European Community and European Economic Area and hold a valid licence, you can drive in France in accordance with your driving licence.

If you are a french resident and hold a valid European Community licence, you can drive in France with your driving licence until the time limit, mentioned on it.

If you come to live in France and hold a European Community licence you need not to exchange it.

Nevertheless, in that case, if you commit in France an offence, carrying a loss of points, like excessive speed over 40 or 50 km/h, driving while affected by drugs or alcohol, running a red light, you might be obliged to exchange your European Community driving licence for a french one.

In that case, you must take our legal advice.

Driving on a Non-European Licence

If your driving licence is obtained abroad from a country on the list of ‘designated countries’, it can be exchanged for a French licence.

If you are visiting France your driving licence will allow you, for 12 months, to drive any type of vehicle that weighs up to 3.5 tonnes, has no more than 8 passenger seats and is shown on your licence.

If you are coming to live in France, your driving licence, obtained abroad will allow you to drive small vehicles for 12 months, and to drive after that period, you must exchange your foreign driving licence for a french one.

If your driving licence is from a country that is not on the list of ‘designated countries’, it cannot be exchanged for a french one.

If you are visiting France your driving licence will allow you, for 12 months, to drive any type of vehicle that weighs up to 3.5 tonnes, has no more than 8 passenger seats and is shown on your licence.

If you are coming to live in France, your licence will allow you to drive small vehicles shown on your licence for 12 months.
Nevertheless, in that case, if you commit in France, before the end of this period, an offence carrying a loss of points, like excessive speed over 40 or 50 km/h, driving while affected by drugs or alcohol, running a red light, you can be obliged to exchange your driving licence obtained abroad for a French one.

To continue driving after the 12 months period, you will have to pass a French driving test before the 12 month period ends.

Outside this period, you will have to obtain a provisional licence to continue driving and then pass a test.

The best way to ensure that you are driving legally beyond 12 months period, is to ensure that you pass the French driving test before the end of the 12 months period and you obtain successfully a French provisional licence.

Anyone driving in France the correct driving licence is likely to be driving without insurance which is a separate offence.

The comments above, are in accordance with the statement of the law. Expert advice should always be requested.

In France the limit is 0.50g per liter of blood.

It’is about two glasses of wine for an average person.

Your alcohol level might be measured by law and order forces via a breath analizer (usually done should the police/gendarmerie officer suspects you drank, or done randomly).

What happens if you are over the limit ?

If you have between 0.5g/l and 0.8 g/l, the fine is 135 euros, to be paid on the spot, loss of six points on your driving licence (if french), and you won't be allowed to take the wheel until you are below 0.5g/l.

If you have more than 0.8g/l : licence confiscated, fine up to 4500 euros and possible jail time up to 2 years, decided by a judge (severity of the sentence depending of course on how drunk you were, behaviour etc), plus 6 points taken off the licence. You might also be banned from driving in France for up to 3 years.

What about drugs?

If you add to that drugs (including canabis) : up to 9000 euros, up to 9 years jail time.

In case of a crash while drunk ?

If you caused a crash while drunk, up to 30000 euros and up to 2 years jail time in case of serious injuries, up to 150000 euros and up to 10 years jail time in case of fatalities.

What about your European Community driving licence if you live in France.

If you commit in France a such offence, ( driving while affected by drugs or alcohol ), you might be obliged to exchange your European Community driving licence for a french one.

In that case, 4 or 6 points will be taken off your new french driving licence, after the exchange.

 

Using drugs is prohibited in France. Drug use is distinct offence punishable by up to one year imprisonment and a € 3,750 fine.

It is an offence for a person to drive a motor vehicle on a public street or in a public place if the person has the prescribed concentration of alcohol or more in the person's breath or blood.

French approach is to prosecute drivers, simply for having traces of illegal drugs in the body.

In fact, the official French wording suggests a driver could be tested at the discretion of a gendarme anytime after a road safety offence,

In France, police carry out saliva tests at the roadside to detect cannabis, cocaine and other substances.

Be carefull, refusing saliva or blood tests is distinct offence, punishable by the law.

If these tests are positive, you will be required to give a sample of blood for analysis by a biologic laboratory.

Drivers who test positive for a substance classified as a narcotic face up to two years imprisonment and a €4,500 fine.

These penalties are increased to three years imprisonment and a €9,000 fine for drivers also under the influence of alcohol.

What happens if you test positive for having traces of illegal drugs in the body ?

- you won't be allowed to take the wheel

- licence confiscated, on the spot

- fine up to 4500 euros and possible jail time up to 2 years, decided by a judge (severity of the sentence depending of course of your behaviour etc),

- you might also be banned from driving in France for up to 3 years.

In case of a crash while under the influence of drug ?

If you caused a crash while under the influence of drug, up to 30000 euros and up to 2 years jail time in case of serious injuries, up to 150000 euros and up to 10 years jail time in case of fatalities.

What about your European Community driving licence if you live in France.

If you commit in France a such offence, ( driving while affected by drugs), you might be obliged to exchange your European Community driving licence for a french one.

In that case, 6 points will be taken off your new french driving licence, after the exchange.