What is the Crit'Air sticker?
Crit'Air is a local authorities local authorities that are committed to improving air quality: the local authorities encountering pollution problems have the possibility of setting up ZCR (Zones à Circulation Restreinte - restricted traffic zones) using Crit'Air stickers to adapt traffic flow and improve air quality over the long term.
Today, it is estimated that one in 7 deaths is due to air pollution worldwide and that 42,000 deaths people die prematurely every year in France as a result of air pollution. And road traffic is one of the main culprits because two-thirds of nitrogen dioxide emissions and 55 % of particulate emissions come from road traffic in Paris. It is also estimated that diesel cars account for 40 % emissions of fine particles in the capital.
The Air Quality Certificate, also known as the Crit'Air sticker, pollution sticker or anti-pollution sticker, is a secure sticker to be affixed to your vehicle's windscreen. It indicates the vehicle's environmental class according to its levels of atmospheric pollutant emissions.
Good to know:
Today, living in Paris during a pollution peak is like breathing in the smoke from eight cigarettes in a 20 square metre room.
What are the different categories of Crit'Air sticker?
There are 6 categories of Crit'Air stickers ranging from the least to the most polluting vehicles:
Green sticker
Crit'Air 0 is a sticker for all 100 % electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Purple sticker
Crit'Air 1 is a sticker for all gas-powered and rechargeable hybrid vehicles.
Petrol : all Euro 5 and 6 petrol vehicles.
Yellow sticker
The Crit'Air 2 sticker applies to all the following vehicles:
Petrol : all Euro 4 petrol vehicles or those registered between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2010 inclusive.
Diesel : all Euro 5 and 6 vehicles or those registered from 1 January 2011 inclusive.
Orange sticker
The Crit'Air 3 sticker applies to all the following vehicles:
Petrol : all Euro 2 and 3 vehicles or vehicles registered between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2005 inclusive.
Diesel : all Euro 4 vehicles or vehicles registered between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2010 inclusive.
Brown dot
The Crit'Air 4 sticker applies to all the following vehicles:
Diesel : all Euro 3 vehicles or vehicles registered between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2005 inclusive.
Grey sticker
Diesel : all Euro 2 vehicles or vehicles registered between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2000 inclusive.
Which zones are affected by the Crit'Air sticker?
The Air Quality Certificate is compulsory for driving and parking in the restricted traffic zones set up by certain Member States. local authorities to be able to drive in the ZPAs when the local prefecture introduces differentiated traffic.
Eco-labels are already compulsory in Grenoble, Lyon-Villeurbanne, Lille, Strasbourg and Paris. But in addition to Grenoble, Lyon and Paris, other large municipalities will no doubt also be affected in the near futureThese are the areas covered by an atmospheric protection plan (PPA). In fact, all conurbations where pollution peaks are frequent could adopt the plan to introduce traffic restrictions. It will be up to the elected representatives and prefects of the areas concerned to decide.
To find out whether your local prefecture has introduced differentiated traffic, you can consult the following tool Atmospheric Vigilance set up by the Ministry of the Ecological Transition and Solidarity.
This site collects, manages and disseminates information relating to forecasts of ambient air pollution episodes and the prefectoral procedures implemented during these episodes, including differentiated traffic: it is automatically updated as soon as a prefectoral procedure is decided.
What are the benefits for electric vehicle users?
In addition to traffic restrictions, the Crit'Air certificate is an essential element for the electric cars. In fact, the Crit'Air certificate is an excellent lever for benefits for EV owners:
- Favourable parking arrangements
- Ideal traffic conditions
- Possibility of driving in restricted traffic zones or during pollution peaks
Are Crit'Air stickers also available for motorbikes?
Of course! Stickers are also available for two-wheelers, based on the same principle as their 4-wheeled rivals.
- Green sticker : for all zero-emission vehicles (100 % electric and hydrogen).
- Purple sticker : for 2-wheeled vehicles complying with the Euro 4 standard marketed from 1 January 2017 for motorbikes and 1 January 2018 for mopeds.
- Yellow sticker : for 2-wheeled vehicles complying with the Euro 3 standard from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2016 for motorbikes and 31 December 2017 for mopeds.
- Orange sticker : for 2-wheel Euro 2 vehicles from 1 July 2004 to 31 December 2006.
- Brown vignette : for all other 2-wheel vehicles registered between 1 June 2000 and 30 June 2004.
How do I obtain a Crit'Air certificate?
You can apply for a Crit'Air certificate online at official Crit'Air websiteTo find out which Crit'Air category your vehicle belongs to, you can use this tool to carry out a simulation.
When placing your order, make sure you have your vehicle registration document (carte grise) with you, so that you know for which vehicle you are placing your order. Euro standard your vehicle belongs to, as well as the date of your first registration. You will also be asked for this document number when you place your order.
How much does a Crit'Air certificate cost?
Once you have placed your order, the Crit'Air sticker will be sent by post to the address given on the vehicle registration document.
Be careful, therefore, if your address is not up to date on this document. Delivery times are generally around ten days. When you make your purchase, beware of unofficial websites that take advantage of the event to boost their margins and offer you a coloured badge that is much more expensive than the real thing.
The price of the anti-pollution sticker has been set at €3.70. Including postage, you will therefore have to pay 3.62 euros to obtain this precious sesame. This is considerably less than the 300 to 400 francs charged for the car tax sticker that had to be affixed to all vehicles on the road until the end of the 1990s.
How do I use the crit'Air sticker?
Where to stick your Crit'Air certificate?
It's all very well having a Crit'Air sticker, but you still need to know where to stick it. Don't panic, we'll explain everything!
The air quality certificate must be affixed to the front of the vehicle so that it can be read by enforcement officers from the outside. Its position may vary depending on the type of vehicle:
- Cars : for cars, light commercial vehicles, HGVs, buses and coaches: your sticker must be affixed to the inside of the vehicle, front visible from the outside, on the lower right-hand side of the windscreen.
- Others : for motorised two-wheelers, tricycles and quadricycles: you will need to affix your sticker on the front, visible from the outside, on any surface located in front of the shaped plan by the fork.
What are the penalties for not having a Crit'Air certificate?
Failure to display a Crit'Air sticker or wearing a non-matching Crit'Air sticker has been punishable by a fine set according to the different types of vehicle since 1 January 2017.
The fine for driving without a Crit'Air sticker can range from €68 for cars and other vehicles to €135 for HGVs and coaches. The fine may be increased to €180 if it is not paid within 45 days.
Good to know: In the event of a check, you can present the receipt (invoice) you received when you applied for the sticker.
Key points to remember
Now that you know all about Crit'Air stickers, here are the key points to remember:
- The Crit'Air certificate is still compulsory in ZCRs (Zones à Circulation Restreinte) and temporarily compulsory in ZPAs and ZPADs (Zone de Protection de l'Air Départementale).
- To find out if you are located in one of the cities covered by the anti-pollution sticker, refer to the PPA map.
- Beware of scams! You must order the certificate from the official Crit Air websiteIt costs €3.62 for delivery in France.
- Your Crit'Air sticker must be visible from the outside in the event of an inspection.
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