Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Paris Greater Area ZFE - France
Date of entry into effect of the zone: 01-09-2015
Type of environmental zone: Permanent, 08:00 am to 08:00 pm
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Information currently unavailable
Not allowed to drive (permanently): Vehicles without badge and vehicles with badge class 5, 4.
Fines: 68-450 €
Area/extension of the environmental zone: All municipalities within the second ring road A86 are part of the permanent Low Emission Zone. The A86 itself is not part of the zone. In addition, the following municipalities are part of the ZFE, which are located outside the A86: Villeneuve-la-Garenne, L'Île-Saint-Denis, La Courneuve, Drancy, Bondy, Rosny-sous-Bois, Champigny-sur-Marne, Joinville-le-Pont, Créteil, Choisy-le-Roi, Rungis, Fresnes, Antony.
Special features: The driving ban applies Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 8 pm. For trucks and buses, the ban also applies on weekends and public holidays, from 8 am to 8 pm. In case of a permanent air pollution peak, the rules of the zone Paris Greater Area ZPA apply.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Information currently unavailable
Exemptions: Doctor, Disabled vehicle, Fire brigade, Military, Vintage car older than 30 years, Police car, Customs, Snow plough, Public bus and Ambulance
Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone ZPA Paris Greater Area - France
Date of entry into effect of the zone: 02-01-2017
Type of environmental zone: temporary, weather-related air protection zone, active when pollution limits are exceeded
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Vehicles without a badge and vehicles with insufficient badge class, depending on the level and duration of the air pollution peak.
Not allowed to drive (permanently): Information currently unavailable
Fines: 68-450 €
Area/extension of the environmental zone: All communities within the A86 are part of the temporary zone. The A86 itself is not included. The two Paris airports (Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly) and Disneyland Paris are located outside the A86 and are therefore not affected by possible driving bans.
Special features: Driving bans are decided by the prefect and override the rules of the zone Paris Greater Area ZFE. The A86 motorway is not affected by the driving bans.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Information currently unavailable
Exemptions: Doctor, Fire brigade, Military, Police car, Customs, Snow plough, Public bus and Ambulance
Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Paris ZPA Transit (La Francilienne) - France
Date of entry into effect of the zone: 19-12-2016
Type of environmental zone: Weather-related air protection zone activated at the decision of the prefect of police, provided that the prewarning level is persistently exceeded and/or the alert level is reached.
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): N2, N3 >3,5t ohne Vignette sowie Fahrzeuge ohne ausreichende Vignetten-Klasse je nach Höhe und Dauer der Luftverschmutzung.
Not allowed to drive (permanently): Information currently unavailable
Fines: 135 €
Area/extension of the environmental zone: The zone is bordered by the highway called "Francilienne", the third ring road around Paris, including the A104, N104, N184. In the west, the ring is not yet completely closed. The highway itself is not affected.
Special features: Residents and visitors with destination within the zone can enter, transit traffic is not allowed. Speed reductions of 20 km/h may apply on all rural roads, expressways and highways.
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Information currently unavailable
Exemptions: Doctor, Fire brigade, Military, Police car, Customs, Snow plough and Ambulance
Name of the environmental zone: Environmental zone Paris ZTL - France
Date of entry into effect of the zone: 01-01-2024
Type of environmental zone: permanently valid, 0:00 - 24:00
Not allowed to drive (temporarily): Information currently unavailable
Not allowed to drive (permanently): Vehicle class: all
Fines: 135€
Area/extension of the environmental zone: The zone concerns the arrondissement Paris Centre and the part of the 5th, 6th and 7th arrondissements north of Boulevard St. Germain. The zone is thus bounded by Place de la Concorde to the west, Grands Boulevards to the north, Place de la Bastille, Bd Bourdon to the east, then Bd Saint Germain to the south.The zone includes the following streets of Grenoble: Boulevards Édouard Rey and Agutte-Sembat.
Special features: Permits required; Signed driveways
Contact of the environmental zone and exceptions: Paris City Hall
Place de l'Hôtel de Ville
75196 Paris Cedex
Police Station
Phone: 3430
Exemptions: Fire brigade, Police car, Residents (registration/application necessary), Disabled vehicle (registration/application necessary), Patient transport (registration/application necessary), Public bus, Taxi and Ambulance
Environmental zone ZFE
Do I need stickers or registrations?
To enter the low emission zone, each vehicle concerned requires a valid French environmental sticker (Certificat qualité de l'Air). Otherwise, a fine of 68 euros to 375 euros is to be expected.
What is a ZFE zone?
The ZFE zones (Zone à Faibles Émissions), which were still called ZCR zones from 2016 to the end of 2019, are fixed zones that can be identified by traffic signs.
The establishment of a ZFE in France is the responsibility of the respective city or municipality and is regulated by the national decree Décret ZCR 2016-847 of 28.06.2016. After a 6-month legal consultation procedure, which also provides for a right of participation of affected persons, the zone can come into force.
In order to be able to travel in the ZFE environmental zones established by cities or municipalities in France, a Certificat qualité de l'Air is then required, which is allocated to 6 categories.
The respective city or commune determines which sticker classes may enter when. On an additional sign, under the actual ZFE sign, days and times are indicated at which one may enter with a certain French vignette.
In the long term, more and more vignette categories are being excluded from entering low emission zones, so that in some years only categories E and 1 will be allowed to enter.
In a ZFE zone, vignette colours are permanently excluded and do not depend on the respective weather conditions. However, it is possible that a ZFE and a ZPA zone overlap. If driving bans are then imposed within the ZPA zone due to the weather, these also apply to the ZFE/zone. In this case, the rules of the ZPA also apply to the ZFE zone.
However, if the ZFE zone is not within a ZPA zone, this case cannot occur and the rules are unchangeable.
How do I recognize the low emission zone?
The beginning and end of the environmental zones are marked with signs. This shows a red circle as a prohibition sign with the remark "Zones à Circulation Restreinte" (Restricted Zone). Exactly who may or may not enter the zone is not indicated by the entry sign.
In our Green Zones App we have a detailed map of each low emission zone. So you can easily see the boundaries and avoid penalties.
Are there other low emission zones in France?
Yes, a lot of them. France has over 30 different environmental zones. These differ in ZFE (permanent), ZPA (temporary) and ZPAd (temporary département) zones.
In our Green Zones App we have gathered together all the low emission zones in Europe and presented them clearly.
Environmental zone ZPA
Do I need stickers or registrations?
If there is a peak in air pollution and the ZPA zone is activated, each affected vehicle requires a valid French environmental sticker (Certificat qualité de l'Air) to enter the low emission zone. Otherwise, a fine of between 68 euros and 375 euros is to be expected.
You can find out whether a ZPAd zone is active and which vignette is affected by the driving ban in our Green-Zones App.
What is a ZPA zone?
ZPA zones ("zones de protection de l'air") do not apply permanently, but are only active during bad weather and high air pollution. They can cover the areas of entire large municipalities (known as "metropolitan areas" in French) or a specific geographical area. The outlines of each air protection zone are therefore precisely defined in advance.
Since ZPA zones are only valid in the event of a peak in air pollution, the traffic restrictions laid down in a decree only apply if predefined air pollution limits are exceeded. In this case, certain vignette colours are excluded from traffic in order to reduce pollutant emissions. For each air protection zone, recommendations have been drawn up in advance as to which vignette colours should be excluded in the event of severe air pollution. However, in the specific case of air pollution this is always decided by the prefect of the department first.
The mostly large ZPA air protection zones within a department are usually not signposted. In the 95 departments of continental France, it is therefore almost impossible for non-residents to see the exact extent of a ZPA air protection zone. In accordance with article R411-19 of the French Road Code, the decision to create an air protection zone and to define the local rules applicable there falls to the prefect of each department. Once the ZPA zone has been decided, it is legally published in a décret issued by the prefect.
The traffic restrictions decided in a CPA do not come into force on the same day as they are announced. They are usually announced in the afternoon or evening for the following day. The driving bans then apply throughout the ZPA. In case there is an urban ZCR zone within the ZPA zone, its rules are overridden during an air pollution peak. Only after the end of the air pollution peak will the permanent traffic restrictions for vignette categories apply again within the ZCR zone.
How do I recognize the low emission zone?
ZPA zones are only activated temporarily. The size and dimensions of the zone are completely individual. This is determined by the respective prefect, depending on the intensity of air pollution. Therefore there are no special signs for ZPA zones.
The situation is different for the ZFE zones. There, the beginning and the end of the environmental zones are marked with signs. This shows a red circle as prohibition sign with the remark "Zones à Circulation Restreinte" (Restricted Zone). Who exactly is allowed to enter or not is not indicated by the entry sign.
In our Green Zones App we have a detailed map of each low emission zone. So you can easily see the boundaries and avoid penalties.
Are there other low emission zones in France?
Yes, a lot of them. France has over 30 different environmental zones. These differ in ZFE (permanent), ZPA (temporary) and ZPAd (temporary département) zones.
In our Green Zones App we have gathered together all the low emission zones in Europe and presented them clearly.
What is a traffic restricted zone (ZTL)?
A ZTL (Italian: Zona a Traffico Limitato) is a specific area in a city or region where vehicle access is restricted or limited in order to reduce traffic and emissions. These zones are often established in historic centers of cities or in residential areas to improve the quality of life for residents and reduce noise and exhaust pollution.
In a ZTL, for example, there may be bans on driving certain types of vehicles, such as older diesel vehicles, or restrictions on access at certain times of day. It may also be necessary to have a special permit or parking pass to drive in these zones.
Access to a ZTL is usually controlled via electronic monitoring systems, such as cameras or induction loops. Vehicle owners who violate the rules risk heavy fines.
The introduction of ZTLs has led to a reduction in traffic volumes in many cities.
Good to know...
All current driving bans and further information are available in our Green-Zones App.
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