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Oops - forgot Crit’air

M

Meerkat1234

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Location
Cheshire
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T6 Ocean 204 4Motion
We’re on our way across the Channel and have realised we haven’t got our Crit’air.

We’ll be landing in St Malo - can we buy the Crit’air somewhere there, or order online and somehow have an e-version? Toulouse will be a no go if we don’t get one, and maybe other places too?
 
My understanding is you only actually need the sticker in certain areas or if there is an air quality issue. Chances of it being an actual issue are low to zero.

You can also apply online and get a paper acceptance by email a day later in case you ever do get stopped.

We applied a 10 days before France and ours arrived 5 days after we were back. We just carried the paper acceptance in the glove compartment which was never asked for.

TLDR. Don’t sweat it.
 
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Yes you can order online, even though you won't have the
sticker, you will have a number that you can display in your
windscreen.
Get a pen and a small card and write Crit 'air Nr- 007 666

But make sure you find the right website and not the rip off ones that want
about 30€ for it.
Should cost about 7€
 
For the French Crit Air application go on line. The site tells you “Processed today, proof of delivery within 48 hours. Valid in all French restricted areas. Order your CRITAir clean air sticker early if you expect to be driving in France”. You immediately get a receipt for you approx €7 fee, and 2 days letter you get an official letter for the registration, with can be used in lieu of the vignette sticker. The vignette arrived in the post around 7 days later.
 
We’re on our way across the Channel and have realised we haven’t got our Crit’air.

We’ll be landing in St Malo - can we buy the Crit’air somewhere there, or order online and somehow have an e-version? Toulouse will be a no go if we don’t get one, and maybe other places too?
I wouldn’t worry.

Also we recently visited Toulouse and parked by a metro station for free and caught it into the centre. Worked very well. See my trip review.

I’ve got a feeling we will start doing this when going into cities.
 
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Fab, thanks everyone, all tour tips (and route journeys!) taken on board. Overslept in v hot cabin last night so got to rush. Thanks again.
 
Only needed in City Centres where there will be signage warning of this.
It's being rolled out slowly across major cities.

19_0x0_790x520_790x0_crit_air_signs.jpg
 
We bought one for our trip to France on a ‘just in case’ basis. We had no intention of being anywhere at any time with the need to have one……..

Then due to a family illness we had to return quickly 2 days ago and found ourselves driving straight through the restricted emissions zone in Rouen……

For less than €4 it was worth it anyway and suddenly it became a real and tangible need.

So you never know when ………. :cool:
 
So what happens to a UK registered vehicle, if you don't have one...?
 
So what happens to a UK registered vehicle, if you don't have one...?
Nothing

As far as I know, it can be controlled by the traffic wardens, so if you park in a
private car park you'll be okay.
I'm often in French cities and have noticed even French cars not having a sticker.

Its just an extra tax that was thought up in the name of climate change:)
Although for about 7€ I did get one or 2.
 
So what happens to a UK registered vehicle, if you don't have one...?
Potential on the spot fine up to €135 according to RAC and AA info., but so far as I recall no-one on this forum or others has said they’ve been fined. We had to go to Rouen this year, so we got one. We had a fine from Italy a couple of years back (put the nose of our car into a restricted residents only street before turning back), which took 3 months to arrive - €60 surprise for us, so motoring fines can come back to you from EU.
 
So what happens to a UK registered vehicle, if you don't have one...?
I have read elsewhere that registering for the critaire gives the French Authority all they need to get your speeding fines.

Since the exit the deal with DVLA expired. So they can only fine you if they physically stop you unless you’ve previously given them your details.
 
I have read elsewhere that registering for the critaire gives the French Authority all they need to get your speeding fines.

Since the exit the deal with DVLA expired. So they can only fine you if they physically stop you unless you’ve previously given them your details.
Cunning stunt.
 
It's only since getting the Critaire that I've started receiving speeding tickets from France.
Do you think that this Crit air was put in place just to gather
more info?
I'm now feeling like I've been duped, I've paid about 7€ for a 2 cent
sticker whilst giving them all my info.
 
It's only since getting the Critaire that I've started receiving speeding tickets from France.
I recieved for many years speeding tickets (30 years and more) but only got my crit'air sticker on the windscreen sinds July 2022. I must be unlucky ;)
 
Do you think that this Crit air was put in place just to gather
more info?
I'm now feeling like I've been duped, I've paid about 7€ for a 2 cent
sticker whilst giving them all my info.
No, I don't think it was a cynical plot.

The sticker serves its own purpose, but may have the additional benefit of simplifying small fines that would otherwise not be worth collecting if they had to pay a service fee to the miscreant's country of residence. I could imagine France having different bilateral agreements with its neighbouring countries, so our experiences might not all be the same.

It could also be a coincidence in my case, that France worked out a deal with Switzerland in the intervening years since the last time I was flashed, just before I registered my data for the Crit.
 
I recieved for many years speeding tickets (30 years and more) but only got my crit'air sticker on the windscreen sinds July 2022. I must be unlucky ;)
I am guessing Belgium being part of the EU shares data with France?

My understanding is that the Uk did share until we left, since then we don't share so unless France gets the details from elsewhere we don't receive the tickets. Sign up for Critaire & they have all the details they need.
 
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I am guessing Belgium being part of the EU shares data with France?

My understanding is that the Uk did share until we left, since then we don't share so unless France gets the details from elsewhere we don't receive the tickets. Sign up for Critaire & they have all the details they need.
Now that I think about it, if Critaire data is used for sending fines then they are violating the GDPR regulations as I understand them. Ironically, I received another fine from them this morning.
 
It is well known that France likes to collect money through the many speeding offenses committed by the huge number of tourists who visit or cross their country. It is rather an exception that you will not be fined at home if you were there :rolleyes: Belgium has had a collaboration with them for a long time, but it's quite a one-way street. Personally I don't think that crit’air sticker or the data you entered to register now ensures that you can get speeding tickets since then. The summer of 2021 we were only in France for a week and had 3 speeding violations; all of minor exceedances. Money had to be collected after the covid period and the tourist would contribute to that. This also benefited safety and was therefore openly communicated at the time. Even every small village has its flash camera there, it has been there for years and be glad that you may no longer receive tickets thanks to Brexit (whether this is really the case, I don't know, but many apparently think so).
 
It is well known that France likes to collect money through the many speeding offenses committed by the huge number of tourists who visit or cross their country. It is rather an exception that you will not be fined at home if you were there :rolleyes: Belgium has had a collaboration with them for a long time, but it's quite a one-way street. Personally I don't think that crit’air sticker or the data you entered to register now ensures that you can get speeding tickets since then. The summer of 2021 we were only in France for a week and had 3 speeding violations; all of minor exceedances. Money had to be collected after the covid period and the tourist would contribute to that. This also benefited safety and was therefore openly communicated at the time. Even every small village has its flash camera there, it has been there for years and be glad that you may no longer receive tickets thanks to Brexit (whether this is really the case, I don't know, but many apparently think so).

The simple solution is not to speed!
 
The simple solution is not to speed!
A few kilometers above (and only a few) are already fined. But thanks for the tip. Unfortunately I am not alone, many are being flashed a lot (it is also a simple way of raising money). Fortunately you have probably never received one but from now on I will no longer thanks to your solution :thumb
 
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