Made compulsory in 2017 for driving in ZFEs (Low Emission Zones), the Crit’Air sticker takes the form of a sticker to be placed on the windshield. It classifies vehicles according to their age and motorization to arbitrarily define the level of pollution and grant (or not) the right to drive in ZFE-m (Low Emission-Mobility Zones), as well as on the occasion of peaks pollution.
Still unknown to many motorists, what are the risks if the constabulary surprises them without the sticker to differentiate expensive recent vehicles from old, economical and polluting cars?
Without sticker or bad sticker, same penalty
The Crit’Air classification divides vehicles into seven categories: 0 or green for electric vehicles, 1 to 5 for thermal or hybrid vehicles, and unclassified for vehicles without a sticker.
The first condition for venturing into the ZFE-m is the possession of a Crit’Air sticker. Then, each ZFE-m adjusts the list of banned vehicles according to its pollution objectives. Without sticker or with a sticker of the wrong category, the penalty is the same. This is a third class fine accompanied by a fixed fine of €68 which can be increased or reduced to €135 or €45. Car or two-wheeler, the amount does not change, with the exception of heavy goods vehicles for which the fine will be higher.
Fake thumbnail… fake good idea
It could be tempting to get a fake Crit’Air sticker in order to grant yourself a privileged status and move freely, upgrading your vehicle from Crit’Air 5 to Crit’Air 3, for example.
Yes, but the use of a fraudulent vignette is subject to the same sanction. More restrictive than checks by the police, the government is currently considering a system inspired by London, scanning license plates to verify the right to drive. Otherwise, the fine arrives directly at the home of the eco-offender.