City in south of France will not penalise ZFE breaches until 2027

The city of Montpellier will not issue fines to drivers who breach its low-emission zone (zone à faibles émissions, ZFE) rules until 2027, authorities have confirmed.

Montpellier and its surrounding towns will, from February 13, be considered a ‘dormant’ ZFE, meaning that it will not strictly impose the state laws on ZFEs immediately. The decision was approved by 31 mayors from across the area, on January 27.

The move is still yet to be voted by the local council, but it is expected to pass.

No fines yet

In practice, the decision means that the ZFE will not be signposted to motorists until 2027, meaning that drivers of vehicles with Crit’Air 3 stickers will not be fined for entering until then.

Crit’Air stickers are small vignettes that must be displayed on any vehicle in a ZFE. They show how polluting a vehicle is, with the vehicle being given a sticker with one of six levels on a sliding scale.

Vehicles showing a Crit’Air 3 sticker (and those above, e.g. 4 and 5) would normally be fined for entering a ZFE as they are considered too polluting.

Read also: Make sense of Crit’Air car stickers in France
Read more: Driving in France: Where must you have a Crit'Air pollution sticker? 

The situation will be considered a ‘moratorium’ on ZFE fines, and a chance to educate drivers on the city’s ZFE rather than coming down hard on people who break the rules.

“We have always said that we need to educate people [first],” said Julie Frêche, vice-president of the Montpellier metropolitan area in charge of mobility, to Midi Libre. “It has always been agreed that there would be no signs, no checks and no fines.” 

‘Political victory’

It comes after many local representatives were calling for clarification on the city’s rules. One local mayor called the decision a “political victory”.

This is because the introduction of ZFEs has been controversial in some areas, and has met with frustration from drivers and driving associations, who say they restrict the activity of those who cannot afford newer, less-polluting vehicles.

The spread of ZFEs

All French urban areas with a population of 150,000 or more now have low-emission zones (zones à faibles émissions, ZFE) in place, which restrict the types of vehicles that can drive within their limits.

These zones aim to limit air pollution in major cities by cutting down or excluding certain vehicles from entering.

Many ZFEs were introduced in January this year. 

Read also: 2025 MAP: France's new clean air driving zones and their rules

Prior to then, only 12 cities had a ZFE in place (official figures differed, as some lists count Paris and Greater Paris as two separate zones). Cities with a ZFE before 2025 also included Toulouse, Nice, Marseille, Rouen, Saint-Etienne, Clermont-Ferrand, and Reims.

Cars driving through them - including foreign-registered vehicles and two wheelers - must show a Crit’Air sticker to show how much pollution their vehicle produces.

The stickers can be purchased online prior to driving into France / a zone, and be visible on your vehicle.

Read more: Map: See France’s low emission driving zones - and plans for new ones
Read also: Crit’Air 3 vehicles to be allowed limited access to Paris in 2025

You can buy a Crit’Air sticker for your vehicle through the official website (which is available in English).

Note that specific rules continue to vary depending on the city.