Several changes come in for drivers in France in March 2026
Vehicle registration fees and taxes on new vehicle purchases among major changes
Drivers face potential new fees this month
Dmitry Kalinovsky/Shutterstock
March sees several major changes for residents in France, largely due to the delayed introduction of the 2026 budget.
Many areas of daily life are affected at the turn of the month in France, and driving is no different. Below, we cover the main changes for motorists.
Read our article here for a list of other major changes.
Carte grise costs increase
The most impactful change for drivers is an increase in the cost of vehicle registration (certificat d’immatriculation or carte grise) in several regions, leading to a national increase of 2.4%.
These fees are paid when a vehicle is registered with a new or different owner, either after being purchased new from a dealership or bought second-hand.
The full registration costs are made up of several elements, including a regionally-set tax on a vehicle’s horsepower (known as the Chevaux Fiscaux or CV).
Regions can set a cost-per-CV rate of up to €60.
The more powerful a vehicle is the higher its CV level, although around three quarters of vehicles in France have between 4 - 7 CV.
You can find the CV level of a second-hand vehicle under section ‘P.6’ of its carte grise, or for a new vehicle ask the dealership.
By March 1, several regions have increased their per-CV-level tax since the start of the year:
Île-de-France introduced a €14 ‘fee’ on March 1, raising it from €54.95 to €68.95 per CV-level.
This exceptional increase above the national cap is a short-term measure to help plug a funding gap for the region’s public transport authorities. It is set to be reduced in 2027 before being phased out.
Several regions already have the maximum €60 tax per-CV level in place. You can use the government simulator here to see the rate in your department.
New eco-taxes
The ecological taxes on vehicle weight and CO² emissions have also been revised in the 2026 budget, with higher payments now required.
The weight tax now begins at 1,500kg (down from 1,600kg in 2026) starting at €10 for every kilogram over this.
The average weight of a new car sold in France is around 1,400kg - 1,500kg, meaning many new purchases are impacted by the change.
The tax is progressive with higher penalties per kg the more a vehicle is over this cap, eventually reaching €30 for every kilogram over 2,000kg.
The CO² malus now begins at 108g of CO² emitted per km, rising from €50 at this level all the way to €80,000 for vehicles emitting 191g of CO² per km and above.
Full information, including a breakdown of rates, can be found in the government’s explainer article here.
Plans to retroactively apply the tax to certain second-hand vehicles have been postponed until 2027.
Parcel tax may affect drivers
A €2 tax on small parcels entering France from non-EU countries may affect drivers as it will apply to smaller purchases for vehicles such as lightbulbs or accessories coming from outside the EU.
The tax applies to parcels costing €150 or less, and is payable by the sender, although for commercial purchases this will often be passed onto the buyer or factored into final costs.
It is aimed mostly at reducing the influx of parcels from Chinese e-commerce sites.
Contrôle technique rules for mopeds toughened
The mandatory roadworthiness tests (contrôle technique) for vehicles with a 50cc engine or below will include a new test from March 1.
Vehicles will be tested with a speedometer to ensure they have not been tampered with to go faster than their legal roadworthy speedlimit of 45km/h.
Future changes include more ticket-free motorways
Looking forward to May 2026, several eastern motorways will become ticket-free, including the A41N (Lyon–Annecy), A43, A48 and A49 (Lyon–Valence via Grenoble).
Drivers will no longer be given a ticket when entering the motorway, previously handed out to staff at exit barriers to calculate tolls based on journey length on the roads.
Exit barriers will remain however, with the tolls calculated automatically via new high-tech gantries installed along the motorway’s exits that will track vehicles on the road.
Drivers will need to pay tolls within 72 hours, or via their télépéage automatic toll badges.
More information is available in our article here.
