If you live in a French city subject to traffic restrictions based on pollution levels, it is important to know whether your vehicle is classified as Crit’Air 1 or 2. Indeed, these two categories are the only ones authorized to circulate freely during pollution episodes. If you don’t know how to find out the category of your vehicle, don’t panic! We will know everything about the Crit’Air sticker in this article.
Crit’Air vehicles, classified according to their polluting emissions, include euro 3, 4, 5 and 6 diesel cars, euro 2, 3 and 4 gasoline cars. Light commercial vehicles are also affected. The Crit’Air categories are based on the Euro pollutant emission standards for new vehicles sold.
To obtain a Crit’Air sticker and to know the category of the vehicle, consult the official site. Euro 3, 4 and 5 diesel cars and Euro 4 petrol cars are classified into different Crit’Air license plate categories. Communities with pollution problems may impose traffic restrictions, but vehicles with exemptions are exempt.
The sticker is mandatory for driving in certain areas. If I don’t have a sticker, what fine can I get? Fines vary depending on the area and circumstances, up to 135€.
To find out which category of air quality sticker is suitable for your car, visit the official website. How do I buy a Crit’Air sticker for my car? You can buy it online on the official website, which manages and disseminates information on pollution forecasts and traffic restrictions.
The French are encouraged to buy a Crit’Air sticker to ensure that they can drive in regulated areas. How do I get a Crit’Air sticker? How do I know a car’s Crit’air rating? Which Crit’air for my car?
What is the Crit Air sticker?
The Crit’Air sticker, also known as the “air quality certificate”, is a secure round sticker to be stuck on the windshield of all vehicles. It is intended to indicate the environmental class of your car according to its pollutant emissions. This sticker is mandatory for driving in certain areas of certain cities in France. Indeed, some municipalities restrict the circulation of the most polluting vehicles. The Crit’Air sticker makes it possible to distinguish those authorized to drive and thus facilitates the implementation of these restrictions. This sticker is awarded on the basis of a crit’air simulation with registration, based on the information on your vehicle registration document. There are 6 categories of Crit’Air stickers, ranging from sticker 1 for the least polluting vehicles, to the non-Crit’Air sticker for the cars that emit the most polluting gases.
How many categories of Crit’Air stickers are there?
There are currently six categories of Crit’Air stickers ranging from class 0 to class 5. The classification depends on the vehicle’s emission levels, with class 0 being the cleanest and class 5 being the most polluting. It is important to know the class of your vehicle because some cities have set up low emission zones where only Crit’Air 0, 1 and 2 vehicles are allowed to circulate. It is therefore advisable to check the requirements of each city before traveling with your vehicle. The Crit’Air classification simulation allows car owners to determine the class of their vehicle based on criteria such as its type, age and model. Get your Crit’Air sticker as soon as possible to avoid the high fines if you drive without it.
How do I know the class of my vehicle?
To find out your vehicle’s Crit’Air sticker class, you can run a simulation on the official Air Quality Certificate website, entering either your registration number or information on vehicle type and fuel. If your car is registered from 1ᵉʳ January 2011 and uses EURO 5 or 6 standard gasoline, or gas or hybrid, it corresponds to Crit’Air 1 class. Note that the air quality certificates, which are required to drive in the LEZs (low emission zones), cost 3.70€ and must be visibly affixed to the windshield. But, in order to benefit from these stickers, we need to know the environmental classification assigned to your vehicle. So it’s essential to know my car’s Crit’Air rating.
What information do I need to simulate the Crit’Air rating for my car?
To simulate its Crit’Air rating, we need to provide some information from its vehicle registration document. You can enter your vehicle registration number, or fill in the “Vehicle type”, “Fuel” and “Euro standard” fields. This simulation allows you to know the air criteria for your vehicle and its environmental class. It is important to note that the Crit’Air sticker classifies vehicles into 6 categories according to their polluting emissions. Thus, to know if his vehicle corresponds to the Crit’Air 1 sticker, let us check that it is a Euro 5 and 6 gasoline car, registered from 1ᵉʳ January 2011, or that it is a gas or hybrid car. The simulation is a simple and useful tool to find out the environmental class of your vehicle and whether it is authorized to drive in restricted areas.
How do cities use Crit’Air stickers to distinguish between vehicles that are allowed to drive?
Cities use Crit’Air stickers to easily identify which cars are allowed to drive. Thanks to these colored stickers, differentiated traffic regulations can be implemented according to the level of pollution. Thus, certain zones are reserved for the least polluting vehicles, such as city centers, while more remote zones may be accessible to higher level Crit’Air vehicles. In addition, during periods of peak pollution, cities can restrict the use of the most polluting vehicles to reduce emissions of fine particles and greenhouse gases. It is therefore important to know the class of your car to avoid fines in case of heavy pollution.
What types of vehicles correspond to each Crit’Air class?
The Crit’Air sticker classifies vehicles into six categories according to their pollution level. For the Crit’Air 1 class, this concerns Euro 5 and 6 petrol cars, i.e. registered as of January 1, 2011, as well as all gas or hybrid cars meeting the Euro 2 and Euro 3 standards (from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2005). The Crit’Air 2 sticker corresponds to cars meeting Euro 4 standards (from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2010) and Euro 3 motorcycles (from July 1, 2007). Diesel vehicles not equipped with a particle filter are not eligible for the Crit’Air 1 sticker. This classification allows drivers to know if their vehicle is allowed to operate in low-emission zones set up by certain cities. Therefore, it is important to know the class of your vehicle to avoid fines and contribute to the reduction of air pollution.
What are the advantages of the Crit’Air sticker?
The Crit’Air sticker provides many advantages for vehicles that carry it. First of all, it allows you to drive in restricted traffic zones in the event of a pollution peak, where the most polluting vehicles are banned. It also offers the possibility to benefit from certain tax and tariff advantages, such as discounts on tolls, reserved parking spaces or incentives for the purchase of less polluting vehicles. Finally, the Crit’Air sticker is a sign of ecological commitment for environmentally conscious motorists, who can thus contribute to improving air quality in cities. Get your Crit’Air sticker now to benefit from its many advantages. Note that in case of sale of your car, it is strongly advised to have this type of sticker.
How to buy a sticker?
It is now mandatory to have a Crit’Air sticker to drive in restricted traffic zones in France, and in cities with high air pollution. How to get your Crit’Air sticker? It is possible to order your sticker online on the official website certificat-air.gouv.fr. To do this, enter only the information on your registration certificate and pay the shipping costs of your sticker. Generally, delivery takes a few days, but it is recommended to order your vignette in advance to avoid getting stuck if a traffic restriction is put in place. It is also possible to obtain a Crit’Air sticker from certain approved associations or from certain technical control centers.
What types of cars qualify for the Crit’Air 1 sticker?
It is reserved exclusively for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, as well as cars running on natural gas, propane or butane. If your car belongs to one of these types of motorization, you can benefit from many advantages such as access to certain environmental zones or the possibility of driving even during pollution peaks. It is therefore important to check if your car is eligible for the Crit’Air 1 sticker to enjoy these benefits. Don’t hesitate to use our online simulator to find out the class of your vehicle and thus anticipate future traffic restrictions.
How do I affix the sticker to my windscreen?
Make sure the area where you are going to stick the pad is clean. Peel off the back of the document and apply it to the lower right side of your windshield. The sticker must be visible from the outside to avoid a possible fine. It is also important to note that the sticker must be affixed to the outside of the vehicle so that it is visible from the front. This sticker indicates the environmental class of your vehicle. By sticking this sticker on your windshield, you can be sure that your car complies with current environmental regulations.
How do I know if my vehicle has to follow the Crit Air traffic restrictions?
Traffic restrictions for polluting vehicles are being implemented in more and more cities in France to reduce the pollution levels emitted by vehicles. Since June 2021, vehicles in the Crit’Air 4 category are no longer authorized to circulate during episodes of differentiated traffic established by the prefectures. As of January 2023, Crit’Air 5 vehicles as well as non-classified vehicles will no longer be allowed to drive in certain zones. It is therefore important for vehicle owners to check their Crit’Air sticker and make sure that their vehicle can be driven legally. Although these restrictions seem restrictive, they tend to protect the environment and improve air quality in cities.
In conclusion, it is essential to know the Crit’Air category of your vehicle in order to drive freely in certain areas of French cities, especially during pollution peaks. Euro 2, 3, 4 and 5 diesel cars as well as Euro 2, 3 and 4 petrol cars are concerned by the different classes, from Crit’Air 1 to Crit’Air 5. New vehicles, vintage cars and plug-in hybrids can also get a Crit’Air sticker depending on their polluting emissions.
To know which category corresponds to your vehicle, it is possible to use an online simulator by filling in the information on your vehicle registration document. If you are eligible, don’t hesitate to buy your Crit’Air sticker online or from approved organizations to avoid a fine in case of control.
Crit’Air stickers are mandatory for driving in low-emission zones and offer many benefits, such as discounts on tolls, reserved parking spaces and incentives for the purchase of less polluting vehicles. It is therefore crucial that you affix your sticker to the windshield of your vehicle to show your compliance with current environmental regulations.
In short, knowing everything about the Crit’Air sticker will allow you to better understand the environmental impact of your vehicle and to contribute to the reduction of air pollution. So, don’t wait any longer and find out the Crit’Air category of your vehicle to get your sticker and drive with peace of mind.
