Which French clean air sticker your vehicle gets, based on the official classification tables.
UK V5C: the date is in box B. The Euro standard is rarely shown, so leave it as not known unless a certificate of conformity states it.
| Sticker | Euro standard | First registered |
|---|
Estimate only, check with the official simulator on certificat-air.gouv.fr, the only official seller. Heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches are not covered here.
This Crit'Air sticker checker tells drivers taking a car, van, motorcycle or moped to France in 2026 which Crit'Air clean air sticker the vehicle qualifies for, from its fuel and either its Euro standard or its date of first registration. The GOV.UK travel advice for France warns that vehicles in central Paris, Lyon and Grenoble must show a pollution sticker, and UK registered vehicles are no exception. Figures checked October 2026.
Quick answer: A petrol car first registered from 1 January 2011 gets Crit'Air 1, from 2006 to 2010 Crit'Air 2 and from 1997 to 2005 Crit'Air 3. A diesel car from 2011 gets Crit'Air 2, and older diesels drop to 3, 4 or 5. The Crit'Air sticker checker gives electric cars Crit'Air 0.
In This Guide
What Is a Crit'Air Sticker?
A Crit'Air sticker is a round, coloured certificate stuck to the windscreen that shows how polluting a vehicle is on a scale from 0, the cleanest, to 5. French cities use it to decide which vehicles may enter a low emission zone (zone à faibles émissions, or ZFE) and which must stay out during a pollution alert.
The rule in plain words: start with the fuel, then use the Euro emissions standard, or the first registration date if the standard is unknown. Electric and hydrogen vehicles are always 0, and gas and plug-in hybrid vehicles are always 1. For petrol and diesel the class follows the European emission standards, and diesels sit one class lower than petrol cars of the same age because they emit more nitrogen oxides and particles.
Which Crit'Air Sticker Do I Need for My Car?
Most UK petrol cars built since 2011 need Crit'Air 1, and most diesel cars from the same years need Crit'Air 2. The table below follows the official classification annex for passenger cars.
| Sticker | Petrol car | Diesel car |
|---|---|---|
| Crit'Air 0 (green) | Electric or hydrogen, any age | |
| Crit'Air 1 (purple) | Euro 5 and 6, from 1 Jan 2011; gas and plug-in hybrids, any age | None |
| Crit'Air 2 (yellow) | Euro 4, 2006 to 2010 | Euro 5 and 6, from 1 Jan 2011 |
| Crit'Air 3 (orange) | Euro 2 and 3, 1997 to 2005 | Euro 4, 2006 to 2010 |
| Crit'Air 4 (burgundy) | None | Euro 3, 2001 to 2005 |
| Crit'Air 5 (grey) | None | Euro 2, 1997 to 2000 |
| Unclassified | Up to 31 Dec 1996 | Up to 31 Dec 1996 |
Take Tom from Leeds, who is driving his diesel Ford Focus, first registered on 1 May 2012, to a ski resort through Lyon. His V5C does not show a Euro standard, so the date decides: a diesel car from 2011 onwards is Crit'Air 2, a yellow sticker. His partner's 2009 petrol Fiesta would also be Crit'Air 2, while her old 2004 diesel van would only reach Crit'Air 4.
How to Use the Crit'Air Sticker Checker
Step 1: Choose the Vehicle Type
Pick car, van, motorcycle or moped. Vans have slightly different dates from cars for the oldest classes, and motorcycles and mopeds have their own table, so the right choice matters for older vehicles.
Step 2: Pick the Fuel
Choose diesel, petrol, plug-in hybrid, gas or electric. A self charging hybrid that cannot be plugged in is treated as petrol, so pick petrol for that type.
Step 3: Add the Euro Standard or Date
Enter the date of first registration from box B of the V5C. Only set the Euro standard if a document such as a certificate of conformity states it, because a car built to Euro 5 before 2011 can then qualify for a better sticker than its date suggests.
Step 4: Read Your Category
The Crit'Air sticker checker shows the class number and colour, explains which rule was matched and highlights your row in the full table for that vehicle and fuel, so you can see how close you are to the next class.
Which Crit'Air Sticker Does a Van or Motorbike Need?
Vans follow the car rules from 1997 onwards, except that petrol and diesel vans registered before 1 October 1997 are unclassified and a diesel Euro 2 van counts from 1 October 1997. Motorcycles from 1 January 2017 and mopeds from 1 January 2018 get Crit'Air 1, Euro 3 bikes from 2007 get Crit'Air 2, Euro 2 bikes from July 2004 get Crit'Air 3, and bikes from 1 June 2000 to 30 June 2004 with no standard get Crit'Air 4.
How Do You Buy a Crit'Air Sticker and What Is the Fine?
You buy the sticker only from certificat-air.gouv.fr, the official French government site, by uploading a scan of your registration document. The Ministry for Ecological Transition quotes €3.85 for delivery in France, postage to the UK costs a little more, and copycat sites charge several times the official price. Driving in a zone without the right sticker brings a €68 fine for cars and motorcycles and €135 for heavy vehicles and coaches.
- Order well before you travel: UK motoring guides report delivery times from about a week to a month.
- The sticker lasts for the life of the vehicle, but a new one is needed if you change the registration number.
- Fix it on the front of the vehicle where it can be read from outside, usually in a lower corner of the windscreen.
- The list of active zones and banned classes keeps changing: a 2025 vote to scrap ZFEs was struck down by the Constitutional Council in May 2026, so check the city's own rules before you set off.
Planning the drive itself? Once you know your sticker, the fuel cost calculator estimates what the trip will cost at French pump prices, and the L/100km to mpg converter makes sense of French fuel economy figures on hire cars.
</>Embed this calculator on your website
Add the free CritAir Sticker Checker to your own site or blog. Copy the code below and paste it into an HTML block. It resizes itself and works on phones.
How we checked this tool: the Tools Veria Editorial Team built this tool by hand, checked it against the official rules or published standards where they apply, and tested it against worked examples. Results are estimates for planning, not personal financial or tax advice. Read our editorial policy and disclaimer, or report an error.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do UK cars need a Crit'Air sticker?
Yes, if you drive in a French low emission zone or in a city with a pollution alert. UK registered vehicles follow the same rules as French ones, and the fine without a sticker is €68 for a car.
What Crit'Air sticker does a 2015 diesel car get?
Crit'Air 2, the yellow sticker. Every diesel car first registered from 1 January 2011, built to Euro 5 or Euro 6, is placed in class 2, one class below a petrol car of the same age.
What Crit'Air category is a hybrid car?
A plug-in hybrid gets Crit'Air 1 whatever its age. A self charging hybrid that cannot be plugged in is classed by its petrol engine, so a 2012 example is also Crit'Air 1.
How do I find the Euro standard of my UK car?
The V5C rarely shows it, so the Crit'Air rules use the date of first registration in box B instead. A certificate of conformity from the manufacturer can prove a better standard.
Can a car with no Crit'Air sticker drive in France?
Yes, outside low emission zones and pollution alerts. Unclassified vehicles, meaning petrol and diesel cars registered before 1 January 1997, cannot get a sticker at all and are the first to be banned from zones.
How much does a Crit'Air sticker cost?
The French Ministry for Ecological Transition quotes €3.85 delivered in France, with slightly higher postage abroad. Buy it only from certificat-air.gouv.fr, as copycat sites charge many times more.