ZFE 2026: French low-emission zones, Crit'Air rules and fines for fleets

ZFE 2026: cities, Crit'Air and fines for your fleet

France's low-emission zones (ZFE) remain in force in 2026: on 21 May 2026, the Constitutional Council struck down the provision that would have abolished them. In Greater Paris and Lyon, Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified vehicles are banned; for Crit'Air 3 cars, since 1 January 2025. Greater Paris keeps information-only checks until 31 December 2026, and Grenoble until 30 June 2027.

For a fleet manager, the parliamentary debate puts nothing on hold. The real question is which vehicles enter which zone, how many days a year, and when the fines start. This guide reviews the rules metropolis by metropolis, along with the exemptions that let you keep a vehicle in service without replacing it too early.

Were low-emission zones abolished in 2026?

No. They came close, which is what left many companies unsure in spring 2026. Three steps followed one another within a few weeks.

• Passed: Article 37 of the law on simplifying economic life (loi de simplification de la vie économique) repealed the provisions of the General Local Authorities Code (CGCT) on which ZFEs are based. It thereby removed the option, or the obligation, for local authorities to create one.
• Struck down: in its decision no. 2026-903 DC of 21 May 2026, the Constitutional Council ruled that this article breached Article 45 of the Constitution. Introduced at first reading, it had no link, even indirect, with the original bill. In total, 25 of the law's 84 articles were struck down, in whole or in part.
• Enacted without the repeal: the law was promulgated on 26 May 2026 without its Article 37. Existing ZFEs still apply.

The Constitutional Council did not rule on the substance: it censured the procedure. A new private member's bill to abolish ZFEs (no. 2970), rejected in committee on 30 September 2026, is due to be debated in a public sitting of the National Assembly from 8 October 2026. Even if adopted, it would still have to be passed by the Senate before taking effect. In practical terms, no renewal decision should be put on hold pending a repeal. Until a law is promulgated, ZFEs apply.

What is a ZFE and who must set one up?

A low-emission mobility zone (ZFE-m) is an area in which traffic from the most polluting vehicles is restricted according to their Crit'Air sticker. The framework was set by the 2019 Mobility Orientation Act (LOM), then extended by the 2021 Climate and Resilience Act to urban areas of more than 150,000 inhabitants.

Not all of them face the same obligations. According to the French Ministry for Ecological Transition, only urban areas that regularly exceed air quality thresholds must follow the national timetable. This timetable bans Crit'Air 4 vehicles from 1 January 2024, then Crit'Air 3 vehicles from 1 January 2025. Only two such urban areas remain: Paris and Lyon. The other areas concerned, known as "vigilance areas", have lighter obligations.

The landscape is still dense: more than 20 ZFEs exist in mainland France. A fleet that operates in several urban areas must therefore reason zone by zone, not with a single rule.

Which cities actually issue fines in 2026?

This is where the gap between the stated rule and actual enforcement is widest. A ban in force does not necessarily lead to fines, and that is what determines your real financial exposure.

Metropolis	Banned vehicles	When	Enforcement in 2026
Greater Paris (77 municipalities inside the A86 ring road, motorway excluded)	Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified (Crit'Air 3 since 1 January 2025)	Cars and vans: Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, except public holidays. HGVs, buses and coaches: every day, 8am to 8pm	Occasional, information-only checks until 31 December 2026
Lyon	Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified: cars since 1 January 2025, vans and HGVs since 1 January 2021	Driving and parking, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week	€68 per light vehicle, €135 for an HGV, bus or coach; checks by the police
Grenoble	Separate rules for cars and for vans and HGVs	Depends on the zone	Educational period with no fines for all vehicles until 30 June 2027

Sources (in French): Métropole du Grand Paris, Métropole de Lyon, Grenoble Alpes Métropole.

What this means for a fleet: in Lyon, the risk of a fine is already real. In Greater Paris, the educational period ends on 31 December 2026. In Grenoble, on 30 June 2027. This staggered timetable is a parameter for planning renewals, not an administrative detail. Building those dates into the path toward a green fleet avoids rushed replacements.

Two points to watch. In Lyon, computer-assisted video enforcement is being prepared: the risk will become systematic once it is put into service. In Grenoble, driving without a Crit'Air sticker can still be fined, even during the educational period.

What exemptions are available for a company fleet?

Before replacing a poorly rated vehicle, check whether local schemes let it stay in service. They differ from one metropolis to another.

Scheme	Lyon	Greater Paris
Occasional use	"Petit rouleur" (low-use) exemption: 52 one-day driving rights, valid for 12 months	Pass ZFE 24h: 24 full days per year
Procedure	Each day in the zone is declared on the Toodego platform, from 30 days before to 24 hours after the trip	Vehicle registered at least 15 days before first use, then each day declared at least 24 hours in advance
Professionals	Exemptions for vans and HGVs, to be requested on Toodego	22 exemptions lasting 1 to 3 years, extended for 2026

For a fleet, this is not an administrative curiosity but a trade-off you can put figures on. A Crit'Air 3 van that enters the Lyon zone only twice a month stays under the 52-day cap. It can therefore keep operating legally instead of being renewed early.

You still need to be able to track the count. A vehicle shared between several drivers uses up its days without anyone having the full picture. This is the first place where a reliable driving history makes the difference.

How much does a ZFE offense cost a fleet?

Driving in a ZFE with a vehicle that is not authorized exposes you to a fixed fine. In Lyon, it is €68 for light vehicles, vans included, and €135 for HGVs, buses and coaches.

At fleet scale, the bill adds up quickly. Ten poorly rated vans fined once a month come to €8,160 a year, not counting the time spent processing notices and identifying drivers.

One last prerequisite: the Crit'Air sticker is mandatory to drive in a regulated zone. It is ordered from certificat-air.gouv.fr, the only official website: beware of intermediaries.

Is my diesel van doomed by the ZFE?

It all depends on its year. Diesel cars registered between 2006 and 2010 are rated Crit'Air 3, as are petrol or hybrid cars from 1997 to 2005. The Greater Paris Metropolis sums up the rule as follows: diesel vehicles registered before 2011 and petrol vehicles registered before 2006 are affected. For a van, the cut-off date may be slightly later: the Euro standard is what counts.

A more recent diesel, rated Crit'Air 2, can still enter the Lyon and Greater Paris ZFEs today. Nothing guarantees it will stay that way: it is the next class in line on the Crit'Air scale. To read a vehicle's class from its registration certificate, see our guide to the Euro standard on the registration certificate.

The right calculation is no longer just about depreciation. It is the total cost of ownership, which includes the risk of fines, downtime and the resale value of a vehicle that can no longer enter major cities.

How do you prepare your fleet for ZFEs in 4 steps?

1. Inventory Crit'Air classes. One line per vehicle: fuel, date of first registration, Euro standard, sticker.
2. Map usage. Which vehicles enter which zone, at what times, how many days a year.
3. Decide vehicle by vehicle. Exemption, reassignment to a site outside the zone, or replacement. The TCO calculator helps you cost the replacement.
4. Set the timetable. Lyon first, Greater Paris before 1 January 2027, Grenoble before 1 July 2027.

Companies in construction and urban delivery are the most exposed: their vans enter the zone every day, often with an aging fleet.

How Dadycar helps you manage your fleet in ZFEs

Dadycar does not keep track of each metropolis's regulations for you. It gives you the data to decide, vehicle by vehicle.

• Geofencing: draw the boundary of a ZFE and attach time slots to it by site or by vehicle group, for example 8am to 8pm on weekdays for Greater Paris. See geofencing.
• Trips: the trip history of each connected vehicle lets you reconstruct the days it entered the zone. It is the basis for the "petit rouleur" or Pass ZFE count. See trips.
• Energy transition: vehicle-by-vehicle analysis identifies those that can switch to electric, with each vehicle's CO₂ and the fleet's energy mix. See energy transition.
• Car policy (beta): set the authorized powertrains and a WLTP CO₂ cap for future orders.

Does your fleet operate in Lyon or Greater Paris? Request a demo on your own zones, or see our pricing.

Frequently asked questions about ZFEs in 2026

Were ZFEs abolished in 2026?

No. The law on simplifying economic life provided for their abolition. The Constitutional Council struck down that article on 21 May 2026 (decision no. 2026-903 DC) because it had no link with the original bill. The law was promulgated without it on 26 May 2026. ZFEs remain in force; a new repeal bill is due to be debated in a public sitting of the National Assembly from 8 October 2026.

Which cities fine Crit'Air 3 vehicles in 2026?

In Lyon, Crit'Air 3 cars have been banned since 1 January 2025 and vans since 2021, and the fine is €68 for a light vehicle. In Greater Paris, the ban applies on weekdays from 8am to 8pm for cars and vans, and every day for HGVs, with information-only checks until 31 December 2026. Grenoble will not issue fines before 1 July 2027, except for driving without a sticker.

What is the "petit rouleur" exemption?

In Lyon, it grants 52 one-day driving rights, valid for 12 months, for any banned vehicle: car, van, two-wheeler or HGV. Each day in the zone is declared on the Toodego platform, no later than 24 hours after the trip. Greater Paris offers an equivalent, the Pass ZFE 24h, limited to 24 full days a year and declared 24 hours in advance.

How much is a ZFE fine for a van?

In Lyon, €68 for a light van, the same as for a car. HGVs, buses and coaches are fined €135. For a fleet, the cost multiplies with the number of vehicles and entries, plus the time spent processing notices.

Can my diesel van still enter a ZFE?

A diesel car registered before 2011 is rated Crit'Air 3 or worse: it is banned from the Lyon and Greater Paris ZFEs unless it has an exemption. For a van, check the Euro standard on the registration certificate. A diesel rated Crit'Air 2 can still enter both zones.

How do you prove the number of days spent in a ZFE?

Local schemes rely on declarations: each day in the zone on Toodego in Lyon, no later than 24 hours after; each day at least 24 hours in advance in Greater Paris. To track the count internally, a per-vehicle trip history lets you check that every entry has been declared.

Further reading

• ZFE-m definition
• TVS 2026: company vehicle tax rates and calculation
• Fleet geolocation and tracking