How can I check if speeding fines were sent to my French second home?
Fines will usually increase if they are not paid within 45 days
There are ways of checking if you have a speeding fine even from abroad
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Reader question: I have a second home and a car with French plates, registered to my French address. If I was to get a speeding fine it would presumably be posted there and sit in my post box resulting in problems with the authorities. Is there any way to check from abroad if I have any fines?
In France, you can be caught speeding by a police officer or by a speed camera and you will be fined.
The fines depend on the limit in force and by how much you were exceeding it. In most cases the standard fine is subject to a reduction for prompt payment and an increase if you take too long to pay.
For example, if you exceed the limit in an area with a speed limit of more than 50km/h and were driving at less than 20 km/h over the limit, the fine will be €68. This can be reduced to €45 if paid within 15 days, increasing to €180 if not paid within 45 days.
This low-level fine is what you will incur for minor speeding on a motorway, for example.
For most other cases of speeding (including all cases in zones with limits up to 50km/h) you will be fined €135, which can be reduced to €90 if paid within 15 days, increased to €375 if not paid within 45 days.
If a driver exceeds the speed limit by over 50 km/h, the fine is €1,500. This is not subject to reductions and increases, but if the driver speeds by this amount again the fine will then be €3,750.
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Therefore, if you live outside of France for most of the year but your car is registered to your French address, you may legitimately be worried that you will not receive the fine in time and will be made to pay the increased fee or be taken to court for not paying your fine.
Multiple solutions
Firstly, you can contact the Trésorerie du contrôle automatisé to find out if you have received a speeding fine.
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To do so, you can call them on: 08 06 60 66 06 or email them at t035050.rec@dgfip.finances.gouv.fr. Include information about you and your car so that they can easily trace the car and check whether you have received a speeding fine.
This method works best if you believe you have been caught by a speed camera. You could contact the Trésorerie perhaps a month after you have left France. This would give you enough time to avoid an increased fine.
Secondly, you could consider using La Poste to forward your post to your home address.
La Poste offers this service for up to a year with three fees:
With this solution, you will receive all important letters, not just any potential speeding fines.
There are a few different ways that you can pay any fine.
If stopped by the police, you can pay it immediately, which will also reduce the fine. If not, you can pay it online here or by telephone by calling the Trésorerie du contrôle automatisé on the same number as given above.
In some cases you may be able to pay a fine at a tabac, either by card or by cheque.
If you want to contest a fine, you can do so online here or by sending the formulaire de requête en exonération (exemption request form) to the public prosecutor’s office.
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