How long can you leave a car parked on the street in France?
Larger towns and cities often have strict by-laws
Municipal police are often charged with dealing with parking violations
Mikhail Gnatkovskiy/Shutterstock
Reader Question: I want to buy a French car to use when we visit our second home, but we have no garage or driveway at the property. How long can I leave it parked in the same spot on the road outside the house?
The Code de la route (France's main legal text relating to driving rules) states that you can only leave your car parked in the same spot on the road for seven days.
However, this is not universal. In some places, usually larger towns and cities, the time can be reduced by municipal by-laws to 48 hours or sometimes 24 hours.
Again, depending on where you live, some municipalities have residents’ parking schemes, where vehicle owners are allowed to park on the road provided they show a badge or, increasingly, have their number plates entered into a register which municipal police officers can check.
These parking schemes are usually at a fee, and sometimes with rules stipulating that the car must be moved at regular intervals.
Municipal police are often charged with dealing with stationnements abusifs.
If your commune does not have such police, you may avoid a fine or the car being towed for a while. However, the mairie can still ask gendarmes to take action if it sees fit.
Fines start at €38, but if the vehicle is deemed to be parked dangerously (blocking the view of the road, on a corner, or on a pedestrian crossing, for example) this rises to €150 and the car can be towed immediately.
Your best solution may be to ask if anyone has a barn or a garage they are prepared to sell or rent to you.
A quick internet search shows garage rentals in rural areas in the €50 to €100 a month range, plus a deposit, and sometimes an administrative fee for an agent.
As well as getting it off the street, this will also protect your car from the weather.
Another possibility may be to explain your situation to the mairie and ask permission to leave your car outside your home. France has many rules and regulations, but authorities sometimes allow leeway.
