What is an FPS parking fine in France and how can it be contested?
Parking fines have a three-month payment deadline
Fines are issued by local authorities
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Reader Question: I recently found a ‘FPS’ fine on my windshield, which I have not seen before? It looks like a parking fine but I am sure I was not violating any rules. Can I contest it?
A forfait post-stationnement (FPS) is a type of fine in France issued for unpaid or under-paid parking (in cases where you overstay your validity period in a spot).
Drivers are informed they have received a fine either through a physical ticket on their windshield or a letter sent to their address (using the information of the vehicle’s certificat d’immatriculation).
These fines are set by the local council and replaced a former criminal law fine of €17, which went to the central state.
The term forfait post-stationnement (‘fixed after-parking levy’), was chosen so as to be different from the usual legal terms for fines, contravention or amende.
However, they are still often collected by state finance body the Trésor Public (which in this case pays them over to the council).
How to pay
You have up to 90 days to pay the fine.
The exact amount varies depending on the area where you were ticketed, but they range from between about €10 and €60 (and can never be more than the amount you should have paid for the parking period). Reductions may apply if you pay early.
Information on how to pay is available on the ticket.
Ways to pay include via cheque sent to the address given in the fine notice, or with your bank card either by calling 0806 20 30 40 or online.
Late payment can see additional increases to the fine.
How to contest the fine
You may wish to contest the fine, particularly if you have a valid reason for parking where you did that was not spotted by the issuing warden (disabled badge, etc).
This must be done firstly by filing a recours administratif préalable obligatoire within one month of receiving the fine. Upon receiving this, the ticketing authority will respond within one month.
Note that filing this does not dispense you from having to pay the fine, which must still be done within the three months – so you should contest it as soon as possible.
To contest the fine, you will either need to send a lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception to the issuing authority at the address highlighted on the notice, or otherwise use an online/email process as detailed in the notice.
You will need to include:
A copy of the fine
A copy of your vehicle's registration document (or the déclaration de cession if in fact you are no longer the owner of the vehicle)
A statement of the facts with evidence supporting your claim, such as a copy of the payment receipt or photos, proof of disabled badge, etc
A successful response will see a letter sent out confirming this and/or a corrective fine showing €0 sent out.
If the response is rejected and you believe this to be unfair, you can file a formal request with the tribunal du stationnement payant.
You can submit this:
You will need to include supporting evidence in your complaint.
It can take several months for the tribunal to arrange a hearing – although neither you nor a legal representative need to attend it once it is arranged – and up to a year for a ruling.
If you are owed a refund, the local authority that issued the FPS usually has three months to issue a refund (unless the tribunal rules a different time frame is required).
If it does not do so, you should contact the tribunal again to have them enforce the refund.
