Where do Britons in right-hand drive cars place France's clean air stickers?

Reader Question: Does it matter where you position the Crit’Air sticker on a vehicle? Is it different for a right-hand drive car?

Crit’Air labels – which must be placed on all vehicles driving through France’s low-emission zones – come as a physical windscreen sticker (vignette). 

They can be ordered online for posting to you. 

The stickers are currently required in a dozen larger cities in France but in theory are set to be required in all areas with a population of 150,000 or more by the start of 2025.

Read more: Where do I need a Crit’Air sticker for my French car?

Where can Crit’Air stickers be placed?

Usually, for French and other left-hand drive cars, the stickers are placed on the bottom right of the inside of the windshield to avoid obstructing the driver's view.

The official video below explains how to attach the stickers and shows where best to place it.

Generally, however, official advice just states that it should be positioned in a location where it is clearly visible to officers on patrol to check vehicles are following the rules.

The 2016 decree relating to Crit’Air stickers does not mention any specific rules on where the sticker must be placed on a vehicle.

The Connexion contacted the Crit’Air service and were advised that for right-hand drive cars it is acceptable for stickers to be on the left-hand side of the windscreen (i.e. if placing it on the right may be a distraction to the driver).

For vehicles without a windscreen, such as motorbikes, the sticker can be placed on the mudguard, forks, or right-hand side of the front fairing. 

Read more: Start date set for motorbike roadworthiness tests in France

The rules on how to use a Crit’Air sticker on a motorbike can be read in English here on the official website.

Read more: Cars, licences, driving: what changes in France in 2024?