Speeding fines, in France. This is an important topic with many possibilities depending on where your car is registered (France, UK, other EU country, Swiss etc), and what country issued your driving licence. It also depends on how much you over-sped, and how you got caught. Many options here. There is also the rental car possibility. This one is treated at the end of the page. Let's try to be clear and comprehensive.

First, we will focus on how you have been caught, as the outcome will not be the same.

How did you get caught speeding?

There are two possibilities:

- law enforcement stops your car, and comes up to your window, asking for your papers and all that. In that situation, little does matter where your car is registered, or who issued your driving licence. The fine will have to be paid, the consequences will have to be met. The only thing you will escape is the loss of points on your driving licence (unless the driving licence is french).

- you are not physically stopped. A picture of your car speeding was taken, by officers or by an automatic speed camera. Your data is being processed automatically and the output will vary depending on where your car is registered, and possibly on who issued the driving licence.

If you get caught in the first scenario, you can jump to the fines directly. If not, read the paragraph right below.

Caught speeding by a speed camera, not arrested

In this scenario, you were driving along, and got caught speeding. You might have noticed it (saw the officers or the speed camera), might have not. Nobody has stopped you. The automatic system is designed for french drivers, who won't be able to escape the outcome as they will get the fine sent home. You might escape the outcome.

Most EU countries are sharing data including police and speeding offences data. The UK is out. Swiss for example was never in. Over countries will never be in. So let's look at the three scenarios:

- your car is registered in the UK. While previously you would have received the fine at home, it should not be the case anymore. The cooperation on this point has stopped (both ways). So, don't expect anything (if you get a fine somehow at home, and you don't pay, France should not be able to do anything should you decide not to pay). You are clear.

- your car is registered in a country that has no data-sharing agreement with France, like Switzerland, Russia or Dubai. Same. France will not know where to send the fine. So it will not be sent and you will never have to pay it. You are clear.

- your car is registered in a country that has an agreement with France, such as Spain and most of the EU. France will send the speeding data and fine to the country, and that country will collect that fine from you in the name of France. In that case, hard not to pay up. And if you happen to have a french driving licence (ie you are a french guy living in Barcelona, driving a Spain registered car getting caught speeding in France, with a french driving licence), you will lose the corresponding points as well. Tough luck.

I hope that was clear. You might need to read again. Let me know via the contact page if things need to be better explained (and how) or if something different happened to you.

Now let's talk about the speeding fines themselves. The fine of course will depend on the amount of "overspeed", and also the actual speed limit. Loss of points only concerns french licence holders. Car impoundment only applies if you have been physically stopped.

First, for all the amounts in € shown below, the price does vary depending on how fast you pay the fine. And for the licence suspension, the duration of the suspension shown is the maximum suspension. See more explanations at the end of the different fines.

Speeding fine, for speeding by less than 20 km/h (12 mph)

• Fine: 68 euros
• Licence points loss: 1 point
• Licence suspension: none

If however, the speed limit is lower than 50 km/h (31 mph), for example near a school

• Fine: 135 euros
• Licence points loss: 1 point
• Licence suspension: none

Speeding fine, for speeding between 20 km/h and 30 km/h (12 mph to 19 mph)

• Fine: 135 euros
• Licence points loss: 2 points
• Licence suspension: none

Speeding fine, for speeding between 30 km/h and 40 km/h (19 mph to 25 mph)

• Fine: 135 euros
• Licence points loss: 3 points
• Licence suspension: 3 years
  

Speeding fine, for speeding between 40 km/h and 50 km/h (25 mph to 31 mph)

• Fine: 135 euros
• Licence points loss: 4 points
• Licence suspension: 3 years

Speeding fine, for speeding by more than 50 km/h (31 mph)

• Fine: 1500 euros
• Licence points loss: 6 points
• Licence suspension: 3 years
  

Second offence, speeding by more than 50 km/h (31 mph)

• Jail: 3 months
• Fine: 3750 euros
• Licence points loss: 6 points
• Licence suspension: 3 years
  

Explanation about the different prices you have to pay:

- When the speeding fine is 68 euros, it gets reduced to 45 euros if you pay it within 15 days. And raised to 180 euros if you have not paid within 45 days. The maximum possible being 450 euros if you never pay and it goes to a judge (judge discretion up to 450€).
- When the speeding fine is 135 euros, it gets reduced to 90 euros if you pay it within 15 days. And raised to 375 euros if you have not paid within 45 days. The maximum possible being 750 euros if you never pay and it goes to a judge (judge discretion up to 750€).
- Regarding the licence suspension, this is the maximum that the judge can give you. Anytime there is a licence suspension, it means a judge has to order it (it is not automatic). The judge can decide whatever duration for the licence suspension within the time limit indicated. Usually, only repeat offences, or offences committed while under the influence of alcohol or drugs will lead to the maximum allowed duration.
- Regarding jail time, this is only the maximum possibility. Expect no jail time except repeat offences, driving under influence, etc.

Speeding fine and rental car scenario

This one is interesting too and also has different possible outcomes...
First, if you have been physically arrested, there is no escape. You pay the speeding fine on the spot to the police, that's it. The rental car company never knows about it. Now, if you have been caught speeding but not physically arrested. Law enforcement will send the fine to the rental car company.
The rental car company has all the information on you, the driver, including your credit card details.

There are two main possibilities:

- you get caught speeding and the fine gets to the rental car company before you return it. No escape. They will ask you to pay the speeding fine, plus a processing fee (expect a 90€ fee, depends on your car rental company policy).
- you get caught speeding but you return the car before the rental car company receives the speeding fine. In that case, when they receive the fine, they will simply charge your credit card for the fine + processing fee. If in the meantime, your credit card has been cancelled for some reason (say, you lost it and cancelled it), they won't be able to charge your card and so will contact you, asking you to pay up. Which will be up to you to decide.

Has everything been covered?

I have tried to be clear and comprehensive since the topic of speeding fines has many different possibilities. If you came across a different option than one of those described above, please contact me to let me know about it.

If that information was useful to you, please share that post as a thank you to the writer :)

Last word: covid or no covid, brexit or no brexit, you are and will be welcome in France. No fear, come, enjoy and share the good time.