Rules of the road
Driving in France
Every value below links to the official source it was checked against, with the date it was checked. What is not verified yet says so.
Quick answers about driving in France
- Which side of the road do you drive on in France?
- In France you drive on the right.
- How old do you have to be to drive in France?
- You must be at least 17 years old to drive in France. Lowered from 18 in January 2024. Under-18s may not drive outside France.
- What is the speed limit in France?
- 130 km/h on motorways, 110 km/h on dual carriageways, 80 km/h on country roads and 50 km/h in towns and cities. Those are the national default limits, which apply where no sign says otherwise.
- What is the drink driving limit in France?
- The legal limit in France is 0.5 g/l. Drivers who passed their test recently are held to 0.2 g/l.
Which side of the road
Which side you overtake on
Left
Overtaking on the right is only for passing a vehicle turning left, or trams.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limits
Speed limit on the motorway
130 km/h
110 in rain. Lower limits are signed in tunnels and roadworks.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit on country roads
80 km/h
Departments may sign 90 on some roads. Sections with two lanes in the same direction are 90 on those lanes.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit in towns and cities
50 km/h
Can be raised to 70 where signed. The Paris ring road is 70. Many city centres are signed lower.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit in rain or snow
- Motorway — 110 km/h
- Dual carriageway — 100 km/h
Applies when rain or other precipitation is falling.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit for drivers who passed their test recently
- Motorway — 110 km/h
- Dual carriageway — 100 km/h
- Country roads — 80 km/h
For the probationary period: 3 years after the test, or 2 with accompanied driving. Applies whatever the weather.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Alcohol
Alcohol limit for drivers who passed their test recently
0.2 g/l
For the whole probationary period. In practice this means do not drink at all.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Your licence and age
Youngest age you may drive
17 years
Lowered from 18 in January 2024. Under-18s may not drive outside France.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Looking to rent a car? The minimum age to drive is 17, but most car rental agencies have their own minimum rental age. Remember to check with your car rental agency before you book. We earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we make money.
Whether you need an International Driving Permit
Depends on where your licence is from
EU and EEA licences are accepted as they are. Other licences must be in French or carried with an official translation or an International Driving Permit.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
What you must carry in the car
What you must carry in the car
- Warning triangle
- High-visibility vest
The vest must be within reach and worn if you leave a broken-down car on the road. Missing either is a 135 euro fine.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Phones at the wheel
Hands-free phone calls
Allowed, with restrictions
Earpieces, earphones and headsets are all banned while driving. Only systems built into the car are allowed.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Who goes first
Turning at a red light
Not allowed
A complete stop is required at every red light. Cyclist exceptions are signed.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Who has priority at a roundabout
Depends on the signs
Almost all roundabouts have give-way signs, so traffic already on the circle has priority. On the rare unsigned ones, entering traffic from the right has priority instead — Place de l'Étoile in Paris works this way.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Priority to traffic coming from the right
Yes — traffic from the right goes first at unmarked junctions
At an unmarked intersection, traffic from the right has priority. This catches out visitors — a car pulling out from a small road on the right may have the right of way.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Seatbelts and children
Age below which a child needs a child seat
10 years
A child under 10 must use a restraint suited to their size and weight.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Youngest age a child may sit in the front
10 years
Exceptions: a rear-facing baby seat with the airbag off, no back seats, no rear seatbelts, or the back full of other under-10s.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Parking
What happens if you park wrongly
- A fine
- Towing
Obstructive parking can mean immobilisation and the pound, not just a fine.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Winter driving
Winter tyres
Required where signs say so
In 34 mountain departments from 1 November to 31 March, marked zones require either four winter tyres (3PMSF marking) or snow chains on board. Zones are signed at their entrance.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Snow chains
Required where signs say so
Chains on the drive wheels satisfy the mountain-zone rule if you do not have winter tyres. A specific sign can make chains compulsory on a given road.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Motorbikes and scooters
Helmets on a motorbike or scooter
Required for rider and passenger
Rider and passenger must wear an approved helmet, fastened, on any motorbike, moped, motor tricycle or quadricycle.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Largest motorbike or scooter you may ride on a car licence
- Engine up to 50 cc
- Power up to 4 kW
- Top speed up to 45 km/h
Permis B covers a moped (cyclomoteur) with no extra step; the AM category is not needed if you hold another category such as B. The source defines the class as two or three wheels, 45 km/h maximum, 50 cc maximum if it has a petrol engine, and 4 kW maximum motor power, so the engine cap is for petrol machines and the power cap applies to all. Riding a light motorbike or scooter up to 125 cc and 11 kW on permis B needs the licence held for at least 2 years and a 7 hour practical course, which gives a certificate. Holders of a European B licence must also do the course. The source does not say whether a non-European car licence gets the moped allowance.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Youngest age you may ride the smallest class of scooter
14 years
The BSR (category AM) can be taken from age 14 and covers mopeds under 50 cc limited to 45 km/h. People born before 1988 need no licence for a moped.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
What a rider must wear or carry
- Gloves
- High-visibility vest
- Reflective stickers on the helmet
Rider and passenger must wear CE marked gloves. A hi-vis vest must be carried on the rider or the bike and worn if you stop on the road after a breakdown. The helmet must carry four reflective elements: front, back and both sides.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Riding between lanes of slow traffic
Allowed, with restrictions
Legal everywhere in France since 11 January 2025, but only on motorways and dual carriageways with a central reservation, at least two lanes each way and a limit of 70 km/h or more, and only when traffic is in continuous queues on all lanes. Ride between the two leftmost lanes at 50 km/h maximum, 30 km/h if one lane is stopped. Two or three wheelers up to 1 m wide only. No overtaking other filtering riders.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Smallest motorbike allowed on the motorway
- Engine at least 50 cc
- Power at least 4 kW
- Top speed at least 45 km/h
The ban is by vehicle class: Code de la route article R421-2 lists cyclomoteurs among the vehicles refused access to motorways, with no figures of its own. The cited source is article R311-1, which defines a cyclomoteur as a two or three wheeler with a design speed of no more than 45 km/h, an engine of no more than 50 cc if petrol, and no more than 4 kW. A machine at exactly 45 km/h is still a cyclomoteur and stays off the motorway; one that is above ANY of the three caps is classed as a motorcycle and may enter, so a machine does not have to be above all three. Motor tricycles up to 15 kW and 550 kg unladen are also refused.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Headlights on a motorbike in daytime
Required at all times
In daytime, motorbikes and mopeds must ride with dipped headlights or daytime running lights on.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Tolls and city charges
How you pay for motorways
- Toll booths
- Electronic tolls with no barriers
Most motorways are tolled. Newer free-flow sections (A13, A14, A79) have no barriers — pay online or at a tobacconist within 72 hours, or fines follow the number plate.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
If something goes wrong
Emergency number
112
Direct lines also work: 15 medical, 17 police, 18 fire.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Fines
Whether police can fine you on the spot
Yes — visitors must pay at the roadside
A driver who does not live in France must generally pay the fixed fine or a deposit immediately, and the car can be held until it is paid.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
More questions about driving in France
- What do you have to carry in your car in France?
- You must carry a warning triangle and a high-visibility vest. The vest must be within reach and worn if you leave a broken-down car on the road. Missing either is a 135 euro fine.
- Do you need an International Driving Permit for France?
- Depends on where your licence is from. EU and EEA licences are accepted as they are. Other licences must be in French or carried with an official translation or an International Driving Permit.
- Can you use your phone while driving in France?
- No. Holding a phone while driving is against the law in France. Hands-free: allowed, with restrictions.
- Can you ride a scooter or small motorbike on a car licence in France?
- Yes, engine up to 50 cc, power up to 4 kW and top speed up to 45 km/h.
Each answer comes from the rules above, where you can also see the official source and the date it was checked.
15 rules not yet verified for France
These rules exist, but no value has been checked against an official source yet. Missing beats wrong.
- Speed limit in living and residential zones
- Speed limit when towing a trailer or caravan
- Alcohol limit for professional drivers
- How long you may drive on your own licence
- What you should carry, but do not have to
- When you must switch your headlights on
- Headlights in tunnels
- Height below which a child needs a child seat
- What the lines and painted kerbs mean
- How you pay to park
- Parking on the pavement
- Parking facing against the traffic
- How far you must park from a junction or crossing
- Low-emission zones
- Congestion charges