Key facts — Crit'Air categories at a glance
- • A Crit'Air vignette is a colour-coded sticker required to drive in French low-emission zones (ZFEs)
- • There are six categories: 0 (electric), 1 (modern petrol/hybrid), 2 (Euro 4 petrol or Euro 5/6 diesel), 3, 4, and 5 (older vehicles)
- • Your category is determined by your vehicle's Euro emissions standard, which depends on fuel type and registration date
- • Petrol vehicles registered after January 2011 are typically Crit'Air 1; diesel vehicles registered after January 2011 are Crit'Air 2
- • Paris and Lyon ban Crit'Air 3 and above in 2026; Bordeaux currently only bans unclassified vehicles — check each city's rules before travel, as they differ more than you'd expect
- • You can find your Euro standard on your V5C (field 'P.3') or via the DVLA vehicle enquiry service
- • Riding a motorbike or moped? See our dedicated motorcycle guide
If you need a crit air sticker, UK drivers often get stuck on one question before ordering: which category does my car fall into? Get it wrong and your sticker won't be valid for the zone you're entering.
This guide explains exactly how the category system works and how to find yours in under two minutes.
Once you know your category, you can order your Crit'Air sticker here — we handle the French application for you in English.
Find Your Crit'Air Category
Answer 2 quick questions
Step 1: What fuel does your vehicle use?
Got a Hire or Lease Car?
If you're driving a hired or leased vehicle, you won't have a V5C logbook — you'll have a VE103 or AA Vehicle on Hire Certificate instead. These documents don't always show Euro standard or CO₂ figures directly, but you can still work out your Crit'Air category from the information that is there.
What to look for on your hire certificate:
- •Date of first registration (field B) — use this in the tool above
- •Fuel type (field D.2 or similar) — "Hybrid Electric" means petrol mild hybrid for Crit'Air purposes; "Diesel" means diesel
- •If the document shows engine cylinder capacity but not a Euro standard, use the registration date — any vehicle registered after September 2015 (diesel) or January 2011 (petrol) is almost certainly Euro 6 or Euro 5 respectively
We handle hire and lease vehicle applications as standard — just upload your VE103 or hire certificate where the V5C is requested, and we'll interpret the technical details for you.
Order Now →How the Crit'Air Category System Works
The Crit'Air system assigns every vehicle one of six colour-coded categories based on its Euro emissions standard — the European rating that measures how much pollution your engine produces. The cleaner your engine, the lower your category number, and the more zones you can enter freely.
The Six Categories
Crit'Air 0 — Green
Zero-emission electric and hydrogen vehicles.
Unrestricted access to all zones, including during high-pollution episodes.
Crit'Air 1 — Purple
Plug-in hybrid vehicles, LPG/NGV gas vehicles, and petrol vehicles meeting Euro 5 or 6 standards (generally registered after 1 January 2011).
Permitted in most zones.
Crit'Air 2 — Yellow
Euro 4 petrol vehicles (generally registered between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2010) and Euro 5 or 6 diesel vehicles (generally registered after 1 January 2011).
Permitted in most permanent ZFEs but may face restrictions during high-pollution episodes.
Crit'Air 3 — Orange
Euro 2 or 3 petrol vehicles (generally registered between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2005) and Euro 4 diesel vehicles (generally registered between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2010).
Faces restrictions in several major ZFEs.
Crit'Air 4 — Burgundy
Euro 3 diesel vehicles (generally registered between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2005).
Restricted or banned in most major ZFEs.
Crit'Air 5 — Dark Grey
Euro 2 diesel vehicles (generally registered between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2000).
Banned from most ZFEs.
No Sticker Issued
Vehicles registered before January 1997 (petrol or diesel) cannot be issued a Crit'Air sticker and are banned from all ZFEs.
Do not attempt to enter any French low-emission zone in a vehicle of this age.
Know your category? Order in 3 minutes.
£19.95 all-in · Digital certificate in 24–48h · Physical sticker to your UK address
The Quickest Way to Find Your Category
You do not need to know your Euro standard in advance. When you order your Crit'Air sticker — either via the official French government site or a UK facilitation service like Europermits — you simply upload a photo of your V5C registration document. The category is assigned automatically from your vehicle's details. That's it.
Not sure of your exact category?
Don't worry about working it out in advance. When you order, just upload a photo of your V5C and we determine your correct category from your vehicle's details — no Euro standard knowledge required.
Order — we handle the rest →What Category Do Most UK Cars Fall Into?
The majority of UK vehicles registered after 2006 will fall into Crit'Air 1 or Crit'Air 2, which are accepted in all current permanent ZFEs.
Modern petrol or hybrid (post-2011)
You will almost certainly be Crit'Air 1. Full access to all permanent ZFEs. This includes MHEV and PHEV hybrids.
Diesel registered after 2011
Typically Crit'Air 2. Accepted in most permanent ZFEs but may face restrictions during pollution episodes. Driving a motorhome or campervan?
The problem area: older diesels
- Diesel 2006–2010 = Crit'Air 3. Now banned or restricted in Paris and faces tightening rules in Lyon from July 2026.
- Diesel before 2006 = Crit'Air 4 or 5. Effectively banned from all major French cities.
Paris: The Strictest Zone in France
Paris has the tightest restrictions of any French city. As of January 2025, only Crit'Air 0, 1, and 2 vehicles are permitted within the Greater Paris ZFE on weekdays between 8am and 8pm. Crit'Air 3, 4, and 5 vehicles are banned.
Note on Crit'Air 3 grace period
A grace period for Crit'Air 3 vehicles in Greater Paris has been extended until the end of 2026, but enforcement could tighten at any point — do not rely on this.
FAQ: Can I Just Display the Wrong Category Sticker?
Can I just display the wrong category sticker?
No.
The ANPR camera system cross-references your number plate against the Crit'Air database. The sticker category on your windscreen must match your vehicle's registered category, or you will be fined regardless of what you display.
Order Your Crit'Air Sticker — £19.95
Know your category? Order in 3 minutes — we handle the French application in English, no French website required.
- ✓ Physical sticker posted to your UK address
- ✓ Digital certificate by email
- ✓ Lifetime validity
- ✓ Upload your V5C and we confirm your exact category
Last Updated: July 2026