In brief

• Contesting a fixed fine depends on the method of observation: apprehension by law enforcement or remote observation (radar, video-verbalization).
• The amounts of fines are set by class of offense: €11 (1st), €35 (2nd), €68 (3rd), €135 (4th), and €200 (5th class).
• The deadline for payment or contestation is strict; any delay may result in an increase of the initial amount.
• The documents received (ticket and payment notice) contain specific instructions for payment or contestation.

Who can take action

Anyone who has received a traffic ticket can contest the fine if they believe it is unjustified. This applies to drivers directly apprehended by law enforcement as well as to holders of the registration certificate (carte grise) when the offense is observed remotely.

Steps

1. Identify the method of observation

The procedure varies depending on how the offense was recorded:

Case A: Apprehension by law enforcement Law enforcement observes the offense and establishes a report. This is generally an electronic report (PVe).

• If you provided your email address to the officer, you will receive the ticket and payment notice by email.
• Otherwise, these documents are sent to the address listed on the vehicle's registration certificate.
• Direct delivery of documents is possible but this system is becoming obsolete.

Case B: Remote observation (Radar or Video-verbalization) A ticket indicating the amount of the fine and a payment notice are sent to the address listed on the vehicle's registration certificate (carte grise).

2. Check the type of offense

It is useful to know the offenses that can be recorded by each method to validate the legitimacy of the control.

Offenses observable by radar (approved devices):

• Failure to comply with stop signals (red light, stop).
• Failure to comply with maximum speed limits.
• Coming soon (once devices are approved): lack of seatbelt, use of handheld phone, use of reserved lanes (buses, taxis), driving on emergency lanes, failure to maintain safe distances, crossing solid lines, driving in the wrong direction, U-turn/reverse on the highway, overtaking rules, entering a troublesome intersection, lack of helmet on motorized two-wheelers, excessive noise emissions in urban areas (<50 km/h), weight limits, and driving on the left on two-way roads.

Offenses observable by video-verbalization:

• Lack of seatbelt.
• Use of handheld mobile phone.
• Wearing devices emitting sound in the ear (except hearing aids).
• Use of reserved lanes (public transport, taxis, carpooling, low-emission vehicles).
• Use of green lanes and pedestrian areas (except authorized perimeters).
• Failure to comply with local access prohibitions (e.g., heavy goods vehicles).
• Driving/stopping/parking on emergency lanes.
• Failure to maintain safe distances.
• Overlapping/crossing solid lines.
• Driving in the wrong direction.
• U-turn/reverse on the highway.
• Failure to comply with red lights/stops.
• Speeding.
• Overtaking rules.
• Priority to pedestrians.
• Offenses at level crossings.
• Passage restrictions on bridges (e.g., heavy goods vehicles).
• Lack of helmet on motorized two-wheelers.
• Non-compliant license plates.
• Excessive noise emissions (experiment ongoing).
• Weight limits (experiment ongoing).
• Driving on the left on two-way roads.
• Lane splitting (two or three motorized wheels).

3. Make the contestation

The ticket and payment notice provided contain the precise modalities for contesting. It is essential to strictly follow the instructions indicated on these official documents to avoid any inadmissibility.

Documents

• Ticket.
• Payment notice.
• Registration certificate (carte grise) of the vehicle concerned.
• Report (in case of apprehension).

Cost

The amount of the fixed fine depends on the class of the offense:

• 1st class: €11
• 2nd class: €35
• 3rd class: €68
• 4th class: €135
• 5th class: €200

You can consult the complete scale of fines and possible point withdrawals via the official tools mentioned by service-public.fr.

Deadlines

The official text indicates the existence of a deadline to pay the fine, beyond which the amount may be increased in case of delay. However, the exact duration of this deadline is not specified in the provided excerpt. It is imperative to refer to the payment notice attached to the ticket to know the exact deadline for payment or contestation.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Ignoring the ticket sent to the address of the registration certificate, even if you were not the driver at the time of the offense.
• Not checking if the alleged offense is indeed part of the list of offenses observable by radar or video-verbalization according to the method of observation.
• Paying after the deadline without contesting, which automatically results in an increase of the initial amount.
• Confusing the procedures depending on whether you were directly apprehended or not.

Official source

Fiche service-public.fr - Fixed fine in case of traffic offense