France Speeding Fines: Full 2026 Penalty Table and Points Schedule

Speeding fines in France follow a fixed schedule of euro amounts and license points set out in the Code de la route, and a major reform now makes the most serious cases a criminal offense from the very first violation. This guide sets out the fine, points, and suspension rule for every speed band, plus what changed on 29 December 2025.

Information last verified on 20 July 2026. This article presents general legal information, not legal advice.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers speeding penalties under French national law (the Code de la route), which applies across metropolitan France and its overseas departments. It does not describe speeding rules in any other country.

The 29 December 2025 Reform: 50 km/h or More Is Now a Délit

Exceeding the posted speed limit by 50 km/h or more has long been treated seriously under French law, but until late 2025 a first offense at this level was classified as a 5th-class contravention rather than a criminal offense. Only a repeat offense (récidive) crossed into délit territory.

That changed with décret n. 2025-1269 du 22 décembre 2025, which implements loi n. 2025-622 du 9 juillet 2025 and took effect on 29 December 2025 (Code de la route L413-1). Since that date, a first offense of 50 km/h or more over the limit is a délit, the same criminal classification that previously applied only to repeat offenders.

The practical effect is that a single large speeding violation can now put a driver before the tribunal correctionnel, with a criminal record, rather than only a fine collected through the ordinary contravention process. Because a délit is a criminal offense rather than a civil contravention, it can be prosecuted before a court and may be treated differently on a driver's record than an ordinary speeding contravention, in addition to the fine and points described below.

This reform is part of a broader French road-safety push introduced by the same parent law. Loi n. 2025-622 du 9 juillet 2025 also raised the penalties for drink and drug driving, effective a few months earlier on 11 July 2025. A reader researching either topic should keep the two effective dates separate: 11 July 2025 for alcohol and drugs, and 29 December 2025 for the speeding reform described on this page.

Full Penalty Table by Speed Band

The fine, points, and suspension exposure for a speeding offense depend on how far over the posted limit a driver was traveling, and for the smallest excess, on the posted limit itself. The table below reflects the current schedule.

The two rows for an excess under 20 km/h are the ones drivers most often get backward. Where the posted limit is 50 km/h or less, meaning most built-up areas, that under-20 km/h excess is a 4th-class contravention carrying the 135 EUR forfaitaire. The lower 68 EUR forfaitaire only applies where the posted limit is above 50 km/h, typically on roads outside town. In other words, the cheaper fine is the out-of-town case, not the general rule.

The point deductions in the table assume a full, non-probationary license. A driver on a probationary license starts with fewer points overall and faces an additional consequence: any point-losing infraction, including a speeding fine, interrupts that year's scheduled increase toward the full point total, on top of the points actually withdrawn for the offense.

Forfaitaire, Minorée, Majorée: What the Three Amounts Mean

Each contravention fine has three possible amounts, and the amount owed depends on how quickly it is paid.

The amende forfaitaire minorée is the reduced amount available for payment within 15 days of the notice. The amende forfaitaire is the standard amount, generally due within 45 days. The amende forfaitaire majorée is the increased amount charged once the payment window has passed without payment or a contestation.

The 50 km/h or more band uses a parallel structure called the amende forfaitaire délictuelle, since the offense is now a délit rather than a contravention: 300 EUR standard, 250 EUR if paid within 15 days, and 600 EUR if the deadline passes. Unlike an ordinary contravention, this band can also be referred to a court instead of settled by the fixed fine.

The 50 km/h+ Délit: Court Referral and Vehicle Confiscation

When a 50 km/h or greater excess is prosecuted before the tribunal correctionnel rather than resolved through the fixed amende forfaitaire délictuelle, the court can impose a fine of up to 3,750 EUR and a prison sentence of up to 3 months. Six points are withdrawn from the driver's license, and the court can suspend or cancel the license entirely.

Vehicle confiscation is not automatic for a first offense at this level; it is discretionary, left to the court's judgment. On a récidive, a repeat 50 km/h or greater offense, confiscation becomes mandatory unless the court issues a specially reasoned decision explaining why it is not ordering it.

License Suspension by Speed Band

Suspension is not on the table for the smallest excess bands. It becomes a possibility starting at a 30 to 39 km/h excess and continues to be possible at 40 to 49 km/h, even though both remain 4th-class contraventions rather than a délit. Whether a court or the préfet actually imposes a suspension at these bands depends on the facts of the case; it is not an automatic consequence of the ticket itself.

At 50 km/h or more, suspension becomes far more likely given the offense's criminal classification, and the court can also order cancellation of the license entirely.

A suspension is a separate consequence from the points withdrawn for the same offense. Losing points reduces the balance on the license; a suspension removes the right to drive for a set period even if the driver still has points remaining. The two consequences can apply together for the same infraction.

Recovering Lost Points

Points lost to a speeding fine come back in one of two ways.

Automatic recovery follows a fixed timetable once the infraction becomes final (date définitive). A single point recovers after 6 months, provided no new infraction is committed in that period. Points lost to a 2nd or 3rd class contravention recover after 2 years. Points lost to a 4th or 5th class contravention, or to a délit such as the 50 km/h or greater offense, recover after 3 years.

A stage de sensibilisation, an awareness course approved by the préfecture, can restore up to 4 points at once, but only once every 12 months, measured from the date of the last course that actually recovered points. Book only through a préfecture-approved center (CSSR); the préfecture's own list and the stage finder on securite-routiere.gouv.fr are the reliable starting points.

Related Situations

A speeding fine can interact with other rules depending on who was driving and what else was involved. A driver on a probationary license faces a reduced starting point total and an interrupted annual increase after any point-losing infraction, on top of the ordinary consequences described above. Speeding combined with an alcohol offense triggers separate, more serious rules; see drink-driving penalties in France. If a speeding incident led to an accident and the driver left the scene, that is a distinct and more serious offense; see hit-and-run laws in France.

Drivers who believe a speeding ticket was issued in error, for example a wrong vehicle identification or a malfunctioning device, can formally contest it; the procedure and deadlines are covered in how to contest a traffic fine in France. For a broader look at driving-related rules, see the France driving laws hub.

Disclaimer

This page provides general information about French speeding penalties for educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice, and the fine, points, and suspension rules described here can change or be applied differently based on the specific facts of an individual case. Always verify current figures with an official source such as service-public.gouv.fr or Legifrance, or consult a qualified French avocat before acting on this information.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fine for speeding under 20 km/h over the limit in France?

It depends on the posted limit. Where the limit is 50 km/h or less, the excess is a 4th-class contravention with a 135 EUR standard fine (90 EUR if paid quickly, 375 EUR if late) and 1 point. Where the limit is above 50 km/h, the same size of excess is a 3rd-class contravention with a lower 68 EUR standard fine (45 EUR reduced, 180 EUR increased) and 1 point.

Is speeding 50 km/h or more over the limit a criminal offense in France?

Yes. Since décret n. 2025-1269 took effect on 29 December 2025, exceeding the posted limit by 50 km/h or more is a délit starting with a first offense, not only on a repeat offense as before.

How much does a grand excès de vitesse (50 km/h or more) cost?

The amende forfaitaire délictuelle is 300 EUR standard, 250 EUR if paid within 15 days, or 600 EUR if paid late. If the case goes before a court, the fine can reach up to 3,750 EUR, along with up to 3 months in prison and the withdrawal of 6 points.

Can my license be suspended for speeding in France?

Suspension becomes possible starting at a 30 to 39 km/h excess, and stays possible at 40 to 49 km/h, though it is discretionary rather than automatic at these bands. At 50 km/h or more, suspension is far more likely given the offense's criminal classification, and the court can order cancellation instead.

Is my vehicle automatically confiscated for a large speeding offense?

Not on a first offense. Confiscation is discretionary the first time a driver commits a 50 km/h or greater excess. On a repeat offense, confiscation becomes mandatory unless the court gives a specially reasoned decision not to order it.

How do I recover points lost for speeding?

A single lost point recovers automatically after 6 months without a new infraction. Points lost to a 2nd or 3rd class contravention recover after 2 years, and points lost to a 4th or 5th class contravention or a délit recover after 3 years, measured from when the infraction becomes final.

How often can I take a stage de récupération de points?

A stage de sensibilisation can restore up to 4 points, but only once every 12 months, counted from the date of the last course that actually recovered points. It must be booked through a center approved by the préfecture.

What changed about speeding penalties on 29 December 2025?

Before that date, exceeding the limit by 50 km/h or more was a délit only on a repeat offense; a first offense was a 5th-class contravention. Décret n. 2025-1269 du 22 décembre 2025 made a first offense at this level a délit as well, carrying the amende forfaitaire délictuelle and court referral described above.