Crit'Air Sticker for Hire Cars & Rentals - UK Driver's Guide 2026

If you are renting a French-registered car, the rental company should provide a Crit’Air sticker already on the windscreen. For UK-registered hire cars being driven to France, the vehicle owner must apply before the trip. Either way, the driver - that is you - is ultimately responsible for ensuring the sticker is in place before entering any ZFE zone. Fines start at €68 and the rental company will pass them on to you.

Who is responsible for the Crit’Air sticker on a hire car?

This is the central question, and the answer depends on where the car is registered.

French-registered rental cars

If you are picking up a car from a rental desk in France - at an airport, train station, or city office - the car will be French-registered. In this case, the rental company is responsible for applying for and displaying the Crit’Air sticker.

All major rental companies operating in France now include Crit’Air stickers on their fleet vehicles as standard:

• Europcar - stickers fitted on all French fleet vehicles
• Hertz - Crit’Air stickers included as standard
• Avis / Budget - fleet-wide sticker programme in place
• Sixt - stickers on all French-registered vehicles
• Enterprise / National - stickers provided on French fleet

However, “as standard” does not mean “guaranteed on every single car.” Fleet vehicles get replaced, stickers can be damaged during cleaning, and administrative gaps happen. Always check the windscreen before you leave the rental lot.

UK-registered hire cars

If you are hiring a car from a UK rental company and driving it to France (or using a peer-to-peer service like Turo), the situation is different. The vehicle is UK-registered, and the registered keeper - typically the rental company - needs to apply for the Crit’Air sticker.

In practice, most UK rental companies do not provide Crit’Air stickers because only a small percentage of their fleet goes to France. You should:

1. Contact the rental company before your trip and ask if they can apply
2. If they cannot or will not, check whether your rental agreement allows you to apply on their behalf
3. Consider whether you can obtain a temporary exemption or simply plan your route to avoid ZFE zones

If you own a car that you are lending to someone else for a trip to France, apply for the sticker yourself before handing over the keys.

What to do if your rental car doesn’t have a sticker

You are at the rental desk, you have checked the windscreen, and there is no Crit’Air sticker. Here is what to do:

At the rental counter

1. Point it out immediately. Tell the desk staff the car is missing its Crit’Air vignette.
2. Ask for a replacement vehicle. Request a car that has a sticker already fitted. This is the fastest solution.
3. Get written confirmation. If they cannot provide a car with a sticker, ask them to note this in writing on your rental agreement. This may help if you are fined.
4. Check the digital registration. Some rental companies register their vehicles in the Crit’Air database but the physical sticker is missing. The desk should be able to confirm this. ANPR cameras check the database, so a digital registration may protect you from camera fines - but not from a police spot check.

Already on the road

If you only notice the missing sticker after leaving the rental lot:

• Avoid ZFE zones until you can resolve the situation
• Call the rental company and explain the issue - they may direct you to a local office for a replacement
• Do not attempt to buy a sticker yourself for a French-registered car you do not own - you cannot complete the application without the carte grise (registration document)
• Adjust your route - many ZFE zones can be bypassed using ring roads or autoroutes that skirt the city centre

Who pays the fine if you are stopped?

Let’s be direct: you will almost certainly end up paying.

Here is how the process typically works:

On-the-spot police fines

If police stop you and issue a fine, you pay it directly. The fine is issued to the driver, not the vehicle owner. You can pay immediately by card or receive a notice to pay later.

Camera-detected fines

ANPR camera fines are sent to the registered keeper - in this case, the rental company. The rental company will then:

1. Pay the fine to the French authorities
2. Charge the fine amount to the credit card you provided at rental
3. Add an administration fee - typically €20 to €50 on top of the fine itself

This means a €68 camera fine could end up costing you €90 to €120 once the rental company adds their handling charge.

Can you dispute it?

If the rental company failed to provide a sticker on a French-registered car, you have reasonable grounds to dispute the administration fee (though not the fine itself). Document everything:

• Photograph the windscreen when you collect the car
• Note the absence of a sticker in the rental condition report
• Keep all communication with the rental company

Some credit card companies will support a chargeback for the administration fee if you can demonstrate the rental company was at fault. The underlying fine, however, is your responsibility as the driver.

Applying when you don’t own the vehicle

The Crit’Air application process requires details from the vehicle registration document - the V5C in the UK or the carte grise in France. This creates a practical problem for hire car situations.

You cannot apply for a French-registered rental

The carte grise stays with the rental company. You do not have access to it, and the rental company would need to apply. This is why it is their responsibility for French-registered vehicles.

UK-registered hire cars

If you have the V5C details (some rental companies will share the relevant information), you can technically submit an application. However:

• The sticker is posted to the registered keeper’s address, not yours
• Delivery takes 7–30 days from the official French service
• You need the keeper’s permission to apply on their behalf

Using our service, if the rental company provides you with the registration number and confirms they are happy for you to apply, we can process it in a few minutes and post the sticker to whatever UK address you specify.

Peer-to-peer and specialist rentals

The rise of peer-to-peer car sharing platforms has created new Crit’Air complications.

Getaround (formerly Drivy)

Getaround is popular in France for short-term city rentals. Most cars on the platform are French-registered and should have a Crit’Air sticker. Check the listing photos and message the owner before booking to confirm.

Turo

Turo operates differently, with many cars being owner-managed. Sticker provision is inconsistent. Always ask the owner directly and check the windscreen at handover.

Campervan rentals

Companies like Indie Campers, Yescapa, and Roadsurfer should provide Crit’Air stickers on their French fleet. For UK-based campervan rentals heading to France, the same rules apply as for any UK-registered hire vehicle - the owner needs to apply.

Protecting yourself

Here is a practical checklist for hire car drivers heading into French ZFE zones:

1. Before booking - ask the rental company about Crit’Air sticker provision
2. At collection - visually check the windscreen for the sticker and photograph it
3. If missing - request a swap or written acknowledgment before leaving
4. On the road - check ZFE zone maps and avoid restricted areas if you have no sticker
5. If fined - pay promptly within 15 days for the reduced rate and keep all documentation
6. After returning the car - monitor your credit card for any fine charges from the rental company

The best protection is knowledge. Most rental cars in France will have a sticker. But taking 30 seconds to check the windscreen before you drive off the lot can save you a lot of hassle.