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Speeding ticket in France

Posted by (San Juan Capistrano, CA, USA) on

Well, it finally happened to me....I was caught by one of the many cameras on highways/roadways in France going over the speed limit and I just received a ticket. (I must admit that the fine is reasonable, not the $200+ amounts that I have heard stories of people in California having to pay for a similar ticket). The irony is that I have never, in 41 years of driving in the US, received a speeding ticket. I am always careful to follow the limits but as anyone who had driven the roads in France knows, the speed limits change quickly and often. My question for anyone who has received one of these tickets is:

As unlikely as it seems to me.....I wonder if the French agency that sent me my ticket will be reporting this infraction to the DMV in California?? Since my information, along with my driver's license # was obtained by the French agency from my rental car company they have the info they would need to report this ticket to the DMV. I am hoping that this will not occur as I don't want the ramifications to my insurance that would ensue.

Can anyone answer this question for me, based on their experience?

Thank you,

Posted by
3735 posts

We (and by we, I mean my husband who was the one driving -- long story but he did not believe me about the cameras) received some speeding tickets in France last year. They arrived in California about four weeks after the infractions and we paid them promptly and, to date, they have not been reported to the DMV. We were just over the speed limit so I don't know if the French agencies report egregious infractions but I doubt that they do.

Posted by
7048 posts

I don't believe foreign speeding tickets get put on your US driving record. Actually speeding tickets received in another state don't show on my state driving license record -I had a couple of out of state speeding tickets in my years of driving that never showed up. Now, that was some time ago so now with all the computer connections maybe they do.

I seriously doubt that one speeding ticket in 41 years is going to affect your insurance - accidents maybe, tickets no. If it did I would get a new insurance co asap.

Posted by
137 posts

Lori,
Got flashed by one of the cameras but never got the ticket as I think a truck blocked the camera's view. phew
But my cousin, who lives in Brussels, Belgium, said from her experience that French traffic fines only are reported for French drivers. She said it's like the demerit system as you receive "points" against your driving record for infractions if you are a French citizen with a drivers license.

Posted by
98 posts

Thank you to all who replied. I feel better knowing that all I have to do is pay my 45 euro fine. I plan on returning to France in a couple of years and I don't want to have any problems when I enter the country. The convenience and flexibility of having a car was well worth this small fine. I have heard from quite a few people who have received similar tickets and did not feel that they deserved them but what can you do? I think the French government has found a lucrative revenue stream. C'est la vie! I still love France.

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