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Outstanding Speeding Ticket in France (I THINK) (Help)

Greetings.

In 2017 my fiance & I rented a car from Hertz in Paris. After returning to the US, I received a speeding ticket for going 2mph over the speeding limit. However it was during a time when we were moving to a new home. In that time period we lost the speeding ticket. I have done everything possible to get the ticket number (which is needed to pay the fine online) and have had no luck. I have no overseas calling plan and there is no email that i can find.

The major concern is that we leave next Tuesday to return to Paris for our wedding. Does anyone know if the police or customs will stop me at the airport for this speeding ticket? That would not be good!

I really just wish there was a way to get the ticket number but i cannot seem to find a way.

Thanks for the help!!

Posted by
8293 posts

Maybe if you phone the French Embassy or the nearest French Consulate, someone could answer your question about what will happen at Immigration at the airport in Paris. Worrying, I know.

Posted by
589 posts

Did you already contact Hertz? I would think that they kept a copy for their records.

Posted by
3 posts

Norma- I have contacted the Consulate here in Houston, they really could not give me any answers. But i greatly appreciate your help//advice!

Posted by
3 posts

Nestor - I have contacted Hertz & they stated that they did not have anything on file, but they did look up my DL info told me that in their system I was still clear to rent/drive.

Posted by
8258 posts

I think that the responsible thing is to figure out how to pay it which is exactly what you are trying to do.

That said, I would be so surprised if this is an issue for border patrol at all. Worst case, they somehow do have it on their records (which I can't imagine) and you pay it upon arrival.

Posted by
8293 posts

I am wondering if you call the Consulate again, and very, very nicely ask if they could possibly contact the Embassy or even Paris, for the answer to your question, if you might have success. Be sure to emphasize the fact that you are going to Paris for your wedding and that you are very worried about all this.

Posted by
9460 posts

Maybe I'm completely naive, but I just can't imagine that immigration is going to have information about a year-old parking ticket. I wouldn't think about this a minute more!!!

And have a great wedding!!!

Posted by
3656 posts

Consulates in the US do not take phone calls from people looking for help with visas and that is supposedly part of their function so I sincerely doubt they are going to make time to talk to someone about a traffic citation. No one will stop you at the airport about his ticket -- really honestly, do you think border control cares about traffic citations (they are worried about much bigger issues). I know it's your honeymoon so you want it to be perfect but you are worrying about nothing. If Hertz will rent you the car and has no notice of amounts due to them in their records, go ahead and go on your honeymoon and stop worrying. And as you know from your last trip, there is really no customs inspection in Paris -- just go out the nothing to declare door unless, of course, you have something to declare (like that you have an unpaid ticket, just kidding).

If you had mail forwarding (which you should have when you move) and the ticket was unpaid, they would have sent it again and forwarding would have resulted in it being delivered to your new house. I have a feeling that all you ever received was the notice from Hertz that they had submitted your contact information to the authorities. Sometimes after the authorities receive that information, they never actually get around to sending the ticket.

Posted by
23177 posts

Other than the Italians, most European countries are pretty sloppy in chasing parking tickets. So my guess is your are OK because they are not linking tickets to immigration records.

Posted by
1954 posts

A few years back I received a ticket for speeding and had to pay within 46 days otherwise they send a reminder with a more costly ticket, you have to pay within a month. If you don’t pay at all the ticket will be finally four times the original. Can’t say what will happen at the airport.

Have no idea if Hertz forwarded the ticket or you received the ticket directly from the French public service that processes road and other rule violations. If the latter is the case, likely they keep sending to your former adress as you say you have moved in the meanwhile.

You can contact the French public service: https://www.antai.gouv.fr/?lang=en

Posted by
1829 posts

Zero concerns about entering the country at the airport
If you are not renting a car and driving this trip I would not worry in the slightest for this trip.

Obviously paying it at some time is the right thing to do and may affect you when...
1.) renting a car again in France - Hertz says no issue so maybe not
2.) being stopped in France by the police for moving violation or at a roadside checkpoint while driving ; to me this is where the real danger could lie.

Posted by
4495 posts

Had a speeding ticket in France, didn't pay it (never received it, only notification of it), 3 years later re-entered France and rented from the same company. No issues at all at either step.

The main issue is you don't know where the offense occurred and don't know the jurisdiction to pay. I think calling any French govt agency or consulate randomly will be completely fruitless.

I have a feeling that all you ever received was the notice from Hertz that they had submitted your contact information to the authorities. Sometimes after the authorities receive that information, they never actually get around to sending the ticket.

Consider this scenario as likely.

Also, a speeding ticket in the US is serious, they are rare and means you have been detained by the police and interviewed. A camera fine is similar in severity to a parking ticket.