Driving Ban France: What Are the Exact Rules?
France enforces driving bans for trucks over 7.5 tons. These apply on Sundays and public holidays and can affect delivery times. In this blog, you'll read when the driving ban applies, which exceptions exist, and what else you need to consider.
General Driving Ban for Trucks in France
On all roads in France, a driving ban applies on Sundays and public holidays for vehicles and combinations over 7.5 tons. On Sundays, the ban runs from Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00. During public holidays, it starts the day before at 22:00 and lasts until 22:00 on the holiday itself. This also applies to solo tractors without trailers.
Public Holidays in France in 2025
On these public holidays, a driving ban applies throughout France:
- New Year's Day (January 1, 2025)
- Easter Monday (April 21, 2025)
- Labor Day (May 1, 2025)
- Liberation Day (May 8, 2025)
- Ascension Day (May 29, 2025)
- Whit Monday (June 9, 2025)
- Bastille Day (July 14, 2025)
- Assumption of Mary (August 15, 2025)
- All Saints' Day (November 1, 2025)
- Armistice Day (November 11, 2025)
- Christmas Day (December 25, 2025)
Driving Bans During Summer Months
From early July to late August, an additional driving ban applies on Saturdays due to holiday traffic. In 2025, these are the following days:
- July 5, 12, 18, and 25
- August 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30
On these Saturdays, the ban applies from 07:00 to 19:00. Additionally, the Sunday driving ban already starts on Saturday at 22:00 and lasts until Sunday 22:00.
Driving Ban in France During Snowfall
During extreme weather such as heavy snowfall or heat waves, France may impose additional driving bans. The Rhône-Alpes region also has fixed winter driving bans:
- Every Saturday in February and the first Saturday in March from 07:00 to 18:00.
- Every weekend from Saturday 22:00 to Sunday 22:00.
Exceptions to the Driving Ban in France
The driving ban does not apply to all trucks. There are several exceptions:
- Transport of perishable goods (e.g., fresh vegetables, fruit, dairy products).
- Live animals.
- Goods for events (sports competitions, cultural gatherings).
- Daily newspapers and magazines.
- Air freight under air waybill.
- Removals within cities.
- Medical or other essential emergency transport (with special exemption).
Car Transport from or to France
Want to have cars transported from or to France? We take into account the driving bans on Sundays and public holidays. This may affect delivery times. In your customer portal, you can always see the current status of your transport.
Driving Bans Also Apply in Other Countries
Also check our blogs about driving bans in other countries: Germany, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands.
