Motorists driving in France are being warned to check whether their car needs an emissions sticker before setting off - or risk a motoring fine.

Twelve different areas of the country now restrict car movements based on how polluting vehicles are – in schemes similar to London’s ULEZ.

But drivers caught in an area without the correct permit and window sticker face a fine of up to €180 (£154).

France is the most popular European destination for UK drivers with millions crossing the Channel every year.

But the RAC believes many are still not aware of the country’s requirements to have a specific sticker – called a Crit’Air Air Quality Certificate – displayed.

Whether a car is permitted to drive into a low emissions zone or not will depend on how polluting it is, and therefore which of the six different stickers it needs.

The cleanest electric and hydrogen vehicles require green Crit’Air ‘0’ stickers, while at the opposite end of the spectrum the most polluting diesel vehicles need dark grey Crit’Air ‘5’ ones.

And as of July, two new locations – the cities of Bordeaux in the south-west and Clermont-Ferrand in central France – have added the requirement for motorists to display the right Crit’Air sticker on their vehicle.

In the other 10 locations, stricter regulations mean that only vehicles which have specific stickers, and are therefore deemed clean enough, are permitted. With Paris – the strictest city - allowing only cars that carry Crit’Air ‘0, ‘1’ or ‘2’ stickers to use certain roads and drive at certain times from this summer.

While the Aix-Marseille-Provence region, Toulouse and Reims only permit vehicles with Crit’Air ‘0’, ‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’ classifications.

Getting your sticker

Stickers must be ordered in advance from the official French government website and cannot be bought locally. The cost is around £4 and the sticker is valid for the life of the car.

Those trying to buy, says the breakdown organisation, should ensure they’re buying direct from the government and not through third party sites which charge considerably more.

Any driver found to be driving in a low emissions zone and not complying with the local regulations – by either not displaying a sticker at all or by driving a car considered too polluting – risks a fine of €68 (£58), which rises to €180 (£154) if not paid within 45 days.

Fines will increase to €750 (£640) next year when camera-based enforcement begins.

RAC Europe spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “Many UK drivers will be familiar with clean air zones such as the London Ultra Low Emission Zone, but they should also be ready to encounter them abroad this summer. It’s vital anyone travelling to Europe does their homework to see whether an emissions-based windscreen sticker is needed – and give themselves enough time to order one before their trip.

“In France, six years after Crit’Air emissions stickers were first introduced in a bid to improve air quality, there are now 12 locations where British drivers’ movements can be restricted based on how much their cars emit. As time goes on, the regulations also get stricter and within a few years all but zero-emission vehicles will be banned from some city centres.

“So, every driver visiting a region covered by the Crit’Air scheme needs to ensure they’ve bought the right sticker for their vehicle from the official French government website and displayed it on their windscreen before they leave the UK.”