Flashed by a French camera: when the notice comes, and when it lapses
Enter the number of days since the flash: the calculation says whether the notice is late and how many days remain before it is time-barred.
When a French automatic camera flashes a vehicle, the penalty notice goes to the registered keeper shown on the registration certificate, except in some cases, such as an unusable photo. According to the Service Public page checked on 16 October 2025, the letter arrives on average between 10 days and 1 month after the flash, depending on the type of camera. Beyond that, the first thing to check is the address on the registration certificate: a change of address must be recorded within a month, or the notice goes to the old address and an increased-fine notice eventually turns up instead. If nothing has arrived after a year, the minor offence can no longer be prosecuted: the limitation period is one year from the day of the offence. Example: flashed on 1 October 2026, the notice is expected between 11 October 2026 and 1 November 2026; with no letter, the offence is time-barred on 1 October 2027. Once the notice arrives, the payment deadlines run from its sending date.
Due today: reduced fine
€90
until 17 November 2026 inclusive, 25 days left
| Reduced until | 17 November 2026 · €90 |
| Standard until | 17 December 2026 · €135 |
| Contest until | 2 December 2026 |
| Deposit to contest | €135 |
| After that: increased | €375 |
| Increased, paid within 45 days of its notice | €300 |
An unpaid pay-and-display charge (forfait post-stationnement, FPS) is not a fine and follows other rules: it is contested with the town.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
From flash to payment: a timeline
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Flash | 1 October 2026 |
| Notice expected from | 11 October 2026 |
| Notice expected by about | 1 November 2026 |
| If sent that day: reduced online until | 1 December 2026 |
| Standard online until | 31 December 2026 |
| No notice at all: time-barred on | 1 October 2027 |
The 10 days to 1 month are an average, not a legal deadline: the Service Public page says they vary with the type of camera, fixed, mobile or red-light. The only deadline set by law is the limitation period.
Flashed how many days ago?
Where you stand
Within the usual time
| Notice expected between | day 10 and 1 month |
| Days until time-barred | 345 |
| What to do | wait for the letter |
Minor offence: time-barred one year to the day after the flash.
Check the photo before paying
A notice from an automatic camera can be followed by a request for the photo, online or by post to the Rennes centre, according to the Service Public page on fixed fines. It needs a copy of the registration certificate, an identity document and the notice. If someone else was driving, you name them on the ANTAI website; the contest deadlines are on the contesting a fine page.
When the increased fine arrives instead
An increased-fine notice with no first notice nearly always points to an out-of-date address on the registration certificate. Service Public describes a way back to the standard amount, with a 3-month window: it is set out on the increased fine without a first notice page.