Radar detectors and French law: what is banned, what is allowed
Radar detectors are banned in France: owning, carrying or using one is an offence punished by a fine of up to 1,500 €, a possible driving ban and confiscation of the device, even if it is switched off. Driver-assistance apps that compare your GPS position with a database are allowed: they detect nothing.
Be warned out loud before every speed camera on your route. The free Vigirota app reads them out as you drive (in French for now). On iPhone: soon — the online map already works.
Key points
- Radar detector: banned (article R413-15 of the French Highway Code). Up to 1,500 €, driving ban up to 3 years, seizure and confiscation.
- Making such devices is a criminal offence: up to 2 years in prison and 30,000 €.
- Driver-assistance apps are allowed: they use GPS and a database, not radio waves.
- The State can, in specific cases, temporarily stop apps from relaying some police checks — never speed checks.
Is a radar detector legal in France?
No. Owning, carrying or using a device designed to detect speed cameras, interfere with them, or avoid having an offence recorded is banned by article R413-15 of the French Highway Code. It is an offence whether or not the device is switched on at the time of the check.
The penalties are heavy: a fine of up to 1,500 €, and a driving ban of up to three years. The device is seized automatically, and the vehicle can be too when the device is built in; the law provides for confiscation. This applies to visitors as well: a detector that is legal at home is still banned in France.
And making or selling a detector?
Making such devices is a criminal offence, separate from owning or using one. It is punishable by up to two years in prison and a 30,000 € fine, on top of seizure and confiscation.
Since decree no. 2012-3 of 3 January 2012, the ban also covers 'warning' devices that give the precise position of speed cameras.
Why are some apps allowed?
Because a driver-assistance app is not a detector. A detector picks up the radio waves sent by a speed camera; an app compares your GPS position with a database, the way a satnav announces a motorway exit. French courts have confirmed that informing drivers of where checks are located is not, in itself, banned by article R413-15 (Council of State, 6 March 2013; Court of Cassation, 6 September 2016).
Vigirota is such an app: it detects nothing and sends nothing to the cameras. See the Vigirota Radar app.
What the 2019 mobility law changed
The mobility law of 24 December 2019 created articles L130-11 and L130-12 of the French Highway Code. They allow the authorities to temporarily stop a driver-assistance service from relaying users' reports around certain police checks: alcohol and drug tests, some identity checks, and searches for people wanted for serious crimes.
Speed checks are not covered by this mechanism. The ban is strictly limited: at most two hours for alcohol and drug checks, twelve hours in other cases, within ten kilometres outside built-up areas and two kilometres inside. A service that ignored such a ban would face two years in prison and a 30,000 € fine (article L130-12).
| Device | What the law says | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Radar detector | Banned (R413-15): owning, carrying, using | Up to 1,500 €, driving ban, confiscation |
| Making such a device | Separate criminal offence | 2 years in prison, 30,000 € |
| Driver-assistance app (GPS and database) | Allowed | None, as long as it follows the rules |
Legal framework on 4 October 2026. Source: Constitutional Council decision no. 2021-948 QPC and the texts quoted.
Is this framework stable?
Yes. The French Constitutional Council ruled the mechanism constitutional in decision no. 2021-948 QPC of 24 November 2021 (brought by the company Coyote). No change to the rules was identified for 2025-2026.
Before driving in another country, check its own rules: some neighbouring countries, such as Switzerland and Germany, ban speed camera warnings that are allowed in France.
Frequently asked questions
Are radar detectors illegal in France?
Yes. Owning, carrying or using one is an offence: a fine of up to 1,500 €, a driving ban of up to 3 years, and seizure and confiscation of the device, even if it is switched off.
Are speed camera apps legal in France?
Yes. A driver-assistance app that uses GPS and a database is allowed. It detects no radio waves; that is what makes it different from a detector.
Can I use my radar detector as a tourist in France?
No. The ban applies to everyone driving in France, whatever the country of the car or of the licence. Leave the detector at home or switch it off and store it out of the car.
Can the French State silence an app?
In specific cases (alcohol and drug checks, serious criminal searches), the authorities can order an app to stop relaying some police checks, for a limited time and area. Speed checks are never concerned.
Official sources
- Constitutional Council — Decision no. 2021-948 QPC of 24 November 2021 (in French)
- Légifrance — French Highway Code, articles L130-11 and L130-12 (in French)
- Service-Public — Radar detectors and warning devices (in French)
Last checked: 4 October 2026. This page is a translation of our French guide; the French Highway Code is the only official text.
Read next
- Speed limits in France: the complete tableSpeed limits in France: 50 km/h in towns, 80 or 90 km/h on main roads, 110 and 130 km/h on dual carriageways and motorways. Rain, fog and new drivers.
- Speeding fines in France: amounts and penalties in 2026Speeding fines in France in 2026: the full scale from 68 € to 135 €, reduced and increased amounts, payment deadlines, and when speeding becomes a criminal offence.
- Speed camera tolerance in France: how the adjusted speed is calculatedFrench speed camera margin: 5 km/h below 100 km/h, 5 % above. How the measured speed becomes the adjusted speed used for the fine, with worked examples.
Speed limits and camera locations are indicative: only the signs on the spot count. Always follow the French Highway Code.
Be warned in time, without reading anything at the wheel
Vigirota Radar reads out the enforcement zones, shows the speed limit in force and guides you to your destination. Free, no sign-up, in French for now.
Soon