- Price
- from €11.95incl. VAT, 2 pages included
- Delivery time
- 2 to 3 business daysusually, after handover to the post
- Proof
- Recipient's signature+ tracking and proof of posting
- Handed to the post
- Upload by 12:00Central European Time on a business day, posted the same day
- Counts as
- Domestic registered mailprinted and posted in France
How can you contest a French fine notice?
Online on the ANTAI website, or by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt (LRAR) to the officier du ministère public whose address is on the notice. A plain letter or an email is not enough.
Do not pay a fine you contest: paying admits the offence and ends the appeal. The LRAR needs a sender address in France; without one, contest online.
| Lettre recommandée | LRAR (with avis de réception) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Tracking, proof of posting and delivery against the recipient's signature | The same, plus the avis de réception: a card signed and dated by the recipient |
| Recipient signs | Yes | Yes |
| Handed to the post | Same working day if uploaded by 12:00 Central European time | Next working day at the latest |
| Delivery time | 2 to 3 business days | 2 to 3 business days |
| Who can send it | Any sender, wherever you live | Senders with an address in France |
| Good for | Cancellations, formal notices, claims, resignations | Letters where French law asks for LRAR, such as a tenant's notice |
| Price | €11.95 | €13.95 |
Which deadline and which documents?
| Point | Rule |
|---|---|
| Deadline | 45 days from the date the fine notice was sent |
| Increased fine | The deadline and address are on the increased-fine notice |
| Addressee | The officier du ministère public named on the notice |
| Documents | The completed exemption request form, the fine notice, your evidence |
| If you contest the offence itself | A deposit equal to the fine, refunded if the case is dropped or you are acquitted |
How do you send it, step by step?
- Make one PDFLetter, form, notice and evidence, in that order.
- Upload the PDFPut the recipient's address in the window area.
- We print it in FranceLa Poste delivers it against a signature.
- Keep the proofThe tracking number and proof PDF date the posting and the delivery.
Sample appeal letter in French
Keep only the sentence for your case, and the exact reference on the notice.
[Prénom Nom]
[Adresse]
Officier du ministère public
[Adresse figurant sur l'avis de contravention]
[Ville], le [date]
Objet : requête en exonération, avis de contravention n° [numéro] du [date]
Madame, Monsieur l'Officier du ministère public,
Je conteste l'avis de contravention n° [numéro], relatif à [l'infraction] relevée le [date] à [lieu], pour le motif suivant : [motif précis].
[Je n'étais pas le conducteur : le véhicule était conduit par [nom, adresse, numéro de permis].]
[ou : Le véhicule avait été [volé / cédé] le [date] : je joins [le récépissé de plainte / la déclaration de cession].]
Je joins le formulaire de requête en exonération, l'avis de contravention et [la preuve de consignation / les pièces].
Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur l'Officier du ministère public, l'expression de ma considération distinguée.
[Signature]
What to check before you send
- If you were not driving, name the driver within the same deadline, with their identity, address and licence number.
Frequently asked questions
Can I contest a French fine with a plain letter?
No. You contest online on the ANTAI website or by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt to the officier du ministère public.
How long do I have to contest?
45 days from the date the fine notice was sent. For an increased fine, follow the deadline on that notice.
Do I pay before contesting?
No. Paying admits the offence. If you contest the offence itself, you pay a deposit, which is not a payment of the fine.
I was not driving. What do I do?
Name the driver on the form, with their identity, address and licence, online or by LRAR, within the same deadline.
I live outside France. How do I contest?
Online on the ANTAI website, which accepts foreign drivers. The LRAR through our service needs a sender address in France.
Does the registered letter prove what was in the envelope?
No. La Poste proves the posting and the delivery, not the text. Keep the PDF you sent: your proof of posting identifies that exact file.