Driver fails to register change of address and amasses €14,500 in fines from same French radar
The drive was unaware he was accruing fines as they were sent to old home
The driver had not informed authorities of his change of address
Sdecoret / Shutterstock
A driver in southern France has been fined €14,500 after he was flashed by the same speed camera 37 times, but was unaware of any of the fines.
The driver had not informed authorities of his change of address, meaning the fines were sent to his previous home.
He was only made aware of the issue after he was stopped by local police officers in Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme), who found he had been charged with 34 fines when checking his licence, all from the same speed camera.
In the three months before being summoned to the police station to address the issue, he was flashed a further three times.
Fines issued for his speeding – on average, he was going less than 5 km/h over the 50 km/h limit on the avenue de la Margeride – were €135 (reduced to €90 if paid within 15 days).
However, the fine can rise to €375 if left unpaid for over three months.
Read more: Driving rules and penalties tighten in France: key changes explained
Must inform authorities of address change
You are required to inform the French authorities if you change address in France.
Drivers who fail to do so within a month are liable to a fine of €135, and as above, may not receive official fines and notices.
You can inform the authorities of an address change (which will also update the information on your vehicle registration) via the ANTS website.
However, failure to update an address change does not just impact driving, you could also face problems elsewhere (tax authorities, insurers, your bank etc).
You can use the government’s free address change form on the Service public site to notify multiple administrations at once, including ANTS. Read more information on this service below and further details on what to do when moving in France.
Read more: Residency card, tax, visa: Who to inform and how if you move in France
As the driver had not received the notices, and related information, in the post he was unable to check for fines online which is possible in France.
Read more: Can I find details of any driving fines in France online?
