Low-emission zone of Saint-Étienne

The French city of Saint-Étienne, not far from Lyon, introduced a low-emission zone on 31 January 2022. Within this zone, an emissions sticker is mandatory for some vehicles. On this page you can read everything about the low-emission zone of Saint-Étienne. If you are looking for more information about the emissions sticker itself, check out the main page of this website. For an overview of other low-emission zones in France, check out this convenient map.

Map of the low-emission zone in Saint-Étienne

Compared to other low-emission zones, Saint-Étienne’s zone is very simple in design. There are only three roads that form the boundary of the low-emission zone. These are the A72 to the northeast, the N88 to the southeast and the RD20 west of the city. On these roads themselves, an emissions sticker is not mandatory. As a result, if you are on your way to another destination in France, you can easily pass by Saint-Étienne. Only when visiting the city itself will an emissions sticker be mandatory.

The low-emission zone of Saint-Étienne

Another difference from other low-emission zones is that the rules in Saint-Étienne apply only to trucks and light commercial vehicles (vehicle categories N1, N2 and N3). For passenger cars, motor homes or motorcycles, an emissions sticker is not required in the low-emission zone of Saint-Étienne.

The low-emission zone is in effect seven days a week and 24 hours a day. Officially it is referred to as the zone à faibles émissions (ZFE) of the Saint-Étienne Métropole. This is a cooperation of Saint-Étienne and 52 surrounding municipalities, home to around 400,000 people. The idea behind the cooperation is that the low-emission zone can easily be expanded in the future.

Parking outside the low-emission zone

Parking outside the low-emission zone is obviously not an option for freight traffic if you need to be in the city to load or unload. Do you have to be in Saint-Étienne anyway and are you traveling with a delivery van? Then you can still park at the P+R Escale on rue Claude Bernard (A on the map). This is located near the Parc-Champirol stop of lines T1 and T3 of the Saint-Étienne tramway, with which you can still reach the city center in 20 minutes.

Which emissions sticker in Saint-Étienne?

As of 1 January 2025, trucks (N2 and N3) and light commercial vehicles (N1) with a green, purple (1), yellow (2) or orange (3) emissions sticker will still be allowed to enter the low-emission zone. Vehicles from these categories without an emissions sticker were already fined, and from 2025 the ban will also apply to vehicles with burgundy (4) or gray (5) emissions stickers.

The rules do not apply to passenger traffic. So you can enter the low-emission zone with a passenger car, passenger bus, motorhome or motorcycle without a sticker.

Other low-emission zones nearby

Good to keep in mind is that an emissions sticker is also required in Lyon, Grenoble and Clermont-Ferrand. These cities all lie in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, just like Saint-Étienne itself. Lyon 70 kilometers to the northeast is particularly close.

What to see and do in Saint-Étienne?

Saint-Étienne is located in southeastern France and has about 170,000 inhabitants. The town has a history in mining and grew considerably in the 19th century. Although Saint-Étienne is not much of a tourist destination, you will find a number of good museums. Consider the Musée d’art moderne and the Musée de la mine de Saint-Étienne.