France expands list of priority road vehicles to ten categories

On 25 July 2026, French decree n° 2026‑652 entered into force, expanding the list of vehicles classified as “vehicles of general interest” (priority vehicles) from seven to ten categories.

The three new categories are: vehicles of prosecutors of the Republic and their substitutes; vehicles used by state representatives when directing rescue operations or managing crises; and vehicles of the internal security services of SNCF and RATP employed for bomb‑detection. To qualify, the vehicles must be equipped with blue gyro‑lights and dual‑tone sirens, costing between €3,000 and €5,000 each, with an estimated total outlay of €3.2 million funded from already strained public budgets. The fleet comprises several hundred vehicles nationwide, and drivers are required to give way to them when they are on an intervention.