# France RIPOST law for novice drivers

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/france-ripost-law-for-novice-drivers
> Updated: 2026-08-08T08:09:00.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2.

The French Parliament has approved the RIPOST legislation, a road-safety measure designed to reduce severe accidents involving inexperienced drivers. The law prohibits drivers with provisional licenses from operating high-power vehicles during their test period, which lasts three years for standard licenses and two years for those obtained through supervised driving.

While the specific horsepower limit will be established via presidential decree, the law introduces significant penalties for violations. Offenders may face fines of up to €15,000 and one year in prison, with penalties doubling to €30,000 and two years for serious safety risks. Authorities also have the power to seize vehicles. Additionally, car-rental companies may be fined up to €1,500 for supplying high-performance cars to provisional drivers.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-08: France to ban powerful cars for novice drivers

France is planning to ban new drivers from operating high-performance vehicles for three years, a move being considered by Belgium following similar existing laws in Italy and Australia.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-to-ban-powerful-cars-for-novice-drivers

### 2026-08-05: France bans high‑power cars for new drivers under RIPOST law

France's new RIPOST law bars provisional licence holders from driving high‑power cars for up to three years, with fines up to €15,000 and possible jail, aiming to cut serious accidents.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-bans-highpower-cars-for-new-drivers-under-ripost-law

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Cite as: France RIPOST law for novice drivers. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/france-ripost-law-for-novice-drivers