# France Ripost law on powerful cars > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/france-ripost-law-on-powerful-cars > Updated: 2026-08-02T08:46:49.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 3. In July 2026 the national “Ripost” law entered force, extending earlier local measures. It bars drivers who are still in the probationary period – three years after a standard licence or two years after supervised driving – from operating high‑power vehicles. Violations can attract fines up to €15,000 and up to one year’s imprisonment. Rental firms or employers that provide such cars to probationary drivers face fines of €1,500, doubled for repeat offences. The exact power threshold that defines a “powerful” car will be set by a decree expected in autumn 2026. Simultaneously, France is modernising its driving‑licence system. The long‑standing pink paper licence is being replaced by a blue, credit‑card‑size plastic card that can be linked to a smartphone and used for online point checks. Holders must exchange the old licence by 19 January 2033, with non‑compliance attracting fines of €11‑€135 and possible vehicle immobilisation. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-02: France bans powerful cars for new drivers, rolls out blue licence cards France’s 2026 Ripost law bars probationary drivers from powerful cars, and the country will phase out pink licences for blue cards by Jan 2033, with fines for non‑compliance. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-bans-powerful-cars-for-new-drivers-rolls-out-blue-licence-cards ### 2026-07-30: France enacts Ripost law banning probationary drivers from powerful cars France's Ripost law, effective July 2026, bars probationary licence holders from powerful cars, imposing fines up to €15,000 and possible prison, with rental firms fined €1,500; the power threshold is pending. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-enacts-ripost-law-banning-probationary-drivers-from-powerful-cars ### 2026-07-26: France tightens road safety penalties after fatal crashes French authorities impose immediate licence suspensions for phone‑using drivers in Indre‑et‑Loire and a national law bans high‑power cars for young drivers after fatal crashes in the Nord region. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-tightens-road-safety-penalties-after-fatal-crashes --- Cite as: France Ripost law on powerful cars. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/france-ripost-law-on-powerful-cars