Crit'Air Sticker for a Leased or Finance Car (PCP/PCH)

If your car is on PCP, PCH, or any form of lease finance, the registered keeper on the V5C is the finance company - not you. This creates a specific problem for Crit’Air applications: the sticker gets posted to the finance company’s address. Here is how to work around it.

The problem

The Crit’Air application requires details from the vehicle registration document (V5C in the UK). On a leased or financed vehicle:

• The registered keeper (Section C1 on the V5C) is the finance company - Volkswagen Financial Services, BMW Financial Services, Lex Autolease, etc.
• The V5C address is the finance company’s head office, not your home
• The official French system posts the sticker to the V5C address

This means if you apply through the official French site, your sticker gets sent to a finance company warehouse somewhere in the UK. Not ideal.

How to apply for a leased vehicle

Option 1: Apply yourself through our service (recommended)

When you apply through France Stickers, we handle the address issue. You enter your registration, confirm the vehicle from the DVLA lookup, and upload a photo of the V5C. We can arrange for the sticker to be posted to your home address, not the finance company’s.

You will need:

• Your vehicle registration number
• A photo of both the outside and the inside of the V5C (see below if you do not have it)

Option 2: Get the V5C from the finance company

Because every Crit’Air application needs a photo of both sides of the V5C, the key step is getting hold of it. Contact your leasing company and ask them to:

• Send you a copy or clear photos of both sides of the V5C
• Or apply for the Crit’Air sticker on your behalf
• Or forward the sticker to your address if it arrives at their office

In practice, most UK finance companies do not offer to apply on your behalf - it is not part of standard lease agreements - but they can usually provide a copy of the V5C. It costs nothing to ask.

Also worth getting: a VE103B

A VE103B is an official DVLA document confirming your vehicle’s registration details, designed for taking vehicles abroad. It does not replace the V5C for your Crit’Air application, but you should carry it when taking a leased vehicle abroad as proof you have permission to take the car out of the UK. Search gov.uk for “taking a vehicle out of the UK” to apply - it costs £5 and arrives by post within about 5 working days.

What about company cars?

If you drive a company car, the registered keeper is your employer (or their fleet management company). The same issue applies - the V5C address is not yours.

Your options:

• Ask your fleet manager or HR department to apply
• Request a copy of both sides of the V5C and apply yourself
• See our company car guide for more detail

Some larger fleet operators (Alphabet, LeasePlan, ALD) have started offering Crit’Air stickers as an add-on service. Check with your fleet provider.

Do I need permission to apply?

Technically, the Crit’Air application should be submitted by or on behalf of the registered keeper. In practice, you are driving the vehicle with the keeper’s permission, and applying for a sticker that benefits the vehicle.

No finance company has ever objected to a driver applying for a Crit’Air sticker. It is a legal requirement for driving in French cities - applying for one is entirely reasonable.