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Country · ADR contracting party · FR

France — ADR essentials

National regulator, the DGSA requirement and ADRplus availability, in one place.

ADR contracting party since

1960

DGSA required

Required

Competent authority

Mission Transport de Matières Dangereuses (MTMD) – Direction Générale de la Prévention des Risques (DGPR)

National ADR application

France is a formal ADR contracting party since 1960. The lead national authority for dangerous goods (ADR) matters is Mission Transport de Matières Dangereuses (MTMD) – Direction Générale de la Prévention des Risques (DGPR). A DGSA must be appointed under ADR 1.8.3.

Competent authorities and contacts

Checked against official sources · 2026-06-13

Mission Transport de Matières Dangereuses (MTMD) — Direction Générale de la Prévention des Risques (DGPR) — Mission for Transport of Dangerous Materials — Directorate General for Risk Prevention

French ADR competent authority for road, rail, inland waterway and maritime dangerous goods transport; issues regulatory texts, approves training bodies, designates CIFMD as exam body

CIFMD — Comité Interprofessionnel pour le développement de la Formation dans les transports de Marchandises Dangereuses — CIFMD — Joint Committee for Training Development in Dangerous Goods Transport

Sole state-approved body (designated by MTMD) for organising CSTMD/DGSA certification exams in France for road, rail and inland waterway modes

DREAL — Directions Régionales de l'Environnement, de l'Aménagement et du Logement (Contrôleurs des Transports Terrestres) — Regional Directorates for Environment, Planning and Housing — Land Transport Controllers

Roadside and on-site enforcement of ADR/TMD rules; operate under Ministry of Transport; conduct joint operations with Gendarmerie nationale

ADR driver certificate — authenticity check

Countries increasingly check foreign drivers’ ADR certificates against forgeries. Genuine certificate models of every contracting party are published in the official UNECE register — compare the layout, security features and issuing authority.

Open the UNECE certificate register

Penalties with legal references

ViolationPenaltyLegal basisSource
Transporting unauthorized dangerous goods; using uncertified/uninspected transport equipme30000 + up to 1 year imprisonment EURCode des transports, Art. L1252-5 Iconfirmed in the act
Same violations as Art. L1252-5 I when they directly expose fauna, flora or water quality250000 (up to triple illicit gains) + up to 3 years imprisonment EURCode des transports, Art. L1252-5 IIconfirmed in the act
Enterprise manager failing to designate a required safety advisor (CSTMD/DGSA) where oblig30000 + up to 1 year imprisonment (same as L1252-5 I) EURCode des transports, Art. L1252-6confirmed in the act
ADR contravention: non-compliance with ADR provisions on classification, packaging, labell1500 (up to 3000 on recidivism) — 5th class contravention decided by tribunal de police EURCode des transports, Art. R1252-9; Code Pénal Art. 131-13confirmed in the act
Cooperation

Cooperation in this country

Work with companies in this country runs remotely. The DGSA certificate is recognised in all 55 ADR Contracting Parties — describe your operation, and the reply comes within one business day.

Contact a DGSA

Good to know

Framework law

Arrêté du 29 mai 2009 relatif aux transports de marchandises dangereuses par voies terrestres (dit « arrêté TMD »)

Visit official site

Transport document language

French (français)

DGSA exam

CIFMD (Comité Interprofessionnel pour le développement de la Formation dans les transports de Marchandises Dangereuses) — cifmd.org — sole state-approved DGSA/CSTMD exam body in France, designated by MTMD/DGPR

France — contact a DGSA.

Tell us about your loads, routes or operation, and a certified consultant replies personally.

Contact a DGSA

Application for cooperation in another country

Describe the company and the operation. The request is reviewed individually and the answer states plainly whether cooperation is possible.