Car commercials in France
A car on a French road crosses more authorities than any other shot in advertising. The road, not the town, decides who can close it, and the answer can change every few kilometres. Here is how a road sequence clears in France, and how we run it.
01
The rule that decides a road shoot
Who holds traffic powersIn France, the power to regulate or close a road depends on what kind of road it is and where it runs. Inside a town's built-up area, the mayor holds traffic powers, including on national and departmental roads passing through it (with the prefect keeping powers on designated major through routes). Outside built-up areas, departmental roads fall under the president of the Département, and national roads and motorways under the prefect. Motorways are mostly run by private concession companies on top of that.
So a car leaving a village, taking a departmental road and joining a motorway can need three closure orders from three authorities, on three clocks. That is the whole difficulty of a car commercial in France, and it is why the first thing we do on a road brief is cut the route into stretches by owner. The general rule is on our page about shooting permits in France.
We are a production service company working across France from Paris and Cannes. On a car spot, Élie maps the road owners and files every order; Zacharie runs the unit, the vehicles, the precision drivers and the safety plan with the road authorities on the day.
02
Who closes which road
Indicative, confirmed per projectRoadAuthorityLead time
Streets and roads inside a built-up areaIncluding national and departmental roads through townThe mayor, by municipal order. In Paris, the city film office and the Police Prefecture2 to 4 weeks
Departmental roads outside townsCorniches, hill roads, vineyard roadsThe president of the Département. In some metropolitan areas (Nice, for one), former departmental roads are now run by the Métropole3 to 5 weeks
National roads outside townsState networkThe prefect, with the state road servicesCase by case
MotorwaysA8 on the Riviera, and most of the networkThe concession company (ESCOTA, part of Vinci, on the A8) and the prefect4 to 6 weeks
Mountain passesAlps and PyreneesThe Département, plus seasonal closures: several Alpine passes stay shut until JuneSeason first, then 3 to 5 weeks
Private circuits and test tracksClosed venuesThe venue owner, by contractNegotiated
Air above the roadDrone tracking shotsDGAC and the prefecture, always separate3 to 6 weeks
A closed road is a legal order, not a favour
On a public road open to traffic, a picture car and a tracking vehicle follow the highway code like everyone else. Speed, lane position and dangerous manoeuvres are only possible on a section closed or controlled by order of the authority holding traffic powers, with the conditions it sets: hours, diversions, signage, marshals, and police or gendarmerie presence where the order requires it. Productions that plan a "rolling" shot without that order are not shooting a commercial, they are committing traffic offences on camera. We build the closure plan first and the shot list second.
03
Where car spots shoot in France
And the catch in each01The Riviera cornichesSea, cliffs and bends: the classic. Also the most fragmented permit map in France, with commune, Département or Métropole, the A8 concession and the coast all involved. Our Cannes base runs these.South
03Alpine roadsHairpins and peaks, but several passes are shut until June whatever your schedule says, and weather windows are short.Mountains
04ParisIconic, dense and strict. The city caps technical vehicles per site, and its guidance states the Police Prefecture does not want shoots in the Champs-Élysées perimeter until further notice.City
05Vineyards and countrysideDepartmental roads through vines in Champagne, the Loire or Bordeaux: quieter roads, simpler closures, harvest season to work around.Country
The calendar trap. The Tour de France route is announced in October and takes roads across many départements for three weeks, usually in July. The 24 Hours of Le Mans, usually in June, fills the Sarthe. Check both before you lock a road date.
04
Before it airs in France
The ad rule foreign agencies missIf the spot will be broadcast or published in France, French advertising law follows it. Since 2022, under decree no. 2021-1841, advertising for motorised land vehicles in France must carry a message promoting active or shared mobility or public transport. It is a delivery and post-production question, not a shoot question, but it changes the end frame and the supers, so the agency should know before the edit. Spots made in France for other markets follow the rules of those markets.
The same goes for cost. A road closure involves marshals, signage, diversions and sometimes police presence, and those lines are where car bids are most often short. We price them in the bid, closure by closure. See what filming in France costs.
05
Automotive and road work
Selected2026Ford × Born SocialCommercialProduction service for Ford's commercial with the agency Born Social.Wrapped
2025Adidas × Edison ChenStan Smith, Cannes & Monaco GPCampaign shot during the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix, talent George Russell.Wrapped
2026Riviera permit packageClient under NDACoastal travelling shots across sixteen communes with drone and heritage clearance. Permit cost cut from €29,900 to €12,900 by restructuring who held the permits.Wrapped
Need the whole film made?
For a finished car film delivered end to end, from brief to master with post included, our sister company Prod is Prod handles executive production in Paris.
Who can close a road for a car commercial in France?
The authority holding traffic powers on that stretch. Inside a built-up area it is the mayor, including on national and departmental roads through town. Outside built-up areas, departmental roads come under the president of the Département, and national roads and motorways under the prefect, with the motorway concession company involved on most motorways. One route can need several orders.
How long does a road closure take to clear in France?
Indicatively 2 to 4 weeks for a municipal road, 3 to 5 for a departmental road and 4 to 6 for a motorway, confirmed per project. Filed in parallel, the slowest desk sets the date; filed one after another, the lead times add up. Mountain passes also depend on the season: several Alpine passes stay closed until June.
Can we film a car on an open road in France without a closure?
Only within the highway code, like any other driver. Anything involving speed, unusual manoeuvres, camera vehicles in traffic or lane control needs a section closed or controlled by order of the competent authority, with the conditions it sets. We plan the closure before the shot list.
Are there special rules for car advertising shown in France?
Yes. Since 2022, under decree no. 2021-1841, advertising for motorised land vehicles in France must carry a message promoting active or shared mobility or public transport. It affects the end frame and supers of spots aired in France, so the agency should plan for it before the edit.
Where are the best roads for a car commercial in France?
The Riviera corniches and the Alps give the most dramatic roads, with the most complex permits and the strongest seasonal limits. Vineyard and countryside roads are simpler to close. Paris is iconic but strict on vehicles and some avenues. We will match the board to the roads that will actually clear in your window.
Planning a car commercial on French roads?
Send the board, the kind of road you need, your dates and the size of your unit. We tell you which authorities sign and how long it takes.
Or email [email protected]. We reply within 3 hours.