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If you go a little over the speed limit, what kind of offence do you commit?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: A contravention, the least serious offence. Speeding is a contravention, the least serious offence. It is punished by a fine of up to 3,000 euros, with no prison, and the tribunal de police judges it. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “Se conformer aux lois : les infractions (1/2)” (in French).
Sources: Sheet “Se conformer aux lois : les infractions (1/2)” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ A délit, a middle-level offenceUn délit, une infraction intermédiaireA délit is more serious, like theft or tax fraud.
- ✗ A crime, the most serious offenceUn crime, l'infraction la plus graveA crime is for acts like murder or rape.
- ✗ No offence, because there is no penalty at allAucune infraction, car il n'y a pas de sanctionBreaking the rules can lead to penalties.
- ✓ A contravention, the least serious offenceUne contravention, l'infraction la moins graveCorrect answer. Speeding is a contravention, the least serious offence. It is punished by a fine of up to 3,000 euros, with no prison, and the tribunal de police judges it.
What the source says
« La contravention est l’infraction la moins grave. »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 21 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Quand on dépasse un peu la limite de vitesse, quelle infraction commet-on ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question comes from the list of the naturalisation version of the exam (PDF relayed by Le Français des affaires, read on 14 October 2026; the Ministry's own page for this list did not answer). The list's wording: “Le non-respect du code de la route est :”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “Se conformer aux lois : les infractions (1/2)” (French).
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