Sous-préfecture counter closed: what you can still do online

"Counter closed" is a phrase you see often on a préfecture or sous-préfecture website. It doesn't stop you from moving forward on most processes: a closed physical counter mostly concerns services whose filing has been moved online or transferred to a different counter, in many cases for years already. Here's what's handled digitally, and the cases where you genuinely still need to show up.

What's been closed everywhere since 2017, and why it doesn't block anything

Since November 6, 2017, the Plan Préfectures Nouvelle Génération (PPNG) has closed counters dedicated to secure documents in every préfecture and sous-préfecture in France. Two distinct circuits apply depending on the document:

Vehicle registration ("carte grise") and most driving licence processes (duplicate, exchange) are no longer filed at a préfecture counter: they're handled online, via France Titres (formerly ANTS).
For the national ID card and passport, the application is filed at a town hall equipped with a biometric capture device, not at a préfecture.

If you find your préfecture closed for one of these processes, it's not a recent or exceptional closure: it's been the rule since 2017. Our article on processes that no longer go through the préfecture covers each case in detail.

Residence permit: the ANEF as the main entry point

For residence permit processes, the Administration Numérique des Étrangers en France (ANEF) has become the main entry point: creating an account, filing an application, tracking the review, uploading documents and ANEF attestations (proof of filing, instruction-extension certificate or favourable decision, depending on progress) are all handled online. An in-person visit to a préfecture or sous-préfecture is still required for certain specific steps (fingerprinting for a first application, collecting the finished permit), with slots to book via the ANEF or the préfecture's site depending on the case.

Our full ANEF guide explains how to create an account, track your file and react if it gets stuck.

Human support exists for those not comfortable online

The digital shift doesn't leave everyone without a solution. Digital access points (often known under the name e-MERAUDE) exist in many préfectures and sous-préfectures, as well as in some town halls, France services offices and partner associations: a computer, a scanner, and a digital mediator to walk you through the online process step by step. These access points already support ANEF procedures in many préfectures; the details (hours, mediator availability, appointment booking) vary by department.

If you don't have access to a computer or the platform is blocking you, this access point is often the better option before attempting a traditional trip to a counter.

When you actually need to show up

An in-person visit remains unavoidable in a limited number of situations:

Biometric fingerprinting: first residence permit application, ID card, passport.
Collecting the final document, once it's been manufactured.
Driving licence medical board, which requires an in-person exam.
Naturalisation interview, when it's part of your procedure and you're summoned to one.

In all these cases, the appointment is booked online (ANEF, the préfecture's site, or a dedicated platform depending on the process), but getting the slot and the physical trip remain very real.

Before you travel, check three things

An unnecessary trip wastes half a day for nothing. Before you go:

The exact reason for the summons or appointment: some processes announced as requiring an in-person visit are actually handled entirely online depending on your situation (a simple renewal versus a first application, for example).
The day's opening hours and access terms, posted on the official site of the préfecture or sous-préfecture concerned, which can change without much notice.
The list of documents to bring, to avoid an extra trip if something is missing at the counter.

Caution: not generalising beyond what's verified

Beyond the closure of secure-document counters (2017, verified and nationwide) and the ANEF shift for residence permits, we found no consolidated, sourced data on any general reduction in physical opening hours across all préfectures in 2026. The situation varies a lot from one department to another: some préfectures maintain by-appointment access for specific cases, others have cut it back. Always check the official opening hours and access terms on your préfecture's website before making the trip.

Tracking available slots

For processes that still require an in-person visit, slots open in batches and fill up fast. Our live map lets you track availability by department and process, and an automatic alert can notify you as soon as a slot appears.

Perfecture is an independent service, not affiliated with the préfectures or the French administration.