Carte Grise Vehicle Registration Document

The immatriculation is a vehicle's registration. The details of a vehicle's registration are carried in the Carte Grise (grey card). When a car is bought or sold, the new ownership must be registered within 1 month of the transfer and a new Carte Grise will be issued to the new owner.

A new model of vehicle licence came into use in October 2003. It is designed to simplify the process when buying and selling cars. This new type may now be issued when you apply for your Carte Grise .

Paperwork can be handled by the Prefecture or the Sous-Prefecture.

You should carry the Carte Grise (or ideally, a police stamped copy) in the car at all times.

If you have brought a car into France you will need to go through a registration process before you can get a Carte Grise. See: Registering a Foreign Vehicle in France

Buying & Registering a Used Car:

Before agreeing to buy a used car:

• Make sure that the series number stamped on the car matches that in the registration documents of the seller.
• Make sure that the seller is the legally registered owner of the car by checking on the Carte Grise .
• And/or make sure that the seller provides a certificat de situation, which includes a certificate of non-security (valid for one month) and a certificate of non-opposition (valid for two months) proving that the car may be sold.

To register the car you must provide:

• Proof of your identity: passport, Carte de Séjour or French driving licence.
• Proof of residence: a recent utility bill (EDF or France Télécom) or rental receipt, house deeds or home insurance documents, in your name and made out to your residential address.
• A completed certificat d'immatriculation, registration document is available from the Préfecture, Sous-Préfecture, Mairie or police, or download the Form Cerfa 10672
• A certificate de situation provided by the seller (see above).
• A certificat de cession or certificate of transfer and sale from the previous owner. The date of sale should the same as that on the sellers car registration document.
• The Carte Grise registration document of the previous owner, marked in indelible ink "Vendu le..." or "Cédé le..." with the date of the sale and signature of previous owner and dealers stamp if appropriate.
• If the car is older than 4 years, a contrôle technique (CT) certificate, no older than 6 months, which is the proof of roadworthiness provided by the seller.
• Money to pay the registration fee.

Tariffs for Carte Grise are based on the CV of the car.

Selling a Used Car

You must provide the buyer with:

• Carte Grise barrée: this is your vehicle registration document, marked in indelible ink with the words "Vendue le..." and the date, or "Cédée le..." and the date, followed by your signature.
• A certificat de situation, which includes a certificate of non-security (valid for one month) and a certificate of non-opposition (valid for two months). The form is available from the Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture.
• A certificat de vente document of sale. The form is available from the Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture.
• If the car is more than 4 years old, you must provide a contrôle technique (CT) certificate as proof of roadworthiness. It must be no more than 6 months old.
• Within 2 weeks, you must send the duplicate of your certificat de vente to the Préfecture or Mairie of the place where your car was registered.

There is no administrative charge when selling a car.

Registering Collector's Vehicles 

A vehicle (car, motorbike or truck) over 25 years of age can be registered in France as a collector's vehicle véhicule de collection. This can bring both benefits and restrictions. Benefits are that your vehicle does not need to be approved and standardised by the DRIRE, and the safety and emissions tested in a contrôle technique (CT)  are adapted to the age of the vehicle (and thus more lenient). However a vehicle registered as véhicule de collection is restricted to travelling only within the département in which it's registered and the adjoining ones unless you have prior permission from the Préfecture (see below).

The Fédération Française des Véhicules d'Epoque (French Federation of Classic Vehicles) is a national organisation which provides information and forms needed to register your classic in France. If you send them copies of the required documents, they will also help to prepare the file for submission to your Préfecture or Sous-Prefecture.

NOTE: When registering a foreign imported vehicle in France, a customs certificate 846-A will be required, along with court approved translations of all existing registration documentation. Again, the FFVE is able to assist.

If you need to drive your classic vehicle out of your département, you can apply for a Carnet de Declaration de Circulation which allows for 25 trips out of your département (the Prefecture needs to be notified of these in advance). The Carnet de Declaration de Circulation can be renewed and is transferable to a new owner on the sale of the car. There is a fee. Full details and application forms are available and can be downloaded from the website of the FFVE.

• Fédération Française des Véhicules d'Epoque
  BP 502
  91, rue de Paris
  35006 Rennes Cedex
  Tel: 02 23 20 14 14 / Fax: 02 23 20 14 15 

Registering a Moped

Prior to 1 July 2004, it was not necessary to register a 50cc moped (cyclomoteur). However, as of the 1 July 2004, all new scooters (those which have never been on the road) must have a carte grise. It will be up to the vendor (who should have signed a convention with the State) to register a new scooter in your name. You will provide the dealer with the required information and your identity card/passport or, in the case of a business purchase, a Kbis or Lbis registration certificate.

Owners of used scooters have until 30 June 2009 to obtain a carte grise, but may do so before this time if they wish. To register an older bike and get a carte grise, either write to the address below or go to a recognised vendor who has signed the convention with the State and complete the necessary forms. 

You will need to provide the paperwork mentioned below:

• the form Demande d'immatriculation completed and signed. (Forms are available from auto dealers, the Préfecture or can be downloaded from the government website Form Cerfa 10672)
• a certificate of Conformité communautaire or the insurance document which should include the technical/motor identification details.
• and if writing, send a mandat signed for you by a vendor.

If you bring a new scooter to France from abroad  you must register it immediately at the following address:

• Ministère de l'Interieur
  Service central d'immatriculation des cyclomoteurs,
  26 avenue Charles de Gaulle,
  BP 80090,
  95165 Montmorency Cedex.

You must provide the following paperwork:

• the form Demande d'immatriculation completed and signed. (Forms are available from auto dealers, the Préfecture or can be downloaded from the government website Form Cerfa 10672)
• a certificate of Conformité communautaire with all details on it, or a certificate with all technical information provided by the constructor 
• the original invoice 
• the certificate fiscal from the tax department if bought in the EU or a customs certificate No: 846A.

If you bring a second-hand scooter to France and wish to obtain the carte grise, follow the same procedures as above, including any registration documents you may already have.

Note: Where the owners of the moped is a  minor, the parents or legal guardian must give written permission, a mandat, to the minor carrying out the carte grise application.

Duplicate Carte Grise - Loss or Theft

Application for a replacement Carte Grise must be made to the Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture

In the case of loss, you will need:

• déclaration de perte - forms available from Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture, Mairie or police

In the case of theft, you will need:

• déclaration de vol, available from the police

You will also need:

• Demande de duplicata (request for duplicate) and demande d'immatriculation request for registration, form Cerfa 10 799*01, filled in and signed.
• If the car is older than 4 years, a contrôle technique (CT) roadworthiness document no older than 6 months will be needed.
• Proof of your identity: passport, Carte de Séjour or French driving licence.

Change of Address or Name (through marriage)

A change of name or address must be registered within one month. This Demande d'immatriculation must be made in person at the Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture except in the case of the new-style Carte Grise where the change may be requested by post.

Documents to be supplied are when requesting a change in person: 

• Carte Grise car registration document
• Certificat d'immatriculation demand of certificate of registration, available from Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture, Mairie or Police, filled in and signed. 
  • Download Form Cerfa 10672
• Proof or new residence: EDF bill, rental agreement or deed of sale or Proof of Marriage: marriage certificate.
• Proof of identity: passport, Carte de Séjour or French driving licence
• You do not need to present your contrôle technique.

The change is registered on the spot. 

Documents to be supplied are when requesting a change by post:

• Copy of an identity document
• Copy of a document giving proof of residence (title deeds, rental contract, recent electricity bill or certificate of home insurance
• The top section of the new model Carte Grise
• Completed form Cerfa n°10672*03 and explanatory document 50322C 
  • To access downloadable versions of the Cerfa n°10672*03 and document 50322C: Click here
• A self-addressed, stamped envelope with registered letter slip and proof of receipt form (available from a post office) 

It generally takes two weeks for the change to be registered.

In the case of mopeds and scooters, a change of address can be registered at a vendor who has signed the "Convention" with the State. You must supply a Demande d'immatriculation, proof of identity and the main section of the carte grise, cut off (leaving the detachable part which you fill in and keep as proof of registration while waiting for your new carte grise).

• Contact information Préfecture and Sous-Préfecture

After an Accident

If your car is involved in a severe accident, the police may take the Carte Grise and send it to the Prefecture.

If you feel the car can be repaired, you will need to get a report from a recognised expert, which explains the damage and proves that the car will be safe once repaired. The expert will provide a certificate which must be taken to the to the Préfecture. If it is satisfactory,  your Carte Grise will be returned to you.

If the car cannot be repaired you must notify the Préfecture and the registration will be cancelled.

Destruction of the Vehicle

If you decide to sell your car to a scrapyard or scrap it yourself, you have to notify the Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture where the car is registered. There is a very stiff fine if you do not do this within 15 days of scrapping.

You must send your Préfecture or Sous-Préfecture:

• A déclaration de remise, Form Cerfa 12095
• Write on the card: "vendu le... pour destruction" and sign. 
• Include the name of the person/company taking the car in for scrapping.
• The Carte Grise, with the top corner cut off as marked on the card

Further Information

Click on the text to go to the websites:

• Public Services Government Web site (in French)
• Local Prefectures
• French Government (in French)
• Fédération Française des Véhicules d'Epoque (in French)