| FACT
FILE: Buying and selling cars in France See
also: Driving
in France and Monaco For
a French registered car to be driven legally on the road, it will need a carte
grise, insurance and a vaild contrôle
technique. The
Carte Grise - Certificat d'immatriculation- When
you own a French (registered) car you are obliged to arrange for a new carte
grise that registers the vehicle in your name at your address at the préfecture.
This procedure must be completed within 15 days of the sale. The price
of the carte grise depends on the size of the engine. Registration
of a new car -The
dealer from whom you bought the car from, should arrange the issue of a new carte
grise. Registration
of a second hand / used car - (Voiture d'occasion) If
you purchase a used car from a dealer, they should issue you with a carte grise.
If you purchased it privately then the following procedure applies: You must go
to the préfecture or sous-préfecture with the following documents.
- Cancelled carte
grise that came with the car (don't purchase one without this- it could be a stolen
vehicle!)
- Certificat
de vente - sales certificate that was given to you by the seller.
- photocopy
of your passport.
- Proof
of address of residency - electricty - phone bill etc
- Certificat
de situation - available from the préfecture, this ensures that the car has no
outstanding legal payments with it.
Contrôle
Technique - A car
over three years old must have a
contrôle technique.This is to check that the card is road worthy. It must be completed
every two years at an authorised garage. Check that your garage can carry out
the contre-visite (the second visit after essential repairs have been
carried out) is free. When your car passes the contrôle technique you are given
a macaron - a sticker that is displayed on your windscreen. If you are
planning to sell your car you must have a contrôle technique completed
within 6 months of the sale. Changes
to French registration plates from 2009 - Black on White registration plates on
French cars from 2009. From
the 15th April 2009 the department number will no longer be on the French registration
plate. The registration plates will no longer be black on white at the front and
black on yellow at the rear as in the UK, but black on white on the front and
rear as in Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Poland and many
other European countries. From
the 15th April 2009 the département number will no longer be on the French registration
plate. The registration plates will no longer be black on white at the front and
black on yellow at the rear as in the UK, but black on white on the front and
rear as in Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Poland and many
other European countries.  They
are made up of two letters, three numbers and two letters these are separated
by hyphens(e.g. DE-354-FG) and will be allocated to a vehicle for life unlike
presently if the owner moves from département to département. The new plates do
not contain any element that identifies where the car owner lives.The Government
claimed that this would facilitate police dealing with stolen or suspect vehicles.
There was opposition from the suppression of department numbers (75,62,48,06 etc)
on the registration plates and there was a Government climbdown. A car owner may
add the official logo of their a French département to the their new style plate
together with the département number below it on the right hand side of the number
plate. This does not have to be the département where the owner lives.
Second
hand cars: The new regulations apply to second hand cars from the 15th June
2009 will get these as well when la carte gris (registration document) is updated
with a new address or owner. If
you are moving to France from another EU country uyou can keep your old British,
Irish, German registration plates, but you must display where relevant Contrôle
Technique. However if you are caught by a speed camera, don't think your foreign
plates will help you.According to Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau the British
are the worst followed by the Germans. Drivers will be tracked down to their French
home address or via the home country of the registration plate.
N.B.
This information should not be relied on for accuracy and is presented here without
the responsibility of jml Property Service and the website it is being displayed
at. ©jml property Services 07-05
See
also the experiences of an English Couple who moved to France to the Midi-Pyrenees
region and the problems involved registering in France a second hand Citroen AX
and a Fiat Camper Van. Click
here
Identifying
car hire cars in France HERE Use
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Websites for Property sales - Rentals - Mortgages -Surveyors - Conveyancing -
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Property Services are members of BCC Riviera (The British Chamber of Commerce
– Cote d’Azur –) France and
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-------------------------------------------
You
will need Travel insurance for your holidayin the South of France and if you are
renting a car don't rent before you take out a car rent excess policy 
or 
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Here 
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