Change of vehicle owner

You have one month from the date of purchase to apply for a new registration certificate (carte grise) in your name. This applies whether you bought from a private seller or a dealer. Miss the deadline and you risk a fine at a roadside check, and you will not be able to sell the vehicle on — so it is best to start the paperwork as soon as you have the signed transfer certificate (Cerfa 15776) and the crossed-out carte grise.

If the car already has a modern SIV-format number (two letters, three digits, two letters, e.g. AB-123-CD), that number stays with the vehicle for life — you keep the existing plates and only the carte grise changes to your name. Only vehicles still on the old FNI format (e.g. 1234 AB 56) receive a new SIV number when ownership changes, in which case you will need new plates.

Yes, in most cases. To register a used car in your name, the seller must give you a contrôle technique report less than 6 months old (2 months if a re-test was required). Vehicles less than 4 years old and certain categories, such as motorcycles, are exempt. Without a valid test, the transfer cannot be recorded.

A typical file includes: the signed certificate of sale (Cerfa 15776), the previous owner's crossed-out carte grise with “Sold on” / “Transferred on”, a valid ID and driving licence, proof of a French address less than 6 months old, proof of insurance, Cerfa 13750 (application) and Cerfa 13757 (mandate) if you use an accredited professional. Add a valid roadworthiness test if the vehicle is over 4 years old, plus a co-owner’s ID or a company Kbis when relevant.

Yes. Office Carte Grise is authorised by the French Ministry of the Interior (No. 188573) and approved by the Public Treasury (No. 46489) to process your registration certificate application online. You prepare your documents, place the order, and we check and submit the file. You then receive an acknowledgement or a provisional registration certificate (CPI), followed by the final carte grise by secure post.

The transfer code speeds things up, but its absence does not permanently block registration. You can still register without a transfer code with a complete documentary file (signed sale certificate, crossed-out carte grise, ID, and so on). We will guide you to the right procedure if the seller never generated or sent the code.

The total depends mainly on the regional tax (fiscal horsepower rate for your region), the vehicle’s fiscal power, any CO₂ / malus taxes, and the professional service fee. Use our tax calculator or registration cost calculator to estimate the amount before you start.