The transfer code (code de cession): what it is and why you need it

Updated 2026: for missing or expired codes, or transfers filed by an accredited professional, see our guide Registering a vehicle without a transfer code and the vehicle transfer declaration procedure.

Since France moved vehicle registration online through the ANTS (Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés — the national agency for secure documents), owners have to handle changes to the registration certificate (carte grise) themselves.

When you sell a used vehicle to a private individual, the former owner must declare the sale — known in French as the cession — no later than the day after the transaction. This can be done either directly on the ANTS website or through a professional accredited by the French state.

Once the sale has been declared, a transfer code (code de cession) is issued to the seller, who must pass it on to the buyer. Without this code, the new owner cannot complete the change of ownership on the ANTS website and will have to go through the accredited professional instead.

Good to know: the transfer code is only valid for 15 days. Don't panic if it expires, though — you can still complete your change of ownership, it simply takes an extra step.

If the sale declaration is filed by an accredited professional, no code is needed at all. The whole process is faster and simpler for both the seller and the buyer.

Keep in mind that it is essential for the seller to declare the sale as quickly as possible. The declaration is what protects the former owner if the buyer never gets around to registering the vehicle in their own name.

Unpleasant surprises — speeding tickets and parking fines addressed to you for a car you no longer own — can land in your mailbox if the buyer fails to update the registration on time.

Add up the time it takes to contest those fines, and the conclusion is obvious: registering the sale promptly is not optional, it is essential.