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The Driver Official Papers
Papers To Have With You
| Document |
Name in French |
Description |
| Driver's License |
Permis de Conduire |
The normal French driver's license (called permit B) allows you to drive cars and trucks weighing up to 3500 kg. |
| Registration |
Carte Grise |
It's delivered by the Prefecture for all vehicles with engines larger than 50 cm3 and for all trailers heavier than 500 kg. You must present the original carte grise if you're pulled over by a cop.
If you move, you must get a new carte grise because it has your address on it. |
| Insurance Card |
Certificat D'Assurance |
A corner of the certificate tears off and fits into a small plastic pocket stuck on your windshield. Of course, it must always be up-to-date. |
| Inspection Sticker |
Macaron de Visite Technique |
The "Contrôle Technique" is the official inspection (similar to most States). See below for more on the Contrôle Technique, but afterward, you get a sticker on your windshield indicating pass/fail/'needs to fix something'. |
| A new car must pass inspection within the 6 months preceding its 4-year anniversary of being put into service. After that, it's every 2 years. If your car passes, your sticker will have an "A" on it. If it fails the inspection, and some work is necessary to fix something, you'll get a sticker that has an "S" on it, and you will have 6 months to get the problem fixed. If your car fails so badly that it can't be fixed, your sticker will have an "R" on it, meaning you shouldn't be driving it. |
| If you sell a car older than 4 years, you must do an inspection (unless that last one was less than 6 months ago). |
| Failure to have the proper inspection done is a fine of 135 €. The police could also confiscate your registration card and/or impound your car (although how will you get the inspection done if they've taken the car away?). |
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