top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon

'300,000 backlog in carte grise system'

Drivers' association claims hundreds of thousands of motorists affected by bugs in struggling online system

An estimated 300,000 car registration documents remain stuck in processing by the new online carte grise system, it has been claimed.

The Conseil national des professionnels de l'automobile (CNPA) said that the website for applying and processing cartes grises documents has struggled to cope with demand since the process went online in November 2017.

The association said that each of the six 'virtual prefectures' processing cartes grises has a backlog of about 50,000 applications, BFMTV reported.

It highlighted a number of 'bugs' in the system: including displaying a 'service unavailable' page at key points in the registration process, or failures to take into account drivers who change their name, after marriage for example.

Legally, motorists are unable to drive without a valid carte grise, and dealers cannot deliver new vehicles as registration documents have not been processed.

The Ministry of the Interior would not confirm the CNPA's 300,000 figure, and said that "numerous corrective measures have been applied" to the system.

"Since November ... 2.7million registration certificates and more than 1million permits have been issued," a government spokesman told BFMTV.

Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Income Tax in France 2023 (for 2022 income)*
Featured Help Guide
- Primarily aimed at Britons, covers pensions, rent, ISAs, shares, savings and interest - but also contains significant general information pertinent to readers of other nationalities - Overview of online declarations + step-by-step guide to the French printed forms - Includes updates given automatically after this year's site opened
Get news, views and information from France