How do you register a used car in France?
We look at the steps you need to take to get a carte grise for a new or used car
Applying for a carte grise can be done online, and should not be too difficult
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Reader question: What is the procedure for registering a second-hand car bought privately in France?
When you buy a car in France, you have one month to register the vehicle, and this applies whether it is new or used.
This means applying for a certificat d’immatriculation (car registration document), commonly known as a carte grise.
If you bought the car from a garage, it will often take care of this for you.
However, even if you bought the car privately from an individual, you can delegate the task to a professional who is authorised to register vehicles – see here.
While this can make your life easier, professionals are free to set their own prices for doing this and it should not be overly difficult to do yourself.
Before you start, the seller must have completed a déclaration de cession (declaration of transfer) on the website of the ANTS agency that issues cartes grises.
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The seller should provide you with a code de cession, which you will need to use to make your application.
You must log here using the FranceConnect button (this requires log-in details for a partner site such as ameli.fr or impots.gouv.fr.
If you cannot do this and/or have never worked in France or been in its health service, you will need to pay a professional to register the car for you).
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This procedure can only be done online.
Select Acheter ou recevoir un véhicule d’occasion, Nouvelle demande, L’immatriculation and Acheter ou recevoir un véhicule.
You will need the car’s licence plate number, the old carte grise (barred, with the previous owner’s signature) and the code de cession, and you will be asked to enter your personal information.
The price depends on the car and your department, as it includes both national and local taxes.
You can estimate the cost here.
You will be invited to download a provisional registration certificate (valid for one month), which you should print off and keep with you while waiting to receive your carte grise in the post.
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