Driver in south-east France registered car to daughter, 9, to avoid fines

A driver in south-east France has been given a suspended sentence after his daughter discovered he used her name when she was 9 years old to complete a vehicle registration form. 

The man, now in his fifties and from the Hautes-Alpes department, made the fraudulent carte grise registration in 2013 after buying a new car. 

While driving the vehicle he went on to commit a series of infractions, leading to mounting fines and penalties for the girl. 

His daughter only discovered the ruse a decade later after she received dozens of fines amounting to nearly €5,000. 

The figure, and resulting restrictions from the debt, left her in severe stress and unable to pay her rent while at university. 

At one point, €800 was seized from her bank account by authorities in relation to the debt. 

Used daughter’s name to avoid fines

Filing a complaint in 2023, she took her father to court in Aix-en-Provence over the issue. 

He reportedly told the judge that he did it because “it was legal and since she was a minor, she couldn't pay a [driving] fine,” and this was the reason why he had used her name. 

He said a friend had told him it was legal to use his daughter’s name for the document – quickly refuted by the judge.

The father was well-known to authorities, facing several previous cases including seven for fraud or breach of trust. 

The court gave the man a 12-month suspended sentence with two years of probation, and ordered him to pay compensation to his daughter. 

Requests to change information on a carte grise (also called a certificat d’immatriculation) are made online. In the event of a change (new name, address, etc) it is mandatory to inform authorities, or drivers risk a fine. 

It goes without saying – you must use your name for the registration if you will be driving the car.