How to declare the sale of a car in France - and why it is important to do this

Drivers in France who sell their cars are being reminded to officially register the sale with the authorities, to avoid being held responsible for any fines incurred by the new owners.

A recent case in northern France saw a tradesman taken to court over unpaid speeding fines incurred by the new owner of a vehicle he had sold.

The fines were related to the driving habits of the new owner.

Despite transferring the vehicle registration for the car, the tradesman had not completed a transfer sale document – certificat de cession d’un véhicule d’occasion – meaning the car was still officially registered in his name.

What is this form and how to get it? 

Selling a car second-hand is common in France – and is also possible for right-hand drive vehicles – however there are administrative steps both the buyer and seller need to take. 

Many people selling privately assume that the only documentation required is a transferral of the vehicle registration (carte grise or officially certificat d’immatriculation).

However, a certificat de cession d’un véhicule d’occasion must be completed by both the seller and the buyer. 

This is also the case if there are multiple sellers (for example in the case of a car that has been inherited as part of an estate) or if the car is being gifted.

The seller(s) must complete the form within 15 days of selling the vehicle. Note that if you sell your car through a dealership, they often carry out this paperwork for you, so this mostly applies to vehicles being sold privately. 

The form is completed online at the France Titres (formerly ANTS) website, using either your personal account or through the FranceConnect log-in service. 

You select the ‘Vendre ou donner votre véhicule’ option to complete the relevant form. 

You can also download the form onto your smartphone using the ‘Simplimmat’ app. Although you can find physical PDF versions of the form online to print, they can no longer be sent to your local prefecture, and the process is now entirely digital for private sales.

Once this is completed, you receive a transfer code to send the form to the buyer so they can complete their part. 

You also receive confirmation when they do this so if they fail to complete the steps you are not responsible. 

Failure to complete the form can lead to a fixed fine of €135, however it also leaves the previous owner potentially liable for any penalties – such as speeding fines as in the case above – incurred by the new driver. 

This is the case even if they have registered the vehicle in their name.