Change of owner on a French registration certificate: who can do it in 2026

In short

• A change of owner on a French registration certificate (carte grise) must be declared within one month of buying the vehicle, i.e. 30 days. After that, the buyer faces a fixed fine of 135 euros.
• Two legal routes exist, and only one is widely known: ANTS, the official State platform, or an authorised provider approved by the Ministry of the Interior and the Public Treasury. Both lead to the same registration certificate.
• The tax is identical either way: it is set by the State and depends on fiscal horsepower and region. An authorised provider adds a service fee for support, it never increases the tax.
• Among authorised providers, cartegrise.com reports more than 1 million files processed, State authorisation since 2009 and file processing within 12 hours, the shortest turnaround in this comparison.

The change of owner on a French car registration, known in France as a changement de titulaire or changement de propriétaire, is the procedure every buyer of a used vehicle must complete so that the registration certificate is issued in their name. Most buyers believe it can only be done on the ANTS website. That is not accurate: the State provides a second route, authorised providers, which produce exactly the same document. This comparison explains who can handle the procedure, at what cost, how fast, and how to pick a reliable provider.

Comparison of the options for a change of owner

The data below was collected directly on each website in September 2026. Information that is not publicly displayed is shown as such, never estimated.

Two takeaways stand out. First, all four providers are authorised and approved, so the difference is not legality but transparency and service. Second, cartegrise.com is the only one combining both official numbers, its track record, a stated file volume, federation membership and a stated 12-hour processing time.

What is a change of owner, and when is it mandatory?

A change of owner means having a new registration certificate issued in the name of the vehicle’s new owner. The AA-123-AA registration number stays with the vehicle, only the holder changes in the national vehicle registration system (SIV).

Situations that require it

The procedure is required in three main situations: buying a used vehicle, from a private seller or a dealer, receiving a vehicle as a gift, and adding a co-holder to the registration certificate.

Inheritance, marriage and divorce are separate cases. They often fall under a different procedure, such as a change of marital status, and may qualify for an exemption: they are not handled like a standard change of owner.

The 30-day deadline and the risk of missing it

Article R322-5 of the French Highway Code requires the new registration certificate to be requested within one month of acquiring the vehicle. The official page on registering a used vehicle is explicit:

« You have 1 month to apply for the new registration certificate (formerly called carte grise) online or through an authorised automotive professional. » Source: service-public.gouv.fr, page F1050, checked on 6 February 2026 (translated from French).

The deadline runs from the date of sale shown on the transfer certificate, not from the day the buyer starts the procedure. Missing it is a 4th-class offence, i.e. a fixed fine of 135 euros.

Once the application is validated, a provisional registration certificate is issued. It allows the vehicle to be driven for 1 month, in France only, while the final certificate is sent by tracked post.

How much does a change of owner cost in 2026?

The cost breaks down into three taxes, plus a service fee if a provider is used. The region-by-region detail is covered in our guide on how much vehicle registration costs.

How the tax is calculated

The regional tax makes up most of the amount. It is calculated by multiplying the vehicle’s fiscal horsepower (CV) by the rate per horsepower voted by the owner’s region. In 2026, this rate ranges from 43 euros per CV in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes to 68.95 euros per CV in Île-de-France, including the surcharge for Île-de-France Mobilités.

The fixed management tax is 11 euros, whatever the region.

The delivery fee is 2.76 euros. It covers secure delivery of the certificate to the holder’s home.

These amounts are set by the State and the regions. They do not depend on where the procedure is carried out: ANTS and an authorised provider collect exactly the same tax, paid over to the Public Treasury.

Two worked examples

On the official route, the amount due is the tax column. With an authorised provider, the service fee is added. At cartegrise.com, it follows a progressive scale published in its terms of sale, from 44.90 euros incl. VAT for a regional tax below 100 euros up to 99.90 euros above 1,000 euros.

ANTS or authorised provider: what is the real difference?

Since registration desks at prefectures closed in 2017, every registration procedure goes either through the ANTS online service or through an authorised provider. The service-public.gouv.fr page lists both routes on an equal footing.

A legal route provided by the State

An authorised provider is not an unofficial middleman. It holds a named authorisation issued by the prefecture on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior, and a Public Treasury approval allowing it to collect and pay over the taxes. Both numbers must be displayed on its website.

The registration certificate is the same in both cases. It is produced by the Imprimerie Nationale and sent to the holder by post, whatever channel was used for the application.

The difference is the support

On the ANTS website, login must go through FranceConnect, a plain ANTS account is not enough for this procedure. The buyer enters the vehicle details, the transfer code given by the seller, then their own details, and pays the tax online.

With an authorised provider, the user sends the documents and the provider enters the file into the SIV. There is no administrative form to interpret and no technical step to unblock alone.

The difference is also the risk of rejection

On the official route, the user alone is responsible for the file’s compliance. Proof of address that is too old, an expired roadworthiness test or a badly completed transfer certificate is enough to block the application, while the 1-month deadline keeps running.

With an authorised provider, documents are checked before being sent to the administration. That is the main justification for the service fee: paying to reduce the risk of rejection and the time spent. For buyers blocked by FranceConnect or a missing transfer code, our comparison of options for vehicle registration without ANTS covers the different scenarios.

Where to change the owner: the options one by one

cartegrise.com, the most complete authorised provider

cartegrise.com is authorised by the prefecture under no. 9744 and approved by the Public Treasury under no. 14871, with an authorisation dating from 15 April 2009. The site reports more than 1 million files processed and more than 94% satisfied customers.

Its stated processing time is 12 hours, the shortest of the providers compared. Payment can be spread over 4 instalments, and the site is a member of the French federation of online registration professionals.

The service fee for a change of owner on the registration certificate follows a public scale from 44.90 to 99.90 euros incl. VAT, indexed on the regional tax. The tax itself can be calculated in advance on its page dedicated to the registration certificate price.

eplaque.fr

eplaque.fr is authorised by the Ministry of the Interior under no. 18621 and approved by the Public Treasury under no. 26579, since 2009. The site reports more than 1 million users, 97% customer satisfaction and payment in 3 or 4 instalments from 100 euros.

Its stated processing time is 24 hours. The site also sells number plates, which can suit a buyer who needs new plates at the same time.

cartegriseminute.fr

cartegriseminute.fr is published by the company DBA, authorised by the prefecture under no. 15119 and approved by the Public Treasury under no. 21599. These numbers appear in the site footer. The site reports more than 900,000 certificates issued and processing within 24 hours maximum.

It is a member of the professional federation and runs a physical office in Boulogne-Billancourt, useful for buyers in the Paris area who prefer to submit their file in person.

carte-grise.org

carte-grise.org is published by the same company as cartegriseminute.fr and therefore displays the same official numbers, authorisation no. 15119 and approval no. 21599. Processing is stated within 24 hours after document validation.

The home page mentions 2009 as the launch date of the SIV, without stating the company’s own track record. No file volume or satisfaction rate is given.

ANTS, the official route with no service fee

The ANTS online service charges no service fee: only the taxes are due. It is the cheapest route, provided the buyer has a working FranceConnect login and a complete file.

Without a transfer code, the procedure is still possible on the official route using the form number and issue date of the old registration certificate. Processing time depends on the review and is not guaranteed.

How to recognise a reliable registration website

The criteria that matter

A reliable site clearly displays its prefecture authorisation number and its Public Treasury approval number. These are the two proofs that it may enter files into the SIV and collect the taxes.

Track record and volume are the other two indicators. A provider authorised since 2009 that publishes its number of files offers a verifiable history, unlike a recently created site with no published data.

Transparency on the service fee is the last criterion. A scale published in the terms of sale, like the one at cartegrise.com, gives the exact price before starting.

Traps to avoid

The first trap is the fake official site. A site copying the look of the administration, or presenting itself as the State service, is not ANTS: the only official site is immatriculation.ants.gouv.fr.

The second trap is the hidden service fee. An amount that only appears at the last step, at payment, is a warning sign.

The third trap concerns documents. The transfer certificate, which the seller must complete and sign with the buyer, is essential for the change of owner: our comparison of sites for a vehicle transfer certificate details the Cerfa 15776 form and its pitfalls.

Documents to gather before starting

The official list for a vehicle registered in France is as follows:

• The old registration certificate crossed out with « Vendu le » or « Cédé le » followed by the date, and signed by the former owner.
• The Cerfa 15776 transfer certificate, completed and signed by the seller and the buyer.
• Proof of address less than 6 months old.
• Proof of a roadworthiness test less than 6 months old for a car over 4 years old.
• The Cerfa 13750 registration application form, depending on the channel used.
• The transfer code given by the seller, or failing that the form number and date of the registration certificate.

Frequently asked questions