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Driving - which documents to carry


HertzVanHire
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I'm guessing one should always have one's driving licence, carte grise, and of course insurance thingy on the windscreen. Anything else? What do people carry their carte grises in - seems like it could easily be lost, or torn, or whatever. It seems like it's meant to be folded in three - is there a specially designed wallet or something?
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As well as th CG and driving licence you should also carry the insurance certificate that comes with the windscreen sticker. I have been advised of this by a local gendarme (penalty 90euros and three points for non production). You are also lucky to get away with a photo copy. If M. Gendarme is having a bad day he can penalise you for not producing the origional.

Different from when I was a UK policeman as there is no facility for you to produce upto 5 days latter, if you ain't got them with you you're nicked!!

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[quote user="HertzVanHire"]I'm guessing one should always have one's driving licence, carte grise, and of course insurance thingy on the windscreen. Anything else? [/quote]Not to forget the other thingy on the windscreen for the contrôle technique, if your car is old enough to require one.

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[quote user="andybear"]

As well as th CG and driving licence you should also carry the insurance certificate that comes with the windscreen sticker. I have been advised of this by a local gendarme (penalty 90euros and three points for non production). You are also lucky to get away with a photo copy. If M. Gendarme is having a bad day he can penalise you for not producing the origional.

Different from when I was a UK policeman as there is no facility for you to produce upto 5 days latter, if you ain't got them with you you're nicked!!

[/quote]

I also understand that, not only should you have the original, but it must be with you... If you leave it in the car and the car is stolen the insurance is no longer valid!

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HVH, my carte grise came in a nice wallet, provided by the dealer I bought the car from.  Sadly, this case is now the only bit of the car I still have!

If you have a UK driving license, it is not a bad idea to carry a photocopy of the legislation which explains that it is valid in France - just in case you come across a gendarme who doesn't know the law (it happens.)

Should you take your car back to the UK, make sure that you and any other named driver, have signed the insurance document which was attached to your green vignette.  This is compulsary.  You can also do the reverse of the above - ie carry a copy of the EU legislation which says that your UK license is valid even though you now live in France and therefore have a different address from that on the licence.  Just in case you come across a policeman who doesn't know the law (that happens also.)

My insurer told me it was not a good idea to keep the original of the carte grise in the car, and to always carry a photocopy, as if the car was nicked, this would be a gift to the stealer. Depends whom you believe I guess....

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[quote user="cooperlola"]My insurer told me it was not a good idea to keep the original of the carte grise in the car, and to always carry a photocopy, as if the car was nicked, this would be a gift to the stealer. Depends whom you believe I guess....[/quote]FWIW, my handbook on the Code de la Route says that (a) you are required to have originals, not copies, with you while you are driving BUT that (b) it is officially, and strongly, recommended that you do not leave the originals in the car when you are not in it.

(I take it that this refers only to the carte grise and the insurance attestation.  It isn't really practical to remove the two thingies from the windscreen every time you leave the car.)

If you take this seriously there doesn't seem to be any point in having photocopies in the car.  I keep photocopies in a file at home, just in case.

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[quote user="cooperlola"]My insurer told me it was not a good idea to keep the original of the carte grise in the car, and to always carry a photocopy, as if the car was nicked, this would be a gift to the stealer. Depends whom you believe I guess....[/quote]How would it be a gift ? No person (neive Brits excepted perhaps [Www]) would buy a car from a stranger with a CG in someone elses name, it would be completely impossible to register.

Good point on carrying copies of the legislation BTW [;-)]

 

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In my defence, I keep (sorry, kept) the original in the car in spite of what she said.  I'm not sure I follow the logic either.  On the other hand, I really can't imagine anybody takes their carte grise out of the car every time they park it, can you?  Certainly, I don't think you should remove the vignette from the windscreen.  Surely, this it's important that it's displayed when parked?
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[quote user="cooperlola"]

If you have a UK driving license, it is not a bad idea to carry a photocopy of the legislation which explains that it is valid in France - just in case you come across a gendarme who doesn't know the law (it happens.)

[/quote]

Good idea, but where do I find said legislation?

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Thanks Clair.  Any chance of a quick summary in English?

My understanding of the EU rules is that a EU citizen with a valid licence from their country cannot be forced to exchange it for a licence issued by their country of residence (because it restricts, or at least makes it a pain to, free movement in the EU).  There is some caveat with respect to validity period though - which I don't remember exactly.  Was it that the host country can impose its own validity period - for example, if you come from a country where the validity period is 20 years, but you reside in a country where it's 10 years, they can force you to exchange it for a local one after 10 years?  But the rule works the other way around too.  Or did I make it all up?

Does your average gendarme recognise the old green paper UK licence?

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[quote user="ErnieY"]I believe that the old green licences are not valid as they are not in the EU format but pink'uns are OK.[/quote]

Mr Clair still uses his old UK paper and it is marked "Permis de conduire" in several languages as well as "European model" at the bottom, so I am quite sure it is valid.

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Whilst it's not unknown for gendarmes to be unaware of the regulations pertaining to EU licence validity, it's their job to know these things - that's what they're paid for. 

The law is set out in the code de la route - that's what they're enforcing, so it's really up to them to go and check it for themselves.  It's not up to us to carry copies of the code around with us to prove our legal position - that's an unacceptable burden.

They can't 'do' you for not exchanging your licence because it's not an offence.  Make them work for their money......[;-)]

 

 

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[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

Whilst it's not unknown for gendarmes to be unaware of the regulations pertaining to EU licence validity, it's their job to know these things - that's what they're paid for. 

The law is set out in the code de la route - that's what they're enforcing, so it's really up to them to go and check it for themselves.  It's not up to us to carry copies of the code around with us to prove our legal position - that's an unacceptable burden.

They can't 'do' you for not exchanging your licence because it's not an offence.  Make them work for their money......[;-)][/quote]

A lot to be said for the 'course of least resistance' though [;-)]

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[quote user="ErnieY"][quote user="Sunday Driver"]

Whilst it's not unknown for gendarmes to be unaware of the regulations pertaining to EU licence validity, it's their job to know these things - that's what they're paid for. 

The law is set out in the code de la route - that's what they're enforcing, so it's really up to them to go and check it for themselves.  It's not up to us to carry copies of the code around with us to prove our legal position - that's an unacceptable burden.

They can't 'do' you for not exchanging your licence because it's not an offence.  Make them work for their money......[;-)][/quote]

A lot to be said for the 'course of least resistance' though [;-)]

[/quote]Quite, Ernie.  Whilst you are, of course, correct, S/D, I've never thought of one sheet of A4 paper,stuffed in the little wallet with my driving license, as being an "unacceptable burden."  It never struck me as being particularly heavy.[:)]
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On the other hand, if you had to carry an A4 sheet for every piece of European legislation that a gendarme might not be informed about, you might need something bigger than a wallet: a small trailer should do the job. 

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Actually, for many it would be 2 pieces of paper, one which explains the licence regulations and the other which exonerates them from registering their cars. Search as I might though I simply cannot seem to find that particular regulation anywhere [Www]

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