Traceyh Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 I have done a search, but nothing appeared , before we can re-register our english car we have been told we need to get a valid CT, which we have done and also we need to visit an office in Caen to have the engine number verified before we can apply for the new reg number from the prefecture (? spelling) Does anyone know the address and if indeed this is correct ?Thanks in advanceTraceyh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wobbi Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 I think they mean you'll have to go to the MINES and have your type of car "identified" since it will be an import. This long and tedious process can be avoided if you have a homologation certificate from your manufacturer. If your car is only a couple of years old, I believe you don't need a certificate or have to go to the MINES. This is never my case, though, so maybe someone richer than me can answer that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wobbi Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 It would seem to be here:http://www.basse-normandie.drire.gouv.fr/organisation/plan_accesdemouv.htmlBut their site is so useless it's difficult to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 The mines is now called DRIRE and you will also have to visit the Hotel des Impots too to sort too to get a form from them, proving that you own the car and have paid the vat on it etc. ps Wobbi, I know drire is in the web address, but if phoning one can just look up DRIRE and I thought it made it clearer....... don't know whether it did or not though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 Look in your cars handbook, if it is fairly new and a standard european make, it wil have a EU wide valid certiicate of conformitie at the front. Take this with your immatriculation form ( or get a Immatriculation form at the Prefecture) and C of C to your Prefecture or sub Prefecture ( in some large towns the Hotel de Ville or Marie also do it.You pay the registration fee, which is dependent on the CC of your car and they will issue your carte gris. This will have the reg plate of your car and you then get the plates made up and the insurance changed over to the new reg. For older and non standard cars and vans, particularly camper vans, getting to this stage is not so simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 Just to add a bit to what Ron and others have said.What Ron says about older cars and Non EU plus campervans have given me (and others) the biggest headache of the lot but experience has shown it can be done but with a fair bit of effort. Those that have, through their own efforts, realised that reimmatriculating many of the bog standard EU cars had been easier than they thought, must also realise that can often not be the case BUT there are many cars that we and others have had to reregister that have been nightmares, some even, that we have had to give up on. DRIRE are for the most part, extremely helpful but they can be sticklers for the rules. So when one hears of the difficulty, please don't think that I, or anyone else are talking about the easily reimmatriculated ones but cars that really are not.Also do remember to go back to your CT station and get the carte grise bumph sorted out to now show your new French registration plate. Many people forget this and are running around with the UK registration as the car with the CT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddie Posted January 6, 2005 Share Posted January 6, 2005 [quote]Just to add a bit to what Ron and others have said. What Ron says about older cars and Non EU plus campervans have given me (and others) the biggest headache of the lot but experience has shown it ca...[/quote]I agree here - I'm a lucky one with a newish car and it was all very easy.Would you need to get a new CT issued with the new registration number on it? My Carte grise has my old UK registration number on it too so surely this helps to tie the documents together?Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 Our CT shows former UK reg no - after reregistration I returned to CT station and was told that a CT with new French no is NOT necessary as the carte grise shows old number on it.My recommendation (based on my experience in 46) for anyone wanting to register a UK car in France is this :-Take UK logbook to Prefecture for a list of documents that they will require. If one of these is a DRIRE attestation then go to DRIRE for a list of their requirements. DRIRE cost is around €67 whereas a manufacturer's C of C seems to cost between nil and €150. BUT the interpretation of French rules seems to vary from dept to dept so the experience of others is not necessarily relevant. HTHJohn not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 I do think looking at my post that I never explained this too well.No need to change the CT or to have it rewritten. The CT station carries the records of all cars that have passed their CT there. They will be required to know of the changes once you have finally immatriculated your UK car. Remember you get the CT early on in the procedure (well normally anyway) and the CT station will be keeping the vignette that goes on your carte grise, when you get it. This proves you have a current CT for that car and the time and date will collate your actual CT cert with the vignette, even though it will have a different registration number on the CT cert. Because it is normally given at the same time as the actual certificate and as you do not have a French carte grise for it to be put on, you will need to return to have it applied. Years ago, in Provence, I was stopped at a Controle by the police and one of the first thing they noticed was that my carte grise was missing this vignette, the CT certificate was at home and this caused them to think I was running around without a CT. So it took a drive to the nearest police station armed with the CT and a ticking off as to why I had not returned after immatriculation to have the vignette put on the carte grise.For those that have recently immatriculated, take a look and see, if where it is written date de visite technique, you have a current CT vignette (in white I think) stuck in its special place. There are spaces for a several vignettes, should you keep the car for some time !In this instance, the rule is National and not to be interpretated from region to region. I maybe attacked for this but in many instances I reckon it is because one has not understood at the time of passing the CT that your obligation is to return to have this vignette stuck on your NEW carte grise. Before you get too worried, at the moment it is not a serious offence but no doubt on the wrong day with the wrong officer........................John not Di,Yes, your old registration number is on the carte grise and collates the new and old but you surprised me by not mentioning that they stuck on the vignette when you returned to ask the question about your CT requirements ?I bet this will have some peeps running to look at their carte grise !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 MikiJust been to check - the Carte Grise does not have a vignette just a note that a CT is required before xx/01/06. I commented on this when I returned to CT station but was met with Gallic shrug, "you have a valid CT so what's the prob?"Is this an example of local interpretation ? Johnnot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 Not sure quite what you mean ?You would probably not have known that a vignette was supposed to be stuck on the carte grise would you, so why did you comment on it to the chap and if so, wouldn't you have known you hadn't got a vignette already and wouldn't needed to have checked for it today ?Pretty confusing unless you went there and back this morning but it didn't sound like that but.......The carte grise itself, will always tell you when the next visit to a CT station should be made by, so if you commented about it to the chap, as you said you did, then why was an unknown vignette brought up and the chap gave a gallic shrug about a vignette, that was not even mentioned ?As I said it is not serious offence unless.....but the stations know very well that it should be on your Carte grise and indeed have to apply it themselves. Can you clarify ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephenlemmon Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 In my experience importing cars into France, you get the Controle Technique, then you do the thing at the DRIRE, then you go to the prefecture who look at all the documents and print you up a new Carte Grise with the date of the next CT printed in the box on the Carte Grise where the infamous vignette should go. So no need to go back to the CT place and get them to rectify the CT. Unless, that is you want to hide the origin of the car. In case of dispute, the VIN can be used. However, for those who are as unfortunate as I always seem to be, the time that the DRIRE gets its backside in gear and does their thing, it'll be time to get a new CT anyway!Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 In my experience importing cars into France, you get the Controle Technique, then you do the thing at the DRIRE, then you go to the prefecture who look at all the documents and print you up a new Carte Grise with the date of the next CT printed in the box on the Carte Grise where the infamous vignette should go. No sorry Stephen you are wrong, you are still required (or the CT place is anyway) to have the vignette placed on the carte grise, whether or not you, or others understand that or indeed have had it done, is not the point. I am only offering you the law as it stands, again whether or not you feel it is worth worrying about and I have said it is not a serious offence, just a legal requirement and so, like many laws here.............................The CT stations all know that all carte grise should carry the CT vignette but they simply cannot put it on your carte grise at the time of your passing the test, as you simply have not yet got the thing for them to be able to do so !On the new carte grise, the vignette area is not even on the same side as the date contre visite anyway and on the old one the tampon (rubber stamp) used to take up 3 or 4 vignette places, so often the stamp would have to be stuck on, away from this warning.One does not neccessarily have to go to the DRIRE either. Most if not all new EU cars, now carry their Cert of Conf, thereby nullifying any need for the manufacturer to need to send you one or the DRIRE to offer one either. The forms are better than they have ever been and simpler as well. A lot can now be done with just the local Hotel des Impots, and the sous prefecture (or prefecture of course) plus if the car is over 4 years, the CT of course.I have to add, that we have had nothing but praise for our 2 local DRIRE places, even if we have been at loggerheads on occasion. It is I feel, a simple case of familiarity at the end of the day ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephenlemmon Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 So what happens when you change your address and you have to get a new carte grise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 Or why not take it to the 'nth degree:What if :Your wife washes it in your jeans and it gets wrecked.You lose it.You don't go back and get it stuck on.I repeat, it is an offence but not one of the more serious, there are many driving as well as social infringements that the police or gendarmes will ignore unless.........As you are aware, the following carte grise has where the car was previously registered (dept) and what registration it had been on. The CT cert will of course be legal under the old registration. That would be cover enough, as it is the only way the transfer can be done, whereas one can quite easily return to get the vignette from your, I suspect, local CT station but again I repeat, many people may not understand what matey at the CT station is telling them or of course, as is pretty normal, he may not give a monkeys, after all, he is not breaking any law, he is simply issuing the car in front of him with a CT, you don't have to go on to immatriculate from that point. You may be selling it etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 Miki - in my defence the reregging of Mist Wagen happened last Feb so my memory of events may be a tad hazy. On the subject of a vignette on the Carte Grise I must have read about it on LF (TF rarely has anything useful) but if the CT station refuses to put a sticker on the CG what can I do ?Last spring I bought a S/H van - garage obtained new CT with Versailles reg no before the sale could be completed. I then applied for a 46 number and have not given CT vignette a thought till now. What should I do ? And what I do if the van had had a less than 6 months old CT issued in Versailles ?In both cases we have our 46 CT certs + windscreen stickers - hopefully these would be a valid defence against a zealous gendarme but am I wearing my rose tinted specs again ?Johnnot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 John,See my previous reply. It is a very minor offence. Listen if it was not required and it certainly is, then why do the CT stations have to purchase them along with a fair amount of stock of all the official bumph ?Our local new CT station is partly owned a chap who previously had a local scrap yard. We know him very well, nice chap, he was laughing sometime before Xmas at just how much the setting up had cost them but what shocked him more was the cost of "paperwork" they have to dish out when passing (or failing) a CT test ? Like so many things in France, everything in triplicate or even more, with all the neccessary vignettes and paperwork, they may just believe you that your car has a valid CT, if and only if, you have the full "package" when asked.I don't make the regs, nor can I explain why so many are so bizarre and unbelievable most of the time but I have to abide by them, especially when it is part of my life here in France. You only have to ask your wife (or will or so many people on here) about all the weird and wonderful rules, regs and laws she has come up against in her line of business and that is just to commence the business. Then tell her to explain it all to a neighbour or more to the point, to a British newcomer. Will they believe her, well from my experience, they will shake their heads and find it all so stupid !.....................and very often they will be correct as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephenlemmon Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 No, sorry, Miki, *you* are wrong. 1. You buy your car.2. Do your paperwork - the prefecture will transfer the date on the sticker you are talking about (that the previous owner's CT station will have put on there) and they print the same date on the new carte grise. 3. You do *not* go back to the CT station where the car was inspected (or any other for that matter) and ask them to put a new sticker over the printed date on the carte grise and you do not collect 200 euros. Silly!It's not a conspiracy - it's a very simple procedure and, honestly, not designed to catch unsuspecting motorists out. Thousands of people do it everyday...Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 So nice to know that after many years of buying cars and selling them, I have not been doing it right, nor know the regulations. The sticker is "married" to the CT cert and corresponds to the CT reference. Whether you believe that or not, I no longer care,What worries me is how come you admit to having nothing but trouble at the DRIRE, yet I and another friend get most things sorted in just 48/72 hours, says something I'm sure. Oh and you you hadn't any idea about the layout of the new carte grise either.They stamp the next time a CT is due and yes you do go back to get the CT sticker, which has already been stamped to correspond with the CT form, it happens at the same time that the CT chap is printing out the pass certificate. I really do suspect you and many others have never done this and had no idea that it was the way, until you read about it here and therefore as you haven't done it, it can't be right. No it's not a conspiracy, it is just the law, silly but nevertheless a law. Funny how you never knew a few other things I mentioned about either but still.....,you know enough to register a car, well done.You keep thinking you are right, that's OK by me. A little knowledge can...................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephenlemmon Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 Don't worry about me having trouble importing cars, Miki, I get by. I'm sure you have no problems at all registering your Citröen C3 or similar generic kak from whichever neighbouring country you buy them in. Try importing a real car and see how easy it is when they've never even heard of the *make*It does sound like you are in love with your sticker and your CT guy / ex-scrapheap man who I am sure is the leading authority on automobile administration and little known legal trivia. I hope he's not laughing at you too much every time you leave after requesting another useless sticker. Hehehe. Or maybe the poor guy thinks that if he gives the crazy english guy whatever he's pointing at he'll go away without dribbling too much on the floor. If it's a law then you'll be able to find it if you try... Go on. This is the age of internet, after all, eh? But then, I'm sure you know so much more than I do - and probably everyone else, right Miki? Of course you do! People like you always do! Congratulations. I hope you and your stickers will be very happy together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephenlemmon Posted January 8, 2005 Share Posted January 8, 2005 This might help, Miki:http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/RechercheSimpleArticleCode?commun=CROUTE&code=&art=&exp=controle%20techniqueI'll be here on the edge of my seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 8, 2005 Share Posted January 8, 2005 It comes up with error, why not simply cut and paste the part you want to show me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephenlemmon Posted January 8, 2005 Share Posted January 8, 2005 Sorry, try this instead:http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/Happy trawling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 8, 2005 Share Posted January 8, 2005 Don't worry about me having trouble importing cars, Miki, I get by. I'm sure you have no problems at all registering your Citröen C3 or similar generic kak from whichever neighbouring country you buy them in. Try importing a real car and see how easy it is when they've never even heard of the *make*.......Didn't see all this crap on the proceding page. Do you know, every now and then some witless and often nasty person comes on here and as he knows a little something, they act like they know everything and then get the bang hump if they are disagreed with. I do not claim to know all, in fact I rarely go on many of the threads to answer, as there are more experienced and qualified persons on those threads than I. It doesn't seem 2 minutes since you arrived and already you can be found giving plenty, that's OK and perhaps you are right on occasion, why not ? I don't give a monkeys about what you believe is right or wrong. I'll say it again, you have probs with DRIRE and have no idea about other actualities with car registrations. I don't know it all but for sure it's still a lot more than you Mr Lemmon and not just hearsay either. I don't go to sites often either to check what I do regularly but will on occasion but experience and talking to the ones we deal with all the time, keeps us nicely on our toes.The scrapheap man registers on average, 12 cars a month, not bad eh compared to to your what? none? one a year ?The chap at the station has dropped the CT sticker around in the past, haven't seen a smirk as yet.Getting pathetic and nasty eh, isn't that the reason your type were supposed to have left the UK to avoid?I reiterate, I do not know it all, not by a long chalk but what I post in answer, I have had personal experience with, unlike so many who hear about much from the chap they met in the pub but quote first hand on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephenlemmon Posted January 8, 2005 Share Posted January 8, 2005 Come on - I'm getting bored. I've just read it all. And in French - not bad for someone who should be congratulated on getting his car MOT'd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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