Registering a trailer in France

[Catalpa]

  

Registering a remorque (trailer) in France – ours was an Ifor Williams.

 

If a trailer exceeds 750kg, you will need to register and insure it separately from any other vehicles – ie, it will have it’s own registration number; it won’t carry the plates of the car that tows it.

 

We purchased an Ifor Williams trailer second-hand in the UK last year. In order to get it registered in France, it’s necessary to get an Attestation from the manufacturer. At this point we discovered there’s a step you could take before the purchase of a trailer. Ifor Williams, for eg, keeps a database for all their individual ‘products’. For an attestation, you have to provide them with the VIN number – from the manufacturer’s plate on the trailer. The VIN number is unique and comprises 17 letters and numbers. If this plate is missing or has been damaged (ours was scuffed and difficult to read), this may make obtaining the attestation more difficult. There’s also another aspect to this.

 

Trailers get nicked a lot in the UK. If an Ifor Williams trailer has been stolen, the owner may notify the company and this information is then added to the database against that VIN number. If you purchase a trailer that, on phoning Ifor Williams, turns out to have been reported stolen… well, you’ve bought stolen goods. This could be irritating for you. So, if you’re buying a second-hand trailer with the expectation that you’ll export it and register it in France, look for the VIN plate: can you read it? A quick call to Ifor Williams (or whoever the manufacturer is) might be useful?? This will also turn up any fake trailers which have had an Ifor Williams label nailed on. Our plate was difficult to read and on our first call to Ifor Williams, we were told the code number we’d given them referred to a canopy. Panic. Fortunately, our second attempt at deciphering was more successful.

 

Steps are:

 

Phone / write to Ifor Williams for a technical specification and Certificate of Conformity. You might not need the CofC if the trailer is very new. Ours wasn’t. It may be down-rated GVW (gross vehicle weight) for France. Ifor Williams Wales were very helpful. They spoke good English.

 

Write to Ifor Williams France - someone there speaks good English - asking for an “Attestation d’identification” for your trailer enclosing 

• A cheque (we had to pay 100 euros)
• the certificate of conformity
• copy of passport
• the invaluable copy of an EDF bill
• copy of the sales invoice for the trailer – which you need even if you bought it privately

On receipt of the Attestation d’identification, go to your sous prefecture with all the documents, passports, EDF bill etc, your cheque book (for us, this was 45 euros) and a Carte Grise (Certificat d’Immatriculation) will be forthcoming.

 

Insurance is also separate – for fully comp this year we paid 76euros.

 

Contacts:

Approvals Coordinator

Ifor Williams Trailers Limited

Cynwyd Corwen

Denbighshire

LL21 OLS

WWW.IWT.CO.UK

Phone 01490 412626

Fax 01490 412770

 

Ifor Williams France

Zone Industrielle

Route de Doullens

BP53   62270 Frévent

Phone 03 21 47 00 60

Fax 03 21 47 00 56

Ifor.williams.france@ wanadoo.fr

---

More sharing options...

[ilovemakingsheds]

AND I SHOVELLLED 1/2 OF A TON OF GRAVEL OFF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Catalpa]

... and with such superb style and élan