Vehicle to be destroyed and certificate of registration
Verified 13 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
If you decide to have your vehicle destroyed, including a passenger car, pickup truck, 2-wheel, 3-wheel or motor quadricycle, you must hand it over directly to a center VHU: titleContent empowered. You can also contact an organization approved by the manufacturer of your vehicle. This vehicle must imperatively be whole. The regulations differ depending on whether the vehicle is registered in France or abroad and whether or not you are in possession of the registration certificate (previously called vehicle registration certificate). We present you the information to know.
What applies to you ?
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Vehicle registered in France
You must contact a End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Center. Indeed, since used vehicles are considered as waste, only VHU centers are authorized to ensure their destruction.
Ouvrir l’image dans une nouvelle fenêtre
Logo of the centers dealing with the destruction of end-of-life vehicles
You can recognize a VHU center by its logo:
Who shall I contact
You can also contact a organization approved by the manufacturer of your vehicle, who must ensure or arrange for the collection and transport of your vehicle free of charge from its place of detention, and then direct it to an ELV center.
Who shall I contact
Warning
Your vehicle must be complete (presence of engine, catalytic converter, battery).
One tool called « I recycle my vehicle at the end of its life » guide individuals in their car recycling procedures:
The documents to be provided vary depending on whether or not you have the certificate of registration (previously called vehicle registration certificate) :
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
You have the certificate of registration
You must provide the following:
- Certificate of registration: you must enter in a very legible and unalterable manner the mention Sold on (day/month/year) for destruction or Assigned on (day/month/year) for destruction and your signature.
If there were several co-holders, it must be signed by all (unless one of the holders has the power of attorney to do so).
When the registration certificate has a detachable coupon, you must complete, cut and keep it.
If the registration certificate has the corner to be cut in the upper right, you must cut it and destroy it. - Certificate of administrative situation less than 15 days old
- Form cerfa no. 15776 filled in, on which the coordinates of the center are indicated VHU: titleContent and, if possible, its approval number. Put copy 2 back in the center.
The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.
You don't have the certificate of registration
The documents to be provided are different depending on why you no longer have your registration certificate:
You lost him
You must provide the following:
- Form of declaration of loss
- Certificate of administrative situation less than 15 days old
- Form cerfa no. 15776 filled in, on which the coordinates of the center are indicated VHU: titleContent and, if possible, its VHU approval number. Put copy 2 back in the center.
The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.
It was stolen from you
You must provide the following:
- Form of theft report which must have been dropped off at the gendarmerie or police station
- Certificate of administrative situation less than 15 days old
- Form cerfa no. 15776 filled in, on which the coordinates of the center are indicated VHU: titleContent and, if possible, its VHU approval number. Put copy 2 back in the center.
The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.
Your registration certificate has been taken away because your vehicle has been damaged
You must provide the following:
- Notice of withdrawal of the registration certificate (issued by the police or gendarmerie)
- Certificate of administrative situation less than 15 days old
- Form cerfa no. 15776 filled in, on which the coordinates of the center are indicated VHU: titleContent and, if possible, its VHU approval number. Put copy 2 back in the center.
The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.
The delivery of your complete vehicle at the VHU center is free of charge.
In most cases, this declaration can be registered directly with the center VHU: titleContent who takes back the vehicle.
Alternatively, you can report the transfer on the internet via the online service below:
Declare the return of a vehicle to an end-of-life vehicle (ELV) center
You must log in to the ANTS' website by logging in either via France Connect, or via the application France Identity.
You must have a digital copy (photo or scan) of copy 1 of the completed cerfa form n°15776, on which are indicated the contact details of the VHU center and, if possible, its approval number.
Of numeric points (with computers, printers and scanners) are available in each prefecture and in most sub-prefectures. You can complete the process there. You can be helped by digital mediators if you encounter difficulties with the use of the internet.
You can also be accompanied in your approach by a house France Services.
Warning
It is no longer possible to file the declaration with the prefectures and sub-prefectures (or to send it by mail).
Yes, you must inform your insurance company of the destruction of the vehicle. This information allows you to terminate the contract.
Yes, you must inform your insurance company of the destruction of the vehicle. This information allows you to terminate the contract.
Vehicle registered abroad
You must contact a End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Center. Indeed, since used vehicles are considered as waste, only VHU centers are authorized to ensure their destruction.
Ouvrir l’image dans une nouvelle fenêtre
Logo of the centers dealing with the destruction of end-of-life vehicles
You can recognize a VHU center by its logo:
Who shall I contact
You can also contact a organization approved by the manufacturer of your vehicle, who must ensure or arrange for the collection and transport of your vehicle free of charge from its place of detention, and then direct it to an ELV center.
Who shall I contact
Warning
Your vehicle must be complete (presence of engine, catalytic converter, battery).
One tool called « I recycle my vehicle at the end of its life » guide individuals in their car recycling procedures:
The documents to be provided vary depending on whether or not you have the certificate of registration:
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
You have the certificate of registration
You must give the vehicle registration certificate to the center VHU: titleContent.
The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.
You don't have the certificate of registration
The documents to be provided are different depending on why you no longer have your registration certificate:
You lost him
You must contact the administrative authorities of the country in which the vehicle was registered to find out what steps need to be taken to obtain a copy of the registration certificate.
You must deliver the copy of the vehicle registration certificate to the center VHU: titleContent.
The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.
It was stolen from you
You have to make a theft report with the gendarmerie or the police station.
You must then contact the administrative authorities of the country in which the vehicle was registered to find out what steps need to be taken to obtain a copy of the registration certificate.
You must deliver the copy of the vehicle registration certificate to the center VHU: titleContent.
The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.
Your registration certificate has been taken away because your vehicle has been damaged
You must have the following documents:
- Notice of withdrawal of the certificate of registration (issued by the police or gendarmerie) or certificate of delivery of the certificate
- Form cerfa no. 15776 filled in, on which the coordinates of the center are indicated VHU: titleContent and, if possible, its VHU approval number
Warning
Hand over copy 2 of cerfa form n°15776 to the VHU center.
The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.
The delivery of your complete vehicle at the VHU center is free of charge.
Yes, you must inform your insurance company of the destruction of the vehicle. This information allows you to terminate the contract.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
34 00 - Information on registration certificate or driver's license
National interactive voice server providing automated responses regarding the Certificate of Registration (formerly known as vehicle registration certificate), driver's license, national identity card and passport.
If the user does not obtain the answer to his question concerning the registration certificate or the driving license, he will be put in contact with an advisor of France Titres, the French national agency for secured documents (ANTS).
By phone
From the city:
34,00 (cost of a local call)
From overseas:
09 70 83 07 07
From the foreigner:
+33 9 70 83 07 07
Provisions for the management of end-of-life vehicles
Provisions for ELV centers and shredders
Issuance of Certificate of Registration
Creation of the eco-organization Recycle my vehicle
Formulaire
FAQ
Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion
Ministry of the Interior