Vehicle to be destroyed and certificate of registration

Verified 06 March 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

If you decide to have your vehicle destroyed, including a private car, pickup truck, 2-wheel, 3-wheel or motor quadricycle, you must hand it over directly to a center ELV: 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 ₪). We present you the information to know.

What applies to you ?

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Vehicle registered in France

You must contact an End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) center. Indeed, since used vehicles are considered waste, only the VHU centers are authorized to ensure their destruction.

Illustration X - Illustration
Illustration X
Crédits: Direction de l’information légale et administrative

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Logo of the centers that deal 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.

Warning  

Your vehicle must be complete (presence of engine, catalytic converter, battery)

The documents to be provided vary depending on whether or not you have the certificate of registration (previously called ₪):

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 Transferred 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 certificate of registration has a detachable coupon, you must complete, cut and keep it.
    When the registration certificate has the corner to be cut in the upper right, you must cut it up and destroy it.
  • Certificate of administrative situation less than 15 days old
  • Form cerfa no. 15776 completed, with the center's contact details ELV: 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 the reason why you no longer have your registration certificate:

You lost him

You must provide the following:

The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.

It was stolen from you

You must provide the following:

The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.

Your registration certificate has been removed because your vehicle has been damaged

You must provide the following:

  • Notice of withdrawal of registration certificate (issued by police or gendarmerie)
  • Certificate of administrative situation less than 15 days old
  • Form cerfa no. 15776 completed, with the center's contact details ELV: 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 ELV: titleContent who takes back the vehicle.

Alternatively, you can report the sale on the internet via the online service below:

Declare the handover 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 coordinates of the VHU center and, if possible, its approval number.

Some numeric points (with computers, printers and scanners) are available in every prefecture and 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.

Who shall I contact

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 an End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) center. Indeed, since used vehicles are considered waste, only the VHU centers are authorized to ensure their destruction.

Illustration X - Illustration
Illustration X
Crédits: Direction de l’information légale et administrative

Ouvrir l’image dans une nouvelle fenêtre

Logo of the centers that deal 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.

Warning  

Your vehicle must be complete (presence of engine, catalytic converter, battery)

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 ELV: 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 the reason 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 ELV: titleContent.

The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.

It was stolen from you

You have to make a flight report to 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 ELV: titleContent.

The VHU center gives you a certificate of destruction.

Your registration certificate has been removed 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 the certificate of delivery
  • Form cerfa no. 15776 completed, with the center's contact details ELV: titleContent and, if possible, its ELV approval number

Warning  

Hand over copy n°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

    A national interactive voice server providing automated responses to the Certificate of Registration (formerly known as a "registration"), driver's license, national identity card and passport.

    If the user does not obtain the answer to his question relating to the registration certificate or the driving license, he will be put in contact with an advisor of France Titres, the National Agency for Secure Titles (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