Conclusion of a car or motorcycle insurance contract

Verified 24 November 2025 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

If you are owner or driver of a motor land vehicle circulating by France, you must be covered at least by a liability insurance. The subscription of this contract is regulated by law. We present you the applicable rules.

Insurance is mandatory for all motor land vehicleswhether or not they are registered, provided that they can be used on public roads.

The insurance obligation also concerns certain motor land vehicles that do not need to be registered. These are:

  • Light Mopeds : draisienne, electrically assisted bicycle with a power exceeding 250w or a speed exceeding 25 km/h etc.
  • EDPM : electric scooters, electric scooter, single wheel, gyropod, hoverboard, etc.
  • Lawn mowers, comprising a seat which allows the driver to maneuver them.

You can take out the insurance contract with one of the following organizations:

  • General Insurance Agent
  • Broker
  • Bank
  • Insurance company

You can contact several agents simultaneously and freely to compare their proposals.

You must indicate the type of warranty which you wish to obtain from the insurer with which you take out a contract: civil liability, material damage, driver protection, assistance, troubleshooting, etc.

If you were already insured, you will need to submit a statement of information issued by the previous insurer.

The insurer may ask you to complete a questionnaire to allow them to assess the risks and calculate the amount of the premium.

Remember to mention in particular the following:

  • Use of your vehicle to get to work
  • Identity of the usual driver(s) of the vehicle
  • Significant accidents in the past
  • Sanctions in the past (e.g. suspension or revocation of licenses).

The information you give to your insurer must be exact.

A false statement or omission can have far-reaching consequences and is considered a scam. Indeed, the compensation you should have received can be reduced and you may have to compensate the victims in part yourself in the event of an accident.

If a declaration of bad faith is found, the contract can be declared null and void: the insurance will not intervene to compensate you, but it will have the right to keep the contributions already paid.

The requested insurer must provide you with a insurance proposal. It includes the following elements:

  • Copy of the draft contract
  • Factsheet on prices and guarantees
  • Detailed information notice.

Documents must be clear and drafted in apparent character. They provide you with very specific information on:

  • Guarantee limits (e.g. list of uncovered risks)
  • Applicable law and competent authorities in case of dispute
  • Triggering of the guarantee for contracts of liability (by the harmful event or by claim).

If the insurance proposal suits you, you must sign and the hand over to the insurer with the documents requested.

Once the signed proposal reaches the insurer, the contract is formed and you can no longer reverse your decision.

The right of withdrawal is the possibility of renouncing a contract after signature.

The application of the right of withdrawal to the car insurance contract varies according to the method of concluding the contract:

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Contract physically signed with the insurer or its representative

There's no no right of withdrawal for a contract of automobile insurance taken out physically with the insurer or with its representative (general agent, broker).

Contract concluded in the context of canvassing (at home or at the workplace)

The 14-day right of withdrawal provided for off-premises contracts may apply to the automobile insurance contract signed at your home or workplace following a solicitation from the insurer.

The right of withdrawal applies only if you have not invoked one of the guarantees of the contract.

In this case, you must send the request for termination by registered letter or by electronic registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt, within 14 calendar days.

Distance contract (internet, online comparison phone)

Unlike other distance contracts, motor insurance does not have the right of withdrawal of 14 days.

Thus, from the moment you subscribe, your car insurance contract is firm and definitive.

The proof that the insurer must issue varies depending on whether your vehicle is registered or not:

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Registered Vehicle

If you have insured a registered vehicle, proof of insurance is essentially through consultation with the FVA: titleContent, which lists all the civil liability insurance contracts subscribed in France.

The insurer must provide you at the time of subscription with a document that contains the following essential elements of the contract:

  • Name and address of the insurance company
  • Surname, first names and address of the subscriber of the contract
  • Insurance policy number
  • Date of issue of the document
  • Effective date of the guarantee
  • Vehicle registration number
  • Make and model of the vehicle
  • If the contract warranty applies to both a motor vehicle and its trailers or semi-trailers, mention of the type of trailers or semi-trailers that may be used with the vehicle
  • If necessary, mention of the fact that the vehicle is used in the context of a particular public passenger transport activity for consideration.

This document is issued only once, except in case of loss. It is not renewed every year like the green card.

It can serve as provisional proof of the contract, during the period of update of the FVA.

Therefore, it shall be marked as follows: " This document constitutes a presumption of insurance for 15 days after the effective date of the policy ».

The document can also be used throughout the duration of the contract to take certain steps, such as completing a amicable accident report or contact the insurer to request information.

It is therefore advisable to keep it in your vehicle, or download it to your phone.

Unregistered vehicle

If you have insured an unregistered vehicle, the insurer must provide you with proof to be affixed to the vehicle and proof to be presented at a police check.

Document to be affixed to the vehicle

The proof of insurance to be affixed to the vehicle is a certificate that the insurer must issue to you within 15 days of the subscription or renewal of the contract.

If the insurer cannot issue you the certificate immediately upon subscription, it must issue you a provisional certificate.

The certificate must state the following:

  • Name of insurance company
  • Number allowing identification of the subscriber
  • Vehicle chassis or serial number
  • Start and end dates of the contract.

If you do not affix the certificate of insurance to your vehicle, or if you affix an invalid certificate, you risk a fine of €35.

Proof to be presented in case of inspection

You must always present, during a police check, a document proving that you have taken out insurance for your unregistered vehicle subject to the insurance obligation.

The document to be presented during a police check is a certificate from your insurer.

The insurer must issue you an insurance certificate within 15 days of the subscription or renewal of the contract.

If the insurer cannot issue you the certificate immediately upon subscription, it must issue you a provisional certificate.

The attestation must state the following:

  • Name and address of the insurance company
  • Surname, first names and address of the subscriber of the contract
  • Insurance policy number
  • Insurance period corresponding to the premium or portion of premium paid
  • Vehicle characteristics, including chassis or serial number.

You can also ask the insurer to issue you an international insurance card.

The International Insurance Card is the proof of insurance adopted by the countries participating in the Green Card system.

The green card system is an agreement signed by several countries that recognize all the car insurance credentials issued by one of them.

If you are unable to present a certificate of insurance, a provisional certificate or an international insurance card during a police check, you may be fined €35.

But the police can give you 5 days to submit one of these documents.

If you do not submit one of the documents within 5 days, you will be fined €135.

In this case, the fine of €35 no longer applies.

Putting a motor land vehicle into circulation without having insured it is a offense punished by a fine of €3,750.

Depending on the circumstances, one or more of the following additional penalties may be applied in addition:

  • Works of general interest
  • Day-fines (fines fixed per day)
  • Suspension of driving license (up to 3 years)
  • Cancelation of the driver's license and prohibition of ironing it for a certain time (3 years at most)
  • Prohibition to drive certain vehicles, even if they do not require a driving license
  • Obligation to complete a road safety awareness course at your own expense
  • Immobilization and/or confiscation of the vehicle with which the offense was committed.

You will only be fined a lump sum of €500 if the offense has been found by an electronic record and that you have not been convicted in the past for lack of insurance. In this case, payment of the fine within the time limit ends the proceedings.

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