Vehicle to be destroyed and certificate of registration - Vehicle registered in France

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

Your situation

  • The vehicle is registered in France
  • You have the certificate of registration
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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.

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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 ):

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.

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.

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