Selling your vehicle the documents to provide for the sale

Whatever the reasons that may push a road user to part with his car, selling his used car to a private individual entails a certain number of steps, which the seller must take in order for the transaction to be accepted. He will then have to carry out a certain number of formalities before the sale, such as ensuring that the gray card and the technical inspection are up to date. In addition, the seller must provide the purchaser with the various administrative documents proving that the administrative situation of the vehicle is perfectly in order and that the buyer can take the steps to officially become the purchaser of the car.

Why are documents necessary to sell your vehicle?

In France, vehicles that are equipped with an engine must be registered to be able to circulate. To obtain the precious SIV number , it is necessary to apply for a gray card. The latter is subject to validation by the services of the Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés , which verifies that the purchaser of a new vehicle has all the mandatory documents before printing a new gray card.

Before being able to sell his car at the price he wants, a road user, regardless of whether he is an individual or a professional, must fulfill a certain number of administrative formalities . While they absolutely must prove that the property they wish to sell at a certain price belongs to them or their company, they must also ensure that the information presented on the car registration certificate is accurate, and that the technical control has been done recently.

Only the owner is authorized to sell a vehicle

The owner of a motor vehicle, namely the person whose surnames and first names appear in box C1 , is the only individual who can choose whether or not to transfer an automobile. This rule applies in particular in the context of a Rental with Option to Purchase . Indeed, when users choose this form of consumer credit , they pay the price of the monthly installments to a loan organization, which is the real owner of the car. Only this organization, (it can be a traditional banking establishment or an establishment specializing in online credits) will have the right to sell the car concerned by this LOA.

The registration certificate must be up to date

For the sale of a used car to be valid, the user must ensure that the gray card of his vehicle is valid , and that all the elements listed therein are up to date, and in particular the address. Indeed, if the State gives road users a total of one month to make a request for a change of address on their registration certificate , this must imperatively include the current address of the owner of the car when the sale of his vehicle.

Certificate of registration and certificate of sale of a vehicle

The technical control must be recent

Finally, for second-hand vehicles over 4 years old and which are not exempt from presenting to the technical inspection , the seller must give the buyer a technical inspection report of less than 6 months in the event of no need for a counter-visit, and less than 2 months if the car has to undergo a counter-visit.

End of car insurance contract

All motorized vehicles must be insured in order to be authorized to travel along the French road network. When a motorist buys a used vehicle from an individual, the car insurance contract of the previous owner of the vehicle ends on the evening of the conclusion of the contract at midnight . The car will therefore no longer be insured from the day after the sale , unless the buyer has completed all the formalities in advance allowing him to take out car insurance for his new vehicle.

Once the owner of a vehicle has ensured that he has completed all the formalities required for his automobile to be sold, he must also be able to provide the buyer with a certain number of supporting documents on the day of the transaction.

The registration certificate

Once the certificate of transfer of the vehicle has been signed by both parties, the former owner must enter on his gray card the mention .If the gray card is in the format implemented since 2003 including a detachable coupon , the seller must enter the buyer’s details on the coupon, the date on which the car was sold and must add his signature. He will then have to give this coupon to the buyer, which will serve as proof in the event of a roadside check, until he receives his new registration certificate.

The transfer certificate

When establishing the contract of sale of a vehicle, the former owner must complete two copies of the declaration of transfer , which must be signed by both the seller and the buyer. Cerfa n° 13754*02 of “Declaration of transfer of a vehicle”, also known as the transfer certificate, includes in particular the surname and first name of the two parties to the contract, the administrative information if it is a legal person (corporate name and SIRET), as well as the full address of the purchaser. Once the Cerfa has been completed in two copies, each of the parties will keep one.

The non-pledge certificate

The seller must also provide the buyer with a declaration of administrative situation, also called “ certificate of non-pledge ”. This administrative document will stop the gray card transfer and re-registration procedures if:

Specific regulations apply when a user sells or hands over his car to a professional so that it can be destroyed. Finally, the seller must make the declaration of transfer of his vehicle within 15 days of the transaction, even if it is a donation.