driving regulations

[Diag]

Anyone know if you are required to carry the cars reg documents when driving through France. As far as I know you are supposed to and I have been asked for them before, but I always had them. Anyone any experience of being stopped by the French police and not having the reg docs? I would have plenty of ID and insurance on the car. The car is taxed and mot'd.


Just to make it complicated, I have an Irish passport and driving License, am resident in Spain but will be driving a UK registered car with no registration documents.

[mogv8]

My understanding is you are supposed to have them, but I have never been asked to produce them.

[Daggsy]

I was stopped for speeding and had to produce log book, M.O.T. & insurance... oh and 90 euros

[rdjohn]

I have been stopped twice, one UK Reg and one French Reg, but both times documents were checked and they did walk to the front to make sure what was on the paper matched the plate.

[Le Pop]

You would be fined (30€ I think) if you dont have appropriate docs on you and you are stopped by the gendarmes... you need your driving licence, vehicle registration document (V5), and certificate of motor insurance. If your licence does not incorporate a photograph ensure you carry your passport to validate the licence. If the vehicle is not registered in your name, carry a letter from the registered owner giving you permission to drive.

Edited by Le Pop on Thursday 20th January 11:47

[Marcellus]

I echo what Le Pop says... plus MOT if applicable.......all documents must be originals too!

[tr7v8]

The once I was stopped in France the only thing they wanted was the V5C & our passports. This was Customs Duane rather than Police though. This was in Pons which I' told is the smugglers route up from Spain.

[Diag]

Thanks all,

The only times i have been asked for papers was at the border with Spain, never coming off the ferry. This time I am going to use the landbridge ferry so I won't be driving across the land border.

I think I should be ok. Wish me luck

[Marcellus]

Diag said:

Thanks all,

The only times i have been asked for papers was at the border with Spain, never coming off the ferry. This time I am going to use the landbridge ferry so I won't be driving across the land border.

I think I should be ok. Wish me luck

It's not the crossing of a border where you'll have an issue (if you do have any at all) it's when you have any reason to be stopped by the police they will more than likely want to check all your documents and if they're not all in order then they can make life very difficult for you.

[rdjohn]

Random Police checks in France are quite normal; you don't have to commit an offence. French officialdom loves paperwork.

I have also been stopped by Guardia Civil in southern Spain who checked hire car docs and my license before I was allowed to continue.

If you do not have the correct paperwork, I would say that you are inviting potential trouble, particularly if it does not stack up in any event i.e. license, insurance and ownership all correct.

From what you have said, the insurance and ownership docs are unlikely to be correct.

[Diag]

rdjohn said:

From what you have said, the insurance and ownership docs are unlikely to be correct.

No, just to clarify, the only doc that is a problem is the V5C because it is missing. Everything else is present and correct.

[Marcellus]

Diag said:

rdjohn said:

From what you have said, the insurance and ownership docs are unlikely to be correct.

No, just to clarify, the only doc that is a problem is the V5C because it is missing. Everything else is present and correct.

If you are stopped that will really upset them as there's no way you can prove you actually own the vehicle... unless your French is very very good then it will be difficult.... (my French is pretty good and tbh it's not something I would like to try and talk my way out of)

[rdjohn]

Marcellus said:

Diag said:

rdjohn said:

From what you have said, the insurance and ownership docs are unlikely to be correct.

No, just to clarify, the only doc that is a problem is the V5C because it is missing. Everything else is present and correct.

If you are stopped that will really upset them as there's no way you can prove you actually own the vehicle... unless your French is very very good then it will be difficult.... (my French is pretty good and tbh it's not something I would like to try and talk my way out of)

To pour even more misery on this, my guess is that they would impound the vehicle until you had the right bits of paper, rather than just a fine as was mentioned earlier. I am sure that you are aware that plenty of cars stolen in the UK find their way down to the Costas.

That said, the actual probability of being stopped is quite small.

[lowdrag]

They aren't draconian, the french police. As long as you are polite usually no problems. When I take the D-type out I never carry the documents because there is nowhere to store them, although I carry my driving licence. On being stopped, I explained where I live in France, why I don't carry them and they were invited any day to pop by and examine them. Sent me on my way with a wave. I have though, been stopped in controls three times in the last month, each time with all the documents, so things are really hotting up here in the Sarthe, including speed checks. New Year 1.172 fines, 14 licences removed on the spot, then 8 days back another 1,240 fines and loads of licences. I guess we'll soon be seeing the sob stories on the Le Mans thread about cars being seized. By the way, does anyone know what happened to the chap with the Ferrari America who was stopped at 254kph? His case was due to come up in court in January.

ETA Found it in the Ouest France Alençon. Decision delayed until 18th March. Poor bugger's been without the car since September and still doesn't know if it will be seized or not.

Edited by lowdrag on Monday 24th January 10:41

[Marcellus]

I agree with you Lowdrag... but you have the benefit of being able to say "...........please pop round to my home anytime................ " which the OP hasn't.. plus surely the Gendarmes know you?

[lowdrag]

Well yes, but that is a double edged sword too. Technically, all my cars should now be on french plates since I live here, but they aren't. If they got nasty it could cause a load of problems which is why I cultivate the local BiB. They pop in on duty when bored for a coffee, a beer or a glass (or three) of wine. Always open house here. But the times I've been stopped in a routine patrol are usually miles from here, like in the Dordogne, and they've always been pretty friendly. One story sticks in my mind as to the arrogance of the British, especially at Le Mans:-

Trouble at Arnage, the brits whooping it up in the street, encouraging burn-outs etc. so my local BiB was sent to calm things down. He speaks english but has the advantage of being over 6" and resembling the proverbial toilet at the bottom of the garden. So, he spots someone crawling round the back of his police car, does nothing until he was completely out of view, then quietly went to see what was going on. The idiot was letting the tyres down. Arrested, handcuffed, thrown in the paddy wagon, tears falling like a waterfall, it turned out he was a London Bobby. Then people wonder why the brits aren't so much liked as tolerated? Have the majority of the members of this forum made the effort to learn and speak fluent french? If it's like here in the Sarthe then certainly not, but why not? Rant over

Edited by lowdrag on Monday 24th January 11:56

[Marcellus]

lowdrag said:

.............. Then people wonder why the brits aren't so much liked as tolerated? Have the majority of the members of this forum made the effort to learn and speak fluent french? If it's like here in the Sarthe then certainly not, but why not? Rant over

To add to your rant;

When Brits say to me that "The French are so rude" I always ask "How would you be if a Frenchman walked up to you in the UK and asked you a question in French, and when it became obvious that you didn't understand they just repeated the same sentance more LOUDLY and S L O W L Y as if you were stupid for not understanding the first time?"

[Diag]

Thanks again for all the replies. I never knew the french were as strict as reported here. Maybe I should drive slower through France than I usually do.

As it happens, I just got word that the V5C has arrived in the post this morning so I will have nothing to fear. 41 days is a poor show.

Merci

Edited by Diag on Monday 24th January 12:59

[Diag]

Marcellus said:

lowdrag said:

.............. Then people wonder why the brits aren't so much liked as tolerated? Have the majority of the members of this forum made the effort to learn and speak fluent french? If it's like here in the Sarthe then certainly not, but why not? Rant over

To add to your rant;

When Brits say to me that "The French are so rude" I always ask "How would you be if a Frenchman walked up to you in the UK and asked you a question in French, and when it became obvious that you didn't understand they just repeated the same sentance more LOUDLY and S L O W L Y as if you were stupid for not understanding the first time?"

Same situation here in Spain. Its crazy.

[Marcellus]

Diag said:

Same situation here in Spain. Its crazy.

Ah yes but they are Spaniards!!