Car registration fees in France: Normandy rise highlights national variations
By January 1, 2025 the cost for a carte grise in Normandy will have risen by 72% in two years
In France, a car registration document, a certificat d'enregistrement, is also called a ‘carte grise’
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A major increase in the cost of car registration (carte grise) in Normandy has highlighted the significant regional variations of this fee across France.
On October 14 the Normandy region voted to increase the regional tax element (see below) of a car registration document from January 1, 2025 in a move that will make it the most expensive region in France to register a car.
The tax will be more than €60 in Normandy having already seen a rise from €35 to €46 in 2024. This means that when the latest increase is implemented the cost of the vehicle registration certificate will have risen by 72% in two years.
From January, the cost of registering a car is set to rise from the current €230, to a cost of €300, states France Bleue Normandie.
Regional president Hervé Morin has increased the cost as a means of raising new revenue at a time when the government has asked local authorities to cut spending by €5 billion.
In a press release, the region stated: “The savings measures imposed on local authorities could lead to a €50 million drop in the region's operating revenue, with a significant impact on a number of public policies.”
In contrast, “the increase in the regional tax would enable an additional €36 million to be recovered,” said Virginie Carolo-Lutrot, vice-president of Normandy, to Ouest-France.
Read also: Process, costs, carte grise: How to register a car in France
Read also: How do you register a used car in France?
Vehicle registration costs
The cost of vehicle registration is made up of four taxes, plus a fee for delivery of the registration certificate, notes the Service Public website.
These four taxes are:
Normandy is not the only region to have increased the tax rate for new vehicle registrations in recent years, however there is a significant regional difference in some areas.
The Ile-de-France region, for example, increased the regional fee from €46.15 to €54.95, while Centre-Val de Loire increased its tax to €55. In Brittany, the amount is also €55, but in Hauts-de-France, it is €34.50. The lowest amount is currently €27, in Corsica.
