Confiscation of the vehicle

Verified 26 January 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You committed a infringement and you wonder if you risk confiscation of your vehicle? Confiscation of the vehicle is a additional penalty pronounced by a judge following a infringement serious. It is in addition to other sanctions: fine, suspension or cancelation of the driving license.... This page tells you which offenses may lead to the confiscation of the vehicle.

You are liable to forfeiture of your vehicle if you commit the offenses following:

  • Manslaughter
  • Unintentional injury to a person resulting in an interruption of work of more than 3 months
  • Leaking after causing an accident

The police (police or gendarmerie) may, with the prior authorization of the public prosecutor, have carried out immobilization and to the impoundment of your vehicle.

If the judge doesn't hand down the forfeiture sentence, you get your vehicle back.

If not, your vehicle will be returned to the domain service to be destroyed or sold.

You are liable to confiscation of your vehicle in the event of refusal to comply.

The police (police or gendarmerie) may, with the prior authorization of the public prosecutor, have carried out immobilization and to the impoundment of your vehicle.

If the judge doesn't hand down the forfeiture sentence, you get your vehicle back.

If not, your vehicle will be returned to the domain service to be destroyed or sold.

You are liable to forfeiture of your vehicle in the following cases:

The police (police or gendarmerie) may, with the prior authorization of the public prosecutor, have carried out immobilization and to the impoundment of your vehicle.

If the judge doesn't hand down the forfeiture sentence, you get your vehicle back.

If not, your vehicle will be returned to the domain service to be destroyed or sold.

You are liable to forfeiture of your vehicle in the following cases:

  • Driving under the influence of alcohol recorded by an approved instrument or a blood test
  • Impaired driving
  • Driving under the influence of drugs found by salivary testing or medical, clinical and laboratory examinations
  • Refusal to submit to alcohol or drug testing
  • Recurrence driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  • Repeated refusal to submit to alcohol or drug testing
  • Driving again with your vehicle not equipped with an alcohol test (EAD) despite the judge's prohibition

The police (police or gendarmerie) may, with the prior authorization of the public prosecutor, have carried out immobilization and to the impoundment of your vehicle.

If the judge doesn't hand down the forfeiture sentence, you get your vehicle back.

If not, your vehicle will be returned to the domain service to be destroyed or sold.

You are liable to forfeiture of your vehicle in the following cases:

  • Large excess speed (equal to or greater than 50 km/h of the maximum authorized speed)
  • Detention, transport and use of apparatus to detect or disrupt controls (radar detector)

The police (police or gendarmerie) may, with the prior authorization of the public prosecutor, have carried out immobilization and to the impoundment of your vehicle.

If the judge doesn't hand down the forfeiture sentence, you get your vehicle back.

If not, your vehicle will be returned to the domain service to be destroyed or sold.