Technical inspection of a commercial vehicle (van)
Verified 15 December 2021 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)
Additional cases ?
You have bought van and you wonder when and where to do the technical inspection and at what cost? Want to know more about pollutant emissions control? Want to check what functions are controlled and how to do if a failure is found? This page shows you the rules to know about technical control.
One van of PTAC: titleContent less than or equal to 3,5 tons shall be subject to technical inspection, whether thermal, hybrid or electric.
Vehicle type | Technical inspection required? |
|---|---|
Yes | |
Yes | |
Camper with a maximum permissible gross vehicle weight (PTAC) of 3,5 t | Yes |
Yes | |
Yes | |
Collection vehicle put into circulation from 1960 | Yes |
Collection vehicle used as a chauffeured transport car (VTC) | Yes |
Collection vehicle released before 1960 and with a maximum TAC of 3,5 t | No |
Collection vehicle with a PTAC greater than 3,5 t | No |
Car without licence | No |
Motorcycle, 2 wheels and 3 wheels | No |
Motor quadricycle | No |
Caravan with a PTAC of 3.5 tons or less | No |
Agricultural tractor | No |
Trailer with a TAC of 3.5 tons or less not used for the transport of dangerous goods | No |
Car registered in diplomatic or similar services | No |
Car registered in the FFECSA series (French Forces and civilian elements stationed in Germany) | No |
Periodic technical inspection
1to periodic inspection during the 6 months preceding the 4e anniversary of 1re entry into service.
No summons are sent. Control is on your initiative.
Example :
For a vehicle put into circulation on 1to July 2018, 1to technical inspection must take place between 1to January 2022 and June 30, 2022.
The next check date will result of this 1to control.
The technical inspection shall not relieve the vehicle owner of the obligation to maintain serviceability and in satisfactory condition of maintenance.
Additional technical inspection
The additional technical control allows check polluting emissions vehicle.
It every vans over 4 years.
However, the following vehicles are provided (see carte grise):
- Vehicle diesel energy source GA
- Vehicle electric and hydrogen energy source EL, AC, H2, HE and HH
The additional technical inspection shall take place within 2 months of the end of the 1 year period following the technical inspection.
Example :
For technical inspection done on 1to October 2021, the supplementary visit must take place between 1to August 2022 and September 30, 2022.
No summons are sent. Control is at your initiative.
In any approved centre in France.
You must present the original Certificate of Registration (new name of the carte grise) except in certain situations.
Who shall I contact
The fees are at the expense of the vehicle owner.
The price periodic technical inspection and back-inspection services variables according to the centres.
They must be displayed at the main entrance of the centre, in a visible and legible manner.
Prices are by energy type : gasoline, diesel, gas, hybrid, electric.
You can use online service for prices charged by the technical control centres:
The controller shall verify 133 checkpoints concerning the following functions:
- Identification vehicle: vehicle documents, number plate, etc.
- Equipment braking : platelets, disks...
- Direction : steering wheel, housing...
- Visibility : windscreen, mirrors...
- Lights, reflective devices and electrical equipment (especially those of an electric vehicle such as the battery, the charging cable, the traction battery box...)
- Axles, wheels, tyres, suspension
- Chassis and chassis accessories
- Other equipment: seat belts, horn (audible warning)...
- Nuisances : pollution, noise level
During the supplementary technical inspection, the controller shall check only the points concerning the polluting emissions.
At each controlled point, severity level is indicated if a failure is found.
- Minor Failure : no impact on vehicle safety or the environment
- Major Failure : which could compromise the safety of the vehicle, have a negative impact on the environment or endanger other road users
- Critical Failure : posing a direct and immediate threat to road safety or having a serious impact on the environment
In case of major or critical failure, a new check must be carried out after having made the necessary repairs: a countervisit or a countervisit.
Checked points depend on the major and critical failures observed during the previous check.
The date of the next check depends on the deficiencies found during the technical inspection.
Deficiencies | Notice | Control Validity | Prescription of a countervisit |
|---|---|---|---|
Lack of Major and Critical Failure | Favourable (A) | 2 years for periodic inspection 1 year for supplementary supervision | No counter-visit |
At least one major failure | Unfavourable (S) | 2 months from check | Mandatory within 2 months of technical inspection |
At least one critical failure | Unfavourable (R) | Control Day |
You do not have to cross-visit the authorised centre where the deficiencies were found.
The counter-visit can be in any approved centre in France.
It is given to you minutes after each technical check.
The minutes shall mention in particular the following:
- Nature of control (periodic technical inspection, counter-inspection, supplementary inspection, additional counter-inspection)
- Date control
- Result control (favourable, unfavourable for major failure, unfavourable for critical failure)
- Validity limit control
- Nature of next control (periodic inspection, counter-inspection, supplementary inspection, supplementary counter-inspection)
- Centre Identification control and
- Vehicle identification
- Mileage raised
- Unfavourable technical control information
- Failures and Severity Levels (critical, major, minor, mileage recorded in technical inspection since 20 May 2018, comments)
- Measures
The controller shall affix a stamp on the carte grise indicating the result of the check and its deadline:
- Letter A : result favourable
- Letter S : unfavourable result for major failures
- Letter R : unfavourable result for critical failures
- POLLU Letters for additional control
It is no longer possible to include the entry in the minutes of the technical inspection non-rolling vehicle.
The owner of a van that does not comply with the requirements of the technical inspection is liable to a fine of up to €750.
As a rule, this is a flat-rate fine of €135.
In case of control by the police or gendarmerie, detention order can be taken.
In this case, the driver's carte grise is retained.
A valid traffic ticket 7 days shall be handed over to him to perform the technical inspection.
To recover his carte grise, the driver must present to the police station or the gendarmerie the minutes of the technical inspection attesting his satisfactory result.
In case of dispute over the outcome of the technical inspection, remedies are displayed in centre who issued the report.
- Route Code: Article L323-1Obligation to perform technical inspection
- Route Code: items R323-1 to R323-5Technical inspection rules
- Route Code: items R323-6 to R323-21Price obligations of the Technical Control Centre (Article R323-13-1)
- Route Code: R323-22Technical check recurrence
- Order of 27 March 1987 relating to the advertising of prices for the services of maintenance or repair, of technical inspection, of troubleshooting or of towing and of garage of vehicles
- Decision of 18 June 1991 concerning the technical inspection of vehicles weighing not more than 3,5 tons
- Order of 29 July 2020 concerning the advertising of prices of technical inspection services for certain categories of light-duty vehicles
- Know prices charged by technical control centres
Search tools
FAQ
- Vehicle technical inspection: mandatory or waiver?
- Can you sell a used car without a roadworthiness test?
- Technical inspection of a collector vehicle: what are the rules?
- Can I do the technical inspection without the carte grise of the vehicle?
- Can we do the technical inspection at the foreigner?
- What should I do if I lose the technical inspection report?
- Traffic offencesService-Public.fr
- carte grise (Certificate of Registration)Service-Public.fr
- Pollution ControlService-Public.fr
- Control points for the technical inspection of a light vehicleLegifrance