Road traffic control: what is the fine for driving without insurance?

Verified 13 December 2021 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Driving without car insurance is a offense. You may be fined €3,750. However, if you do infringement for 1re once, a procedure flat-rate fine may apply subject to conditions. This page shows the rules for this.

If you drive a vehicle without being covered by automobile insurance, this is a offense.

This offense is punishable by a fine of up to €3,750 of fine.

You may also additional penalties following:

  • Sentence of work of general interest
  • Sentence of fine days (without possible accommodation outside the professional activity)
  • Suspension for a period of up to 3 years (with possible accommodation outside the professional activity)
  • Prohibition on driving certain vehicles for up to 5 years
  • Obligation to perform, at your expense, a road safety awareness course
  • Confiscation the vehicle if you own it

One procedure flat-rate fine may be used for this offense if the following 3 conditions are met :

  • You are committing this offense for 1era time
  • You're an adult
  • If you have committed several offenses, all of them are punishable by a lump sum fine

If you meet these conditions, the police can, after interception of the vehicle, record the offense by electronic report (PVe).

You will receive at home a notice of violation, a notice explaining how to pay the lump sum fine and a request for exemption form.

If these conditions are not met, a report shall be drawn up and sent to the public prosecutor. The public prosecutor decides on the continuation of the judicial proceedings.

In any case, your vehicle may be immobilized.

The flat-rate fine shall be minus or increased according to the time limit within which the payment is made.

The period shall run from the date on which the notice of infringement or the notice of increased fine is sent.

You're an individual
Tableau - Amount to be paid according to time and method of payment

Payment period according to the method of payment

Flat-rate fine

Amount payable

Individual

Check or cash

Telepayment (Internet or telephone)

or dematerialized stamp

15 days

30 days

Minorée

€600

45 days

60 days

Normal

€750

Beyond 45 days

Beyond 60 days

Increased

€1,500

You're a corporation
Tableau - Amount to be paid according to time and method of payment

Payment period according to the method of payment

Flat-rate fine

Amount payable

Legal person

Check or cash

Telepayment (Internet or telephone)

or dematerialized stamp

15 days

30 days

Minorée

€3,000

45 days

60 days

Normal

€3,750

Beyond 45 days

Beyond 60 days

Increased

€7,500

If you do not pay the lump sum fine within 45 days (60 days in case of payment by teleprocedure), you receive a notice inviting you to pay the amount increased of the fine.

You must pay the fine increased in the 30 days following the dispatch of the notice (within 45 days in case of payment by teleprocedure).

However, if you pay the increased fine within 30 days, its amount is reduced by 20%.

At the end of the period allowed to pay the increased fine, the Public Treasury initiates legal proceedings to obtain its payment.

The Treasury Accounting Officer shall inform the public prosecutor of his gait.

If you have difficulty paying a flat-rate fine plus, you can request a payment delay or a gracious delivery.

You must send your request to public accountant.

Your request must be reasoned : Explain why you need time to pay or discount.

If he or she considers the request to be justified, the public treasury accountant may grant you either a payment period, or a gracious delivery partial or total (if necessary by applying a 20 % reduction).

By remote payment

If the remote payment reference appears on the payment card, you can pay the fine remotely.

Payment can be made at a distance via the internet or by telephone.

Pay your fine online at fines.gouv.fr

Who shall I contact

  • Call center to pay your fine by phone

    By telephone

    0811 10 10 10

    24 hours a day.

    (0.05 €/min + price of a normal call)

By mail

You can pay the fine by check made payable to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (or to the General Directorate of Public Finance, as indicated on the payment card).

It must be accompanied by the payment card.

On the spot

You can pay the fine at the counter of a public finance center.

Payment can be in cash, by check or by credit card.

Cash payment is limited to €300.

You can't challenge a flat-rate fine increased (complaint procedure) if you have requested a period of payment or a gracious delivery.

Deadlines

You must meet the following deadlines to challenge the fine:

  • Fine flat rate : 45 days from the date of dispatch of the notice of infringement
  • Fine increased flat-rate : 30 days from the date of dispatch of the notice of flat-rate fine plus

Application (flat-rate fine) or complaint (flat-rate fine plus)

Online

The challenge can be made directly on the website of theANTAI: titleContent.

Refer to the Notice of Lump Sum or Increased Lump Sum Penalty for instructions on how to proceed.

Lump sum penalty notice: online challenge

By mail

You must complete the form attached to the notice you received:

  • Query Form exemption in the event of a fine flat rate
  • Claim Form in the event of a fine increased flat-rate

The form explains how to fill it out and what supporting documents are to be attached depending on the reason for your challenge.

Send these documents by letter RAR: titleContent the service for handling fixed fines in tort (AFD). His address is on the notice.

Payment of a deposit

You must pay a consignment if you dispute the reality of the offense:

  • €500 for a flat-rate fine (€3,750for a legal person)
  • €1,000 for a flat-rate fine increased (€7,500for a legal person)

The process for paying the deposit is the same as the process for paying the fine. But use it consignment card attached to the dispute form, not the payment card.

3 750 for a legal person

However, you do not have to pay a deposit if you can provide one of the following documents:

  • Copy of your valid insurance certificate
  • Copy of the receipt of the complaint for the offense of identity theft

Treatment of the challenge

The Delinquent Flat Fines Processing (AFD) service can handle your challenge in the following way.

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If no deposit is payable

The service for processing AFD: titleContent may take one of the following 2 decisions:

  • Waive all proceedings and dismiss the offense.
  • Refuse your challenge. You must then pay the fine or regularize your application.

In the 2 cases, you receive a letter informing you of the decision.

If a deposit is payable

The service for processing AFD: titleContent may take one of the following 2 decisions:

  • Declare your challenge inadmissible. Your deposit amounts to having paid the fine.
  • Declare your challenge admissible. Your file is then forwarded to the public prosecutor of the court of your domicile. The prosecutor can dismiss the case or sue you in court correctional court.

In the 2 cases, you will receive a letter informing you of the decision and the remedies available to you.

FAQ