Sadly our vehicle (french plates ) was stolen last week in the UK. Inside was the carte grise and our french driving licenses.
Now struggling with the admin nightmare! Insurance OK but trying to report vehicle stolen plus CG and licences is an issue.
The core of the problem is that the UK police only give a crime number as opposed to a 2 page depot de plainte in France. Insurance also mentioned a fichier ARGOS. Any ideas what this or other helpful suggestions?
Thanks
Ian
good grief⊠what a nightmare cgrise et license (French or UK ???)
If youâre back in France, Iâd be tempted to go along to the Gendarmes and speak with them to ask their adviceâŠ
Attestation sur lâhonneur is needed for the permis through ANTS if I recall correctly, but others will chime in⊠itâs rather early for me⊠yawn.
(Maybe ANTS have a section for stolen CG and how to get replacements⊠)
best of luck
NB too late for you, for worth everyone noting NOT to leave documents or important stuff in the car !!!
Not wishing to derail the thread, but isnât the Carte Grise legally required to be kept in the vehicle?
Nope⊠not when there is no-one in the carâŠ
Itâs been drummed into us⊠donât leave documents/valuables in the carâŠ
Coincidentally I know what a fichier ARGOS as we have just bought a new car, which has the number plate etched onto the windows so we also got a certificate that linked to an anti-theft process.
We had no idea what this was!
Le gravage des vitres est un excellent moyen de dissuasion contre le vol. Le numĂ©ro unique gravĂ© sur les vitres permet dâinscrire votre vĂ©hicule, pour une durĂ©e de 6 annĂ©es, au fichier ARGOS, organisme dĂ©diĂ© Ă la recherche des vĂ©hicules volĂ©s pour le compte des compagnies dâassurance, en coopĂ©ration avec les forces de lâordre.
La réalisation du gravage de toutes les vitres du véhicule par votre concessionnaire, selon le procédé Club Identicar, est conforme au cahier des charges SRA (organisme dédié aux études techniques et statistiques de sécurisation des véhicules).E
The thought of losing or having stolen D/L , Carte G or C de S always worries me so I donât carry them on a daily basis and my response to a request would beâŠsorry Iâve forgotten my wallet today, Iâll go home and get them, but if we are going to be some away away or on a trip I would have them with me.
I do not think anything can be done with a stolen carte grise in France, since no sale or change of ownership can be done without the ANTS code which can not easily be obtained, and in any case is traceable. Perhaps you should notify the VIN number to DVLA in case the thief attempts to re-register it in the UK?
Was this originally a UK registered car and right hand drive as it seems unlikely there would be any resale value for French left hand drive in UK.
if so then do you remember the original UK registration to try and follow a paper trail via DVLA, just a thought.
If you try to report it to the gendarmes I hope you have more luck than we did. We had valuables stolen in Italy and made a report to the Italian police, but on returning to France and dealing with various issuers and insurers, they all wanted a dossier number from the French police - which the gendarmes would not give us because the theft had occurred outside of France and already been reported. As far as I remember we were eventually able to convince everybody to accept the Italian paperwork, which fortunately we had filled in in French (we had offered the Italian police French or English and they chose French). I remember one sourpuss trying to reject the form on the grounds that although we had completed it in French, the proforma itself, setting out the questions, was printed in Italian. I pointed out that it was actually translated into several languages, the French/English/German etc being printed just below the Italian, in smaller print. She stared at the form and repeated that it was in Italian not French and she couldnât accept it, and it was not until I actually put my finger underneath the French wording and asked her to read it, that she sighed and backed down. I think this may have been the lady at Leclerc, where we went to get our sim cards replaced.
Bon courage, it may seem a long and frustrating process but you will get there in the end.
Yes, ANTS has a section for lost, stolen or destroyed cartes grise.
Hopefully the OP has their code confidential. A copy of the CG is handy.
I use my three strikes and youâre out system for people like your Leclerc lady. First attempt Iâm friendly and empathetic, second attempt Iâm firm but reasonable and third attempt I throw my toys out of the pram. Invariably after a toy throwing incident the target of my ire becomes my new best friend. Itâs an amazing transformation and one which has endured with people I have further dealings with. A big smile and bonjour replaces indifference. I think itâs a sort of right of passage and that some administrators will treat you like an idiot until you prove you are not an idiot.
I keep a photocopy of the CG and the insurance in the car.
Thanks for all the comments, folks.
20 years ago when we came to France we were told you had to keep the CG in the car. So we did and kept an electronic copy. As we had the old âpinkâ french licenses we left them there as it was more convenient.
The vehicle (BTW a motorhome) was bought new in France.
The police accept that it needs to be reported as if the plates were seeen in France and caused an infraction we would be liable but refuse to help further or give guidance.
A stolen CG on its own is indeed wortless for the reasons given.
Have you looked to see if there is a France Services near you? In my experience they are staffed by extremely helpful people who are prepared to help with things (even if not strictly on their list)
We have a special pack for the car documents and keep our driving licences in our bags.
We always ask, have you got the car bag?
Yes but only as long as you are in it too 
Glad I learned that. I think Iâll stash mine along with my p/port. I keep that about my person.
Oh dear. Stolen to order, then, Could be anywhere east of Calais, now.