Just FYI.
I’m going to transfer one of our cars into my wife’s name in February so I’ll try this out. If nobody else has used it by then I’ll report back.
Would be very grateful if you could report back.
I’ve been toying with the idea of putting our little van in husband’s name but couldn’t face any more paperwork right now.
May I ask, what is the reason for changing ownership of the car? Just wondering as at the moment both our cars are in OH’s name and I’m wondering if we should do the same?
We were advised to have vehicles in both our names as it avoids problems should one us die.
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Hi Sue
In our case, it’s part of my grand plan to make it easier for us to stay on in France after I retire next year.
Long story short, even though we’ve been in France for years, my husband’s French is abysmal. In fairness, I should add he’s not British and had already had to learn English when he moved to the UK in the 80s. Which, being very young and having an English-speaking partner (me) and being thrust into an English-speaking family (mine), he did very successfully.
Unfortunately, though, he’s really struggled with French.
We may well move to the UK after I retire - at that point I’ll have oodles of time to go there with him and see what we think.
But if, after a long visit, we decide to stay in France, I’m desperately trying to think of ways to simplify our affairs so that - if I snuffed it - he would have as little admin as possible to deal with.
If our vehicle was in his name, it would be one less thing for him to have to deal with.
Admin doesn’t bother me too much and my French is fine so if he snuffed it first, I could deal with the paperwork.
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Puis-je rouler avec la voiture de mon mari décédé ?
Pour pouvoir conduire la voiture d’une personne décédée il faut obtenir l’autorisation de la succession, transférer la carte grise du défunt, vérifier l’assurance et obtenir un certificat de non-gage.
Maybe I should transfer it into BOTH names after all….
What a palaver.
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I had to go through this AND get the children’s permission in writing to do so even though the family car was mine but unfortunately the dealer only put OH name on the carte grise which we never gave a thought to and as you know, he died younger than most people. I had to go to the prefecture back then to do it, they checked no outstanding debts or HP on it and issued a new certificate with my name on it.Can’t remember what it cost but it wasn’t free. It is obligatory if the CG holder dies as it becomes part of the sucession.
OK, Shba. Looks like putting the CG in both names would a very sensible move in that case.
Especially as - in our case - we live in a city centre and have to park on the street. So the parking permit is also in the name of the CG holder.
It occurs to me that this whole subject of couples where one spouse is far better equipped to cope with French admin than the other might warrant a thread in itself!
I have two children who did their education from very young in France so were fluent to help me through all the bureaucracy as we also had a business to close as well as numerous caisses to deal with but you do actually manage when you have to. Don’t forget also that cheque books should be titled M ou Mme as accounts get frozen at death but if titled like that, they can continue to operate.
Thanks Shiba.
I only recently became aware of the importance of having accounts “Monsieur OU Madame” (as opposed to ET) and that has now been sorted.
Should definitely have had kids!
Sounds interesting👍 Does that mean that it’s now possible for anyone to change a carte grise rather than have to get someone else to change it on your behalf?
Returning to the topic - I think you will be fine with the app, simply because you will know what you are doing.
What worries me is the obtuse nature of many folk, including small car dealers, who will not adopt this new fangled approach to life. The app requires both parties to have a smartfone and understand what to do and when.
I bought a car the other day, and I kid you not, the dealer - a large dealer - would not accept Apple Pay despite having terminals everywhere with contactless pads! I tried to explain to them that they can see the money immediately, but they would not have it! So I cannot see the VW dealer in Carcassonne changing a CG on smartfones 
Yes, providing both CGs do not have any issues associated
What do you mean by ‘Both’. There’s only one carte grise that would be changed, unless I’m missing something???
I’ve no worries about me, it the plonkers in ANTS I’m worried about 
Tell me about it.
Husband has a non-EU (UK) passport, special residence permit (issued by the French Foreign Ministry) and a French driving licence.
ANTS won’t renew his licence because they don’t recognise the special residence permit. Not sure whether it’s just a question of ANTS software not being to read the special TdS or whether there’s a more fundamental issue of diplomatic protocol at stake but either way he’s completely stuck.
Sorry - I was in trade-in mode where both CGs are altered. Yes, only one in your case.
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not everyone chooses to have a smartphone… doesn’t mean they are obtuse… 
No, but it increasingly means they are disadvantaged. The phone is becoming the hub of everything people do and that’s only increasing.
I was happy enough with a dumb phone and my iPad (which could remotely access my laptop, desktop, etc.) but they were clunky and hard to find so I eventually I bought an android phone (a One Plus) which I really just used as a dumb phone. But in 2021 I bowed to the inevitable and moved to an iPhone. It’s now a core part of my LMI© (Life Management Infrastructure - I just made that up, good acronym, isn’t it 
).
The phone does everything now, opens my car, plays Radio 4 in the car (through CarPlay) no matter what country we’re in, manages the car charging, the house heating, the security cameras, Bank accounts, pool diagnostics, air purity filters, Credit and Debit cards payments, theatre and concert tickets, travel tickets, hotel reservation confirmations, on and on and on. Some of these apps also run on the iPad (and even the Macs) but not all. Soon the Carte Vitale will be on it, and French Licences and maybe even foreign IDs if the Government identity app is enhanced. It’ll already cope with people with five year residency permits I believe.
This thread has been really helpful in prompting me to rush away and look closely (probably for the first time!) at our Carte Grise to see if it’s showing our car as being in joint names/co-owned (“co-titulaires”).
It seems it is in joint names/co-owned if it ressembles the settings in this photo, (from Googling the issue.) Our CG is consistent with the photo details, so I think it is showing co-ownership.
If anyone disagrees/has more reliable information I’d be interested and grateful to hear their thoughts.
