I suspect like many others, our family car is only in my name.
According to the above article, should I predecease my wife, the process that she would have to go through to legally drive the car is onerous.
It would seem prudent to change the ownership whilst we are both in good health.
Can anyone advise whether:
Nigel, I’ve no idea about ANTS but you need to look at your carte grise…
I’ve just gone to see how our car is registered…
Folk should check the following category on the Carte Grise
C.4.1
thankfully, ours clearly has my name against that… naming me as co-proprietor… 
phew…
Surely achievable but…
wouldn’t there be a requirement to treat it as there being a new owner (which in effect it is) requiring a further payment of the tax due on the engine size and emissions (in the same way that you would have to in respect of property - retracting from a clause tontine for example) 
Reference
From what I’ve seen online… putting a second name on (after Issue)… costs the same as getting the carte grise… with lots of documents to be provided
but after the death of first-proprietor, the surviving spouse could subsequently change the situation to sole-proprietor at no extra cost…
so perhaps it’s as broad as it is long…
certainly worth checking the carte grise to see if C.4.1 has been completed…
no doubt others… perhaps with experience… will chime in…
Edit: surely makes financial sense to put husband and wife … or whoever… on the CG first time around…
In the article that I first posted a link to, the following clauses were of particular concern (if the car is in the sole name of the deceased):
An agreement to you taking possession, approved by all other heirs. That must be authorised by a notaire, a judge or in some cases, a certificate of inheritance (certificat d’hérédité) issued by your local mayor
and
It is possible that ANTs may issue you with a temporary carte grise permitting you to drive the vehicle until the formalities are completed
The normal taxes and charges apply for the transfer of a second-hand vehicle where it is transferred to any other person
@Nigel-at-BUF-House “I suspect like many others, our family car is only in my name.”
have you checked your own situation yet… ???
I think we have one car in my name and the other in dh’s name, it was just down to who went to do it. I didn’t realise you could put the others name on it.
yes, it is possible,
we just needed to supply the supporting documents at the time… and as (in those days) I carried every document known to man… it was a doddle.
Our local garagiste imported our for us from Spain and he did all the paperwork - even easier 
Ah… well done…
don’t forget, we came over in the Dark Ages… 
Yes - its in my name only.
To clarify, I think that most ‘family’ cars will be in the sole name of whom every does / organises the paperwork.
Not in our case… we registered our first French car 12 years or so ago and have always registered replacements/additions in both names… perhaps we’re more savvy than most 
Ah… in your first post you indicated that you did not know…
Now that you do know… you can make the choice whether to pay the money to add Other Half … or leave it to the future…
Hi Nigel, my husband died very suddenly in March, as he spoke better French than me all our vehicles’ crates grises (6 cars, 5 motor bikes) were in his name. I have had no problem, selling them or insuring them in my name, I have an attestation from the Notaire to say I inherited his estate and when selling I gave a copy of this along with the usual paperwork for vehicle transfer and I insured the two remaining cars with my husband’s name on the carte grise with no problems at all.
Hi Sarah,
sorry to hear about your husband, and thank you very much for the information.
I think that I’ll leave the car in my name only for now.
If and when we change it, I’ll ensure that the replacement is out in both our names.
Good idea and thank you.