The insurance certificate goes digital for all motorists on April 1, but some policyholders do not appear in the control file.
Less paperwork, fewer costs (printing, shipping), the disappearance of the green sticker from car windshields from April 1, 2024 should relieve the French and save money for insurance companies. 40 years old, this little piece of paper was used to prove to the police that your vehicle was well insured, a legal obligation in France to be able to travel. In a few days, every motorist will be able to drive without a sticker or even a certificate, this document that we receive once a year with its little badge. He will be able to do so without risking a fine. Which obviously does not mean that car insurance will become optional.
However, like the driving license and soon the registration document, the insurance certificate is preparing to take the step of dematerialization. From now on, the police and gendarmerie will systematically consult the Insured Vehicle File (FVA) to find out if a motorist is in compliance. This file, created in 2016, is supplied by the insurance companies themselves. You therefore normally have nothing to do… unless you are one of the “forgotten” policyholders, those whose insurance contracts have not been registered or have been victims of a bug in the new software.
And there are! According to Le Parisien, which is based on figures from France insurers and the Insurance Risk Information Management Association (Agira), the reliability of the Insured Vehicle File was 99.3% at the start of 2024. Which means that 0.7% of policyholders, therefore a significant number of motorists, are not included. In other words, all these drivers could be fined in the coming days for lack of insurance, an offense which is punishable by a fine of 600 euros, which can even rise to 1,500 euros in the event of an increase for late payment.
To avoid risking such a mishap, you can check that your vehicle has been registered in the FVA. To do this, simply go to the website www.fva-assurance.fr and enter the registration number of the car and the registration certificate number found on the registration document. You can also do this by telephone by calling 01 83 64 32 22.
If, like 99.3% of policyholders, your car is in the database then you can rest easy. On the other hand, if your vehicle does not appear on the website or on the voice server then we can only advise you to contact your insurance company quickly. It is she who will do what is necessary to resolve the “bug” and ensure that you can hit the road with peace of mind.