Your vehicle may be insured, but if you do not affix this document to the windshield, you risk being fined. But from April, a new tool will be used by law enforcement to check your insurance contract.
All drivers must be insured. This automobile insurance obligation is also regularly checked by the police. It must be perfectly visible from the outside and mention the name of the insurer, the contract number, the vehicle registration as well as the start and end dates of validity. But some drivers sometimes forget to change the green sticker on the windshield, even if the contract is up to date, while others forget to stick this “green sticker”. The latter were until now exposed to a fixed fine of 35 euros in the event of non-compliance with the display obligation, as well as for people whose insurance contract was not valid.
But from April 1, 2024, you will no longer be required to affix your sticker to the front of your car, nor to present your green card in the event of a roadside check. Good news, therefore, for the heads in the air who nevertheless had their contract in accordance with the rules. Indeed, following a decree published in the Official Journal of December 9, 2023, “the terms of control of the insurance obligation are evolving for all vehicles registered in France”, specifies the French administration website. From this date, the police will therefore use a digital tool: the insured vehicle file (FVA) in order to check the validity of your car insurance.
Instead of the green card and the green butterfly, your insurer will now give you an “insured vehicle memo” when you take out your insurance contract or when you change your vehicle. This practical memo should be kept close at hand: it brings together all the information necessary for drawing up an amicable report, provides easy access to your assistance contact details in the event of a breakdown and lists the deductibles for repairs in a garage approved). Before receiving this document from your insurer, keep the last green card sent to you; it remains valid until its expiry date.
This new measure was put in place to fight more effectively against the 800,000 drivers who drive without an insurance contract in France. It is also a way of reducing the carbon footprint, since 1,200 tonnes of CO2 would be saved in one year. Finally, remember that any vehicle must at least be insured with civil liability in order to cover all risks that may be caused (injuries, damage, etc.).