In March 2026, France faced its largest scandal in automobile regulation. The country’s Court of Auditors published a report accusing the government of “losing control” over the vehicle registration system, opening the door to large-scale fraud.
According to auditors, the transition to fully digital registration and the transfer of authority to private intermediaries has led to the emergence of “gray areas.” Fraudsters create shell companies—so-called “dummy garages”—that gain access to the state registration system.
The main schemes include:
Tax evasion: For the period 2022–2024 alone, the French budget lost over €550 million due to fraud with environmental fees and VAT.
Vehicle legalization: The mass issuance of registration certificates for stolen or technically dangerous vehicles.
“Ghost” fines: The use of fake license plates and vehicle registrations under fictitious names, making it impossible to collect fines from actual offenders.
In response to criticism, the French Ministry of the Interior has already begun implementing a “hard purge” plan. Starting January 1, 2026, all temporary registrations (WW certificates) will be switched to plates with a bright pink background. This should help police instantly identify vehicles in the traffic flow that are undergoing registration, which are most often used in scams.
The number of private agents with access to the SIV system has already been reduced by 30%—from 36,000 to 27,000. The authorities intend to retain only verified “trusted agents.” A major technical upgrade of the registration system has also been announced, which will introduce automatic preliminary document checks before issuing registration documents.
“The state has effectively proven powerless, prioritizing the speed of document issuance at the expense of security and control,” the Audit Court report notes.
Experts urge citizens to be extremely vigilant when purchasing used cars and using online document processing services. In 2026, phishing cases increased: fraudsters sent fake emails from the ANTS agency demanding “payment of vehicle registration debt.”