Despite the anger of motorcyclists, the new technical inspection will be mandatory in France from April 15. Sometimes we tend to forget that it is not just about motorcycles or scooters, but also quads and cars without a license. All of these vehicles refer to whether they are equipped with a thermal or electric engine.
Therefore, this new technical inspection will be progressively mandatory from April 15 for the oldest part of the affected vehicle fleet. This is what you need to know about this new measure.
What vehicles are affected?
This new device has been presented for some time as only affecting motorcycles and scooters. In fact, these are many more vehicles, and not just two wheels. This covers almost the entire “L” category, the details of which can be found on the vehicle registration certificate (the gray card), in the “J” field.
Therefore, this group includes two- and three-wheeled motorcycles and scooters of all displacements with or without sidecars and unlicensed strollers, that is, around 3 million vehicles. According to data from AAA Data, there are nearly 300,000 of these unlicensed cars (thermal or electric) in France.
However, there are exceptions for collector vehicles whose date of entry into circulation is before January 1, 1960 and for “enduro” or “trail” type motorcycles belonging to holders of a license issued by a sports federation.
From when?
Passing the technical inspection depends on the registration date of your vehicle.
- If it was put into circulation before January 1, 2017 and the anniversary date of its first put into circulation is before April 15, it must be carried out between April 15 and August 14, 2024;
- If you have been registered between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019its first inspection should be carried out in 2025;
- If you have been registered between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021its first inspection should be carried out in 2026;
- If you have been registered after January 1, 2022The first technical inspection must be carried out 5 years after it enters circulation.
The validity period of the control is three years. Please note that the first inspection must be carried out within six months before the expiration of a period of five years from the date of first circulation.
Where to carry out the control?
In theory, all technical inspection centers should accept these new categories. In practice, we are still far from achieving it. Furthermore, on the website of the Utac, the technical body in charge of technical inspection, there is no list of approved centers for two-wheeled vehicles and carts.
While city dwellers should have no problems, drivers living in less urbanized regions will sometimes have to travel several tens of kilometers in vehicles with small engines to carry out these checks. Therefore, you will also have to make the same journey for a second visit, if necessary.
To avoid unnecessary travel, it is best to call the control centers to check that they have received approval from the prefecture. The number of kilometers to travel will not change, but it will avoid traveling in vain. Of course, this territorial inequality will have an additional cost for the user who will have to pay for his fuel and take a day for these procedures.
What points to check?
No more simple visual inspection that caused controversy. From now on it is about checking 78 technical points. Controllers will control safety elements (braking, steering, visibility, lights, electrical equipment, axles, wheels, tires and suspensions), as well as those that cause noise pollution and exhaust pollutants. Possible fluid leaks (oil, coolant or brake fluid) will be checked.
For two- and three-wheeled vehicles, the owner may be required to be present during the inspection to handle the vehicle. This need, considered an aberration by many motorcyclists, must be specified by the control center. On the other hand, for other categories of vehicles (such as cars without a permit), the presence of the driver will not be authorized.
After this verification, three possibilities:
- Or the result is favorable and everything is fine, the driver can leave with a certificate of conformity and a stamp to stick on his registration document.
- Yes he is unfavorable In the event of major breakdowns, just one is sufficient; a second paid inspection will be necessary within the following two months.
- Finally, if the technician notices even a single “critical failure”The vehicle will no longer be authorized to circulate after 24 hours on the day of the inspection.
The price of control and the fine
We still do not know precisely the amount of this new technical control, which may depend on the different networks. Clément Beaune, former Minister of Transport, had mentioned a maximum price of around fifty euros.
But be careful, in the case of cars, the price of the inspection can vary from one to two depending on the location of the center. The same should happen with this new device. Those who can will have to compete to pay a minimum as long as these centers have sufficient availability.
However, we know the amount of the fine in case of failure to comply with this control. It will be identical to the rest of the vehicles already subject to this system, that is, an amount of 135 euros.
Source: BFM TV
