In France, a car’s first contrôle technique is due in the six months before it turns four years old, then every two years after that. Motorised two-wheelers now need one too, phased in from 2024. Miss the deadline and you risk a fine and, at a roadside check, an immobilised vehicle.
The car calendar
Your first inspection falls before the fourth anniversary of the vehicle’s first registration. You can pass it in the six months leading up to that date. After that, it repeats every two years. If the car fails, you get a re-test window (contre-visite) to fix the faults and present it again without paying for a full inspection.
The new motorcycle rules
The contrôle technique for motorbikes and scooters became mandatory on 15 April 2024. What runs across 2024 to 2026 is the phase-in calendar for the older fleet, staggered by first-registration date: bikes registered before 2017 were called first, then 2017 to 2019, then 2020 to 2021. Newer machines, registered from 2022 onwards, are not in that transitional window; they follow the standard rule, with a first inspection around the five-year mark. If you ride, check your own registration date against the current schedule rather than assuming you are exempt.
What a lapse costs
Driving without a valid contrôle technique can bring a fixed fine, and officers can retain your registration document until you comply. It also blocks a sale: to sell a used car to a private buyer, the inspection must be recent.
When to book
Treat the four-year mark, or the two-year anniversary of your last pass, as the deadline, and book a few weeks ahead so a re-test still leaves you time.
FAQ
When is the very first contrôle technique due? In the six months before the car turns four, counting from its first registration date.
How often after that? Every two years for a passenger car, on the anniversary of the last valid inspection.
What if my car fails? You get a re-test window to repair the faults and bring it back, which is cheaper and faster than a fresh inspection.
Never get caught past the date
Set your contrôle technique deadline once and let LapseGuard remind you with room to spare, re-test included. Add your date in seconds. Free, on your device, no account.
Related reading: How the MOT cycle works and What happens if your car insurance lapses