GVWR (PTAC) on a French vehicle registration: definition and where to find it

In brief:

1. The PTAC (gross vehicle weight rating) is the maximum mass the vehicle can reach when loaded, set by the manufacturer and recorded on the registration certificate.
2. It appears at field F.2 of the registration certificate, next to F.1 (technical mass) and F.3 (PTRA, with a trailer attached).
3. With a category B licence, a trailer up to 750 kg of PTAC can be towed freely; beyond that, the combined PTAC must stay under 3,500 kg without extra training.
4. Exceeding the vehicle’s PTAC is an offence punished from the fourth class of fines, with possible immobilisation of the vehicle.

The PTAC of a vehicle, or gross vehicle weight rating, sets the maximum mass it can reach once filled with fuel, passengers and luggage. This technical figure, set by the manufacturer, determines the vehicle’s category, the driving licence needed to tow a trailer, the technical inspection requirements, and the penalties incurred if it is exceeded. It is recorded on the French registration certificate, but its exact location and its difference from related figures such as the PTRA or the unladen weight are often unclear to vehicle owners.

Where to find the PTAC on the registration certificate

The table below brings together the weight-related fields of the registration certificate that are most useful for checking or calculating a vehicle’s authorised weight.

The PTAC itself is read at field F.2, expressed in kilograms. Field F.1, located just above it, corresponds to the maximum technically permissible mass set by the manufacturer and, in nearly all cases, carries the same value as F.2. Field F.3 only applies to vehicles approved to tow a trailer and is left blank on other registration certificates. The unladen weight, at G.1, is used to calculate the payload actually available for passengers and luggage, simply by subtracting G.1 from F.2.

What is a vehicle’s PTAC

The PTAC, for gross vehicle weight rating, designates the maximum mass the vehicle is allowed to reach once loaded, including both cargo and occupants. It covers the unladen mass of the vehicle, the weight of fuel and fluids, that of the passengers and driver, and that of luggage or any item being transported. This limit is set by the manufacturer at the design stage, based on the strength of the chassis, suspension, brakes and tyres.

Since the European harmonisation of the registration certificate, the official terminology favours the expression maximum technically permissible mass (MTPM), but the term PTAC remains the most widely used in everyday practice, among professionals as well as in regulations governing roadside checks. The PTAC is not a one-off weight measurement: it is a regulatory limit that must never be exceeded, whatever the vehicle’s loading configuration on a given day.

This figure does not only apply to commercial vehicles or heavy goods vehicles. Every passenger car carries a PTAC recorded on its registration certificate, generally between 1,500 and 2,500 kg depending on size and engine, a figure that matters as soon as a driver loads a roof box, travels with several passengers on holiday, or considers towing a trailer.

PTAC, PTRA and unladen weight: three figures not to confuse

Three figures appear on the registration certificate and are frequently confused:

• The PTAC (field F.2) measures the maximum authorised mass of the vehicle alone, including its load, without any trailer attached.
• The PTRA, gross combination weight rating (field F.3), covers the entire road combination: the towing vehicle and the attached trailer, both loaded.
• The unladen weight (field G.1) corresponds to the vehicle in running order, without any occupant or load: it is the starting point for calculating the available payload.

A vehicle’s payload is obtained by subtracting the unladen weight (G.1) from the PTAC (F.2). The maximum towable load is generally calculated by subtracting the vehicle’s PTAC from its PTRA, within the limit of the trailer’s own PTAC: a vehicle can never tow more than what its own trailer is approved to carry, even if the PTRA arithmetic would suggest a wider margin.

Driving licence and towing requirements based on the PTAC

The PTAC of the vehicle and of the trailer jointly determine the driving licence needed for towing:

1. A trailer with a PTAC of up to 750 kg can be towed with a simple category B licence, with no condition linked to the towing vehicle’s weight.
2. Above 750 kg, towing remains allowed under a category B licence as long as the combined PTAC of the vehicle and the trailer does not exceed 3,500 kg.
3. Between 3,500 kg and 4,250 kg of combined PTAC, an additional B96 training course (without an exam) is required.
4. Above 4,250 kg, only a category BE licence allows towing.

These thresholds are based directly on the values recorded at field F.2 of both vehicles in the combination: checking both registration certificates, the towing vehicle’s and the trailer’s, is therefore how the required licence is determined before buying a trailer or caravan.

Technical inspection and obligations linked to the PTAC

The PTAC also determines the technical inspection regime that applies to a vehicle. Passenger vehicles with a PTAC below 3.5 tonnes fall under the technical inspection regime for light vehicles, with a first inspection four years after the vehicle’s initial registration and then a renewal every two years. Above this threshold, the vehicle moves into the category of heavy commercial vehicles, subject to more frequent and more demanding inspections carried out at an approved heavy-vehicle testing centre.

Any technical modification that durably changes the vehicle’s weight, such as adding heavy equipment or armour plating, must be reported and can lead to a revision of the PTAC recorded on the registration certificate, along with a new vehicle approval.

What happens if the PTAC is exceeded

Driving a vehicle loaded beyond the PTAC shown on its registration certificate is an offence under French traffic law, whatever type of vehicle is involved.

“Failing to respect the weight shown on the registration certificate is an offence that falls under the category of fourth-class fines.” — Legalstart, 2025

In practice, the penalty varies according to how much the limit is exceeded:

Beyond the criminal penalty, a claim occurring while the vehicle was being driven overloaded can also complicate the insurer’s handling of the claim, as overloading is treated as an aggravating risk factor. Weighing the loaded vehicle, especially before a holiday trip with a roof box or a trailer, remains the only reliable way to check its compliance with the PTAC shown on the registration certificate.

How to check your vehicle’s PTAC

The most reliable way to know a vehicle’s exact PTAC remains reading field F.2 directly on the registration certificate, which details every field of the document, one by one. For a used vehicle whose registration certificate is illegible or missing, the VIN number recorded on the registration certificate makes it possible to retrieve the vehicle’s technical datasheet from the manufacturer or an authorised professional.

If in doubt about a field on the document, or for any administrative step related to the registration certificate itself (registration, change of owner, duplicate), professionals authorised by the French Ministry of the Interior, such as Cartegrise.com, assist drivers with their administrative procedures, alongside the official website of the French national secure documents agency. Before driving with an unusual load, it is also worth checking the vehicle’s maintenance and service schedule: a weight close to the PTAC puts extra strain on the running gear and the braking system.

Frequently asked questions