In brief
- No document number does not mean the procedure is impossible: on the official agency website, only the certificate date is mandatory.
- Registration certificate from before 2009: that is normal, the number did not exist. Any procedure moves the vehicle into the current system, with a new number in the format AB-123-CD.
- Certificate lost or stolen: you need a duplicate, which carries a new document number. The tax is 13.76 euros for a vehicle registered since 2009 and 2.76 euros for a vehicle with the old number.
- At an approved provider such as cartegrise.com (approved since 2009, processing and provisional certificate advertised within 12 to 24 hours of receiving the complete file), the documents are checked before submission.
A 2006 Clio bought from a friend, in good condition, with its original registration certificate carefully kept in the glovebox. The ownership change is started online, and the form asks for a document number. There is none on the document, and the seller has never heard of it either.
This blockage is common, and almost always harmless. It covers three different situations, which call for different responses: a registration certificate too old to have a number, a lost certificate that needs replacing, or a number that has changed after a reissue. Here is what to do in each case.
Which solution depending on your situation
| Situation | What replaces the number | Official route | With an approved provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration certificate from before 2009 (old format 123 AB 45) | The issue date of the certificate | Leave the field blank, enter the date | File entered and documents checked before submission |
| Registration certificate lost or stolen | A duplicate, with a new number | Duplicate request online, tax of 13.76 euros (2.76 euros with the old number) | Duplicate handled (54.90 euros in service fees at cartegrise.com, excluding tax) |
| “Document number not found” | The number of the most recently issued certificate | “Make another request” section on the official site | File checked before submission |
| Verdict | Certificate date known and file straightforward: the official route is enough, for free. Certificate lost, file already refused or a tight deadline: an approved provider avoids a back and forth. |
The detailed comparison of approved providers, with their numbers, timeframes and fees, is in our comparison of approved sites for a registration without document number.
Your registration certificate dates from before 2009
Why the number does not exist
The document number is the certificate’s issue reference: 11 characters, the first 4 of which give the year of issue. It has only existed since the current registration system was introduced, in 2009. An older registration certificate belongs to the old national file, with a registration number in the format 123 AB 45: it never had a document number.
So this is neither an error nor an incomplete document. cartegrise.com explains how to find the document number on a recent certificate, and why it is missing on older ones.
Where to read the issue date
Instead of the number, it is the certificate’s issue date that serves as the identifier. It appears in box I of the registration certificate. According to an official France Titres-ANTS reply of 9 April 2025, the document number field is not mandatory on the official agency website: only the certificate date is, and for a certificate in the old format, the number field stays blank.
The move to the current format
Any procedure carried out on a vehicle still registered under the old system moves it into the current system. The vehicle receives a new number in the format AB-123-CD, and a new registration certificate, which this time will carry a document number. The plates then have to be replaced to display the new number.
On the cost side, an ownership change follows the usual scale: regional tax, plus an 11 euro management fee and a 2.76 euro delivery fee. The detail is covered in our article on how much a registration certificate costs in 2026.
Your registration certificate is lost or stolen
The duplicate
Without the document, the document number can no longer be read. The solution is to request a duplicate, meaning a reissue of the certificate. The process is done online on the official agency website or through an approved provider. In the event of theft, a report to the police comes before the request.
A new number
The duplicate carries a new document number, which begins with the year of its own issue. The old number stops being valid: it is the duplicate’s number that will need to be entered afterwards, for example on a transfer certificate.
How much it costs
- On the official route: 13.76 euros in tax for a vehicle registered since 2009, and 2.76 euros for a vehicle with the old number. No regional tax is added, since ownership does not change.
- At cartegrise.com: 54.90 euros in service fees, on top of these taxes. The site lets you request a duplicate registration certificate online, with a provisional certificate advertised within 12 to 24 hours of receiving the complete file.
The site displays “document number not found”
A number changed after a reissue
This message mainly surprises those who copy the number from an old document. An official France Titres-ANTS reply of 9 September 2025 confirms it: a document number can change after a reissue of the certificate. A duplicate requested some years ago, or a change that led to a new certificate, is enough to make the old number invalid.
First step: check that the number entered is indeed that of the most recent certificate, and that its first 4 digits match the year of the date written in box I. The two must match.
The remedy provided by the official agency
If the entry is correct and the site still blocks it, the official agency provides a remedy through the “Make another request” section. The file is then handled outside the automatic process, within a timeframe that depends on the service’s workload.
For a second-hand purchase, the seller also has to enter the correct number on the transfer certificate: an error here blocks the buyer’s procedure. Our article on mandatory documents for selling your car lists the documents to hand over on the day of the sale.
Going through an approved site: when is it useful?
The official route is enough in most cases, for free, as soon as the certificate date is known. A provider approved by the Ministry of the Interior becomes useful in three situations.
- The certificate is lost and time is short. It handles the duplicate and issues a provisional certificate, which lets you drive for 1 month in France.
- The file has already been refused. It checks the documents before submission, which avoids a second round trip.
- The ownership change needs to go through quickly. At cartegrise.com, fees range from 44.90 to 99.90 euros depending on the regional tax amount, with processing advertised within 12 to 24 hours of receiving the complete file.
In every case, cartegrise.com remains an approved provider, separate from the official agency. The full process for a registration certificate ownership change and our guide to doing your registration online cover each step in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you find the document number on an old registration certificate?
Nowhere: a registration certificate issued before 2009, in the format 123 AB 45, has no document number. This 11-character number appeared with the current registration system. The old certificate is identified by its issue date, written in box I, and that is what you enter instead of the number.
Can you sell or buy a car whose registration certificate has no document number?
Yes. The sale proceeds normally, with the certificate crossed out and the transfer certificate, whose document number field stays blank. When the ownership change is made, the vehicle moves to the current system and receives a number in the format AB-123-CD. On the official agency website, only the certificate date is mandatory.
Does the document number change after a duplicate?
Yes. Each reissue of the certificate assigns it a new document number, which begins with the year of issue. This is what explains the “document number not found” message when you enter the old number, as an official France Titres-ANTS reply of 9 September 2025 confirms. Only the number of the most recently issued certificate is valid.
Which approved site should you choose when you do not have the document number?
Several approved providers handle this case. cartegrise.com, approved since 2009, advertises processing and the provisional certificate within 12 to 24 hours of receiving the complete file; eplaque.fr, cartegriseminute.fr and carte-grise.org advertise 24 hours. Before paying, the official route stays free if the certificate date is known.
How much does a duplicate registration certificate cost in 2026?
On the official route, the tax is 13.76 euros for a vehicle registered since 2009 and 2.76 euros for a vehicle with the old number; no regional tax is added. At an approved provider, service fees are added on top: 54.90 euros at cartegrise.com, for example.