Insurance certificate to get your car out of the pound in France
Your car has been towed to a French fourrière and the operator won't hand it back without a current insurance attestation. We issue short-term cover from 1 to 90 days and email your proof the same day, so you can settle the release fees, show a valid certificate and drive the car home legally.
Calculate your price and subscribe online · instant certificate.
It takes about three minutes, and your certificate is emailed to you as soon as you have paid.
Would you rather not fill in a French form? Send us your driving licence and your registration document on WhatsApp and an English-speaking adviser completes it for you.
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Do you need to show a certificate of insurance to release the vehicle? Sign up online and receive it by email within minutes — an adviser can also do it with you over the phone.
Cancelled for non-payment? Short-term insurance accepts you and provides an instant certificate while you arrange a standard annual policy.
If the vehicle also has a registration issue (imported, pending), we can handle the registration alongside the insurance.
Your sign-up in 3 steps
Step 1: your situation and duration
Tell us your vehicle and the duration you need, online or by phone.
Sign-up
Price and subscription online, or an adviser does it with you.
Step 3: instant certificate
Instant proof of cover by email. We can also handle your paperwork.
Why get short-term insurance to release a vehicle from the pound?
To collect a vehicle from the pound, you're usually asked for a valid certificate of insurance. Short-term insurance provides this certificate instantly, without signing up to an annual policy.
Conditions for an impound release
Duration from 1 to 90 days, renewable · driver aged 21 to 90 · French or foreign licence held for more than 2 years · non-EU licences accepted with a valid residence permit, or a passport carrying entry stamps · drivers whose previous policy was cancelled (non-payment) accepted · France, Corsica, EU & overseas departments.
What happens after the impound release?
If the vehicle still needs its registration finalised (pending paperwork, imported vehicle), we can also handle the registration and related paperwork.
Why choose us
Getting an impounded car back in France: what the pound actually asks for
- Valid insurance proof — the pound will not release a vehicle that isn't insured; our attestation reaches your inbox as a PDF, ready to print or show on your phone.
- Registration document — bring the carte grise in your name (or a written mandate if the car belongs to someone else); the pound checks the plate against it before handing over the keys.
- Driving licence — held more than two years; a foreign one is fine, and non-EU holders need a valid residence permit, or a passport carrying entry stamps alongside it (see foreign licence cover).
- Release paperwork — the police notice (mainlevée) and the pound's fee receipt; storage charges climb every day the car sits there, so acting fast keeps the bill down.
- Where you can drive — the cover is valid in France, Corsica, the French overseas territories and across the EU, which is exactly what you need to move the car from the pound to your home or garage.
- Renewable term — pick 1 to 90 days; if a repair or a control technique keeps the car off the road longer, you can extend rather than start again.
See also: Foreign licence · Imported vehicle · Registration
Frequently asked questions
How do I release my car from the pound in France if I have no insurance?
Take out a short-term policy online, and the attestation is emailed to you the same day. You then present that certificate at the pound, along with the carte grise and your licence, to collect the vehicle.
Will the fourrière accept a temporary insurance certificate?
Yes. What the pound requires is a valid attestation d'assurance covering the car right now; it does not have to be a 12-month contract. A 1-to-90-day certificate does the job.
How fast can I get proof of insurance to release my vehicle?
Once you finish the online subscription and payment, the PDF attestation lands in your inbox within minutes. Print it or keep it on your phone to show at the pound.
Can I get my car back with a foreign driving licence?
A French or foreign licence held more than two years is accepted. If your licence is non-EU, you also need a valid residence permit, or a passport carrying entry stamps; more detail is on our foreign licence page.
What documents do I need to collect a car from a French impound?
The registration document (carte grise), a valid driving licence, your insurance attestation, and the release notice (mainlevée) issued by the police. The pound also charges towing and daily storage fees you settle on the spot.
The car is registered in someone else's name — can I still insure it and get it out?
Yes, but you'll need a written mandate from the registered owner and a copy of their carte grise. The pound cross-checks the plate against the registration before releasing it.
Does this cover let me drive the car home legally?
It does. The policy covers the vehicle circulating in France, Corsica, the overseas territories and the EU, so driving it from the pound to your address is fully within scope.
How long should I take the cover for?
One day is enough purely to drive the car home. If it then needs a garage visit or a technical inspection before you arrange a longer policy, take a few extra days or renew.
I was previously cancelled by my insurer (résilié). Can I still get a certificate?
Often yes, depending on the reason and your situation — it isn't automatic. Start the online quote and the eligibility is checked as you go.
Is there a minimum or maximum driver age?
The driver must be between 21 and 90 years old and hold a licence obtained more than two years ago. Outside that band the short-term product isn't available.
My car was impounded because I want to export it out of France — is this the right product?
No. To drive a vehicle across the border and out of France you need border insurance with temporary WW plates, which is a different product. This pound-release cover is for a car staying and circulating in France and the EU.
Do you insure the car if I don't have the carte grise yet?
The pound itself will ask for the registration document, so you'll need it to collect the car. If the carte grise is lost, stolen or not yet in your name, our carte grise page explains how to sort it out first.