Motor insurance claim notice (France)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in French
The PDF you download is in French — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
For notifying your own insurer of an accident, theft, fire, broken glass, vandalism or a weather event affecting your vehicle in France. The policy sets the time limit and how to notify, often online or by phone at no cost; the law does not allow less than five working days, or two for theft (article L. 113-2 of the French Insurance Code). The letter gives the policy, the facts, the damage, the other people involved and the enclosures. Sent by registered post with proof of receipt. In French.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 13, 2026
When to use this document
- Your car was damaged in an accident in France and you must report it to your insurer.
- Your car was stolen or broken into and you want to notify your insurer in writing.
- A hailstorm or vandals damaged your vehicle, or its windscreen is broken.
- You want to send your insurer a written claim notice by registered post with the documents attached.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Insured
- Insured's address
- Insurer
- Insurer's postal address (claims department)
- City
- Date
- Policy number
- Registration plate
- Type of loss
- Date of the incident
- Time of the loss
- Place of the loss
- Driver at the time (name, or “vehicle parked”)
- Date you learned of the loss
- How the loss happened
- Damage found
- Other people involved: name, address, plate and insurer, as far as known
- Police report (station, case number)
- Where the assessor can inspect the vehicle
- Attachments
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- How soon must a motor claim be notified to the insurer in France?
- Within the time the policy sets, which cannot be less than five working days from the day you learned of the loss, or two working days for theft (article L. 113-2 of the French Insurance Code). After a natural disaster, no later than thirty days after the order is published in the Journal officiel. Lateness loses you cover only if the policy says so and the insurer proves it was harmed, and never in a case of chance or force majeure.
- How should the claim notice be sent, and what goes with it?
- By the means your policy provides: online customer area, phone, or registered letter with proof of receipt, which proves the date. As the insurer is a business, a qualified electronic registered letter also counts as registered post. Enclose a copy of the joint accident report if there is one, photos, estimates or invoices, and the police receipt for a theft or vandalism. Keep a copy of everything you send.
- Must a joint accident report also be filled in after a crash in France?
- The law does not require one, but it is the usual document when another vehicle or a third party is involved: the European joint accident report, on paper or in the e-constat app, is given free by the insurer and filled in on the spot, signed by both drivers. It is not sold here. This letter goes with it, or stands in for it when none could be made, for instance if the other driver refused to sign: then describe the circumstances as precisely as you can.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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