French rules checked on 21 October 2026 against Service-Public, Légifrance and UTAC-OTC; only the approved test centre can judge your motorcycle's condition on the day.
Key points
Key takeaways
- Your deadline is on the registration certificate: first registration date, then the stamp from the last test.
- A major or critical defect means a retest (contre-visite) within two months.
- Keep the original test report: you need it for a retest, a sale and your maintenance log.
Category L vehicles
Does my motorcycle need a technical inspection in France?
Yes, unless it is exempt. Since 15 April 2024, the French contrôle technique has applied to category L vehicles: mopeds, motorcycles, scooters, motor tricycles and quadricycles. The category, from L1e to L7e, appears in box J of the registration certificate (carte grise). A 50cc scooter is covered just like a large adventure bike.
Two cases are exempt: historic vehicles first registered before 1 January 1960, and enduro or trial bikes used for sport, as long as the owner holds an annual French Motorcycling Federation (FFM) licence. A more recent bike registered as a historic vehicle is tested every five years instead of three.
Sources: Service-Public: vehicles covered or exempt (in French) · UTAC-OTC: category L inspection (in French)
Your deadline
When is my motorcycle's first inspection due?
You will not receive a notice: booking the test is up to you. Find the date of first registration in box B of the registration certificate, then look up the matching row. For a bike from 2017 to 2021, the deadline is no later than four months after the anniversary of first registration, within the year shown.
A pass is then valid for three years. The next deadline appears on the test report and on the stamp added to the registration certificate.
Sources: Service-Public: category L inspection (in French) · UTAC-OTC: phased timetable (in French)
| First registration | First inspection | Practical marker |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 31 December 2016 | Between 15 April and 31 December 2024 | Tested in 2024: due again in 2027 |
| 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2019 | During 2025 | Tested in 2025: due again in 2028 |
| 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021 | During 2026, by 31 December at the latest | First registered on 20 June 2021: test by 20 October 2026 |
| From 1 January 2022 | Within the six months before the fifth anniversary | First registered on 1 October 2022: test between 1 April and 30 September 2027 |
Bike from early 2022? Your window may already be open. For a first registration on 15 January 2022, the first test falls between 15 July 2026 and 14 January 2027.
80 checkpoints
What does the inspector check on a motorcycle?
The inspector checks 80 points, without dismantling anything, on a motorcycle that must be in running order. They fall into nine groups, from identification to emissions and noise. The table turns those groups into concrete parts of a motorcycle.
Electric motorcycles have their own checkpoints too: the traction battery housing, high-voltage circuits, and the charging cable and socket.
Sources: Service-Public: what is checked (in French) · Légifrance: order of 23 October 2023, annex I (in French)
| Group | Examples on a motorcycle |
|---|---|
| Identification | Number plate, frame number, general presentation of the bike |
| Braking | Master cylinders, brake lines and hoses, discs, pads, ABS |
| Steering | Handlebar condition and steering play |
| Visibility | Mirrors |
| Lights and electrics | Headlight, position and brake lights, indicators, number-plate light, reflectors, battery |
| Wheels, tyres and suspension | Tyres, wheels, wheel bearings, fork and shock absorbers |
| Frame | Frame, fuel tank and lines, chain or belt drive, side or centre stand, footrests |
| Other equipment | Horn, speedometer, odometer |
| Nuisance | Exhaust, noise level, pollutant emissions, fluid leaks |
The night before
How should I prepare my bike the day before the test?
Walk round the bike while it is cold and on its stand, with someone watching the rear while you work the controls. This check does not replace servicing. It mainly stops you losing an appointment over a blown bulb or a loose number plate.
- Paperwork: the original registration certificate, plus the original failed test report if you are going for a retest.
- Number plate: clean, legible, compliant and firmly fixed, with a working plate light.
- Lights: dipped and main beam, position lights, front and rear indicators, brake light from the lever and then the pedal.
- Horn, speedometer and odometer working, with no warning light left on.
- Tyres: tread above the wear indicators, no cuts or bulges, cold pressures as specified in the manual.
- Brakes: pads above their wear mark, correct fluid level, no weeping from hoses or calipers.
- Fork and steering: no oil film on the fork tubes, handlebars turning lock to lock without notches or play.
- Drive: chain adjusted and lubricated as the manual specifies, no hooked teeth on the sprockets.
- Stand, footrests, mirrors and silencer firmly fixed; no exhaust leak.
- Under the bike: no oil, fuel or coolant on the floor after a night parked.
- Washing: a clean bike is easier to inspect, and its general presentation is one of the checkpoints.
Spotted a defect the night before? Have it repaired before the appointment and keep the invoice: you avoid a retest, and your maintenance log keeps a record of the work.
The verdict
What sends a motorcycle back for a retest?
Each defect is graded minor, major or critical. With minor defects only, the result is a pass (A): no retest, and the test is valid for three years. A major defect gives an S result, valid for two months. A critical defect gives an R result, valid only on the day of the test.
With S or R, the retest (contre-visite) must take place within two months, at the same centre or another approved one. Bring the original test report and the registration certificate. The inspector rechecks the reported defects, the identification and the odometer. After two months, a full test is required again.
A successful retest is valid for three years from the original test date. Service-Public's example: test on 5 June 2026, successful retest on 4 July 2026, valid until 4 June 2029.
Sources: Service-Public: results and retests (in French) · Légifrance: annex I defects (in French)
| Example from annex I | Severity | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Abnormal tyre pressure | Minor | No retest on its own |
| Number plate non-compliant, missing, damaged or loose | Major | Retest within two months |
| Brake pads worn down to the minimum mark | Major | Retest within two months |
| Excessive noise level | Major | Retest within two months |
| Tyre badly worn or cut, with imminent risk | Critical | Valid only on the day of the test |
| Brake pads missing, badly fitted or with no visible wear mark | Critical | Valid only on the day of the test |
Result R: a critical defect means a direct and immediate danger. Have it repaired before riding on; from the next day, the bike has no valid test until it passes a retest.
After the test
What should I record in my maintenance log after the test?
The test report (procès-verbal) is your proof of inspection. It shows the date, result, expiry date, recorded mileage and each defect with its severity, among other details. Keep the original: it is required for a retest, and a buyer receives it when you sell.
Then copy the key points next to your service records. A pass does not replace the manufacturer's maintenance schedule: it records the bike's condition on one day. MotoLert's garage, in preparation for iPhone, is designed to store that report among the motorcycle's documents, alongside its mileage, service records and parts.
Explore this topic: Motorcycle Maintenance Log: Free Template and 5 Steps
| Record | Where to find it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Date, centre and result (A, S or R) | Test report | Know whether a retest is still due |
| Expiry date | Test report and stamp on the registration certificate | Plan the next test |
| Recorded mileage | Test report | It will be compared with the next test's reading |
| Minor defects | Defect list on the test report | Deal with them at the next service |
| Repairs before a retest | Invoices and part references | Link each repair to the defect found |
Lost the report? Ask the centre that carried out the test for a duplicate and a certificate. The HistoVec service also shows the vehicle's history, including mileage recorded at each inspection.
Selling in France
Do I need a test report to sell my motorcycle in France?
Yes, if the bike is more than five years old and you sell it or give it to a private buyer. Hand over the test report before the sale. It must be less than six months old when the buyer applies for the new registration certificate, counted from the test itself rather than from any retest.
After a successful retest, hand over both reports. With an unrepaired major defect, the sale must take place within two months of the test and the buyer takes care of the retest. With a critical defect, repairs and a retest must come before any sale to a private buyer. A bike under five years old, or one sold to a motor trade professional, can change hands without a test.
Explore this topic: Buying a used motorcycle in France: what to check
Sources: Service-Public: selling or giving away a vehicle (in French) · UTAC-OTC: selling a vehicle (in French)
Cost and penalties
How much does a motorcycle inspection cost, and what if I skip it?
Prices are not regulated. Each approved centre sets its own rates for the test and the retest, and must display them at the entrance. The owner pays: compare several centres approved for category L before booking.
Riding without a valid test can lead to a fine of up to €750, usually a €135 fixed penalty. Police or gendarmes can also immobilise the bike: they keep the registration certificate and issue a seven-day permit so you can ride to a test. The bike can also be impounded.
Sources: Service-Public: cost and penalties (in French) · UTAC-OTC: where to get tested (in French)
Verification
References
The information cited was checked on 21 October 2026. Rules and services may change after this date.
- Service-Public: category L technical inspectionTimetable, 80 checkpoints, results, retests, test report and penalties; page checked by Service-Public on 1 January 2026. In French.
- Service-Public: compulsory or exemptCategory L covered since 15 April 2024, enduro and trial exemption. In French.
- Service-Public: selling or giving away a vehicleReport under six months old for a two-wheeler over five years old; page checked on 13 October 2026. In French.
- UTAC-OTC: category L inspectionFrance's central technical body: timetable, exemptions, validity, retests and sales. In French.
- Légifrance: order of 23 October 2023Checkpoints and defect severity in annex I, version in force on 21 October 2026. In French.
- Légifrance: article R323-27 of the Highway CodeFirst test before five years, renewal every three years, historic vehicles and change of ownership. In French.