Compare the cost of a French registration region by region

Gaps for five typical cars

The table compares the cost of a change of keeper in mainland France on 20 October 2026, without any malus, for everyday cars. Each row gives the cheapest region, the dearest and the difference. The overseas departments are left out of the ranking, since their rates, often lower, only apply to people who live there.

Two rules drive these figures. The regional tax is proportional to the CV rating, so a 12 CV car opens a much wider gap than a 5 CV one. And the rate is halved once the first registration is ten or more years old, which halves the gap too: for the older city car, only €52 separates the two extremes.

Why Île-de-France tops the list

The region itself charges €54.95 per CV, below the cap, but a surcharge for Île-de-France Mobilités of €14 has been added since 1 March 2026. The surcharge sits outside the €60 cap, which brings the total to €68.95. It follows the same reductions as the regional tax, including the half rate at ten years. In 2027 it drops back to €12 unless the transport authority decides otherwise, within a ceiling of €13.

Electric cars: one region stands apart

Since 2025 French regions may cut or remove the tax on electric and hydrogen vehicles. On 20 October 2026 only Hauts-de-France does so, with a half-rate reduction since 1 April 2026. Everywhere else an electric car pays like a petrol one. Hauts-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes charge the same rate per CV, yet for a 7 CV electric car the certificate costs €164.76 in the first and €314.76 in the second.

The only region that counts: where you live

The French tax code ties the tax to the region of the keeper’s usual home. For a business it is the region of the site the vehicle is assigned to. Where you buy the car, where the seller lives or where the dealer is has no effect. If you move before applying, your new address sets the rate. Registering at an address of convenience to pay less is a false declaration to the administration, which matters for newcomers who might be tempted to use a friend’s address while house-hunting.

Using the comparison

Enter the fiscal horsepower from box P.6, the fuel, the age and the procedure: change of keeper or registration of a new car. The 18 regions rank with their total and the gap to the cheapest. The amounts combine the regional tax and the fixed charges for the certificate, without malus. For the rate per CV alone, see the fiscal horsepower rate; for your own full calculation, use the main calculator.