Registering a new car in France in 2026
The mini calculator adds up the regional tax, the CO₂ malus and the weight malus of a new petrol car from four figures on its certificate of conformity.
Registration of a new car
Registration of a new petrol car
€3,529.76
| Y1 | €301.00 |
| 2026 CO₂ malus | €2,205 |
| Weight malus | €1,010 |
| Y4 + Y5 | €13.76 |
Values from the certificate of conformity: CO₂ in box V.7, mass in box G.
A new car costs more to register in France than a used one, because its first French registration triggers two extra taxes, grouped on line Y3 of the certificate. The CO₂ malus applies in 2026 from 108 g/km of WLTP emissions and reaches €80,000 above 191 g/km. The weight malus charges every kilo of mass in running order above 1,499 kg. Together the two can never exceed €80,000. On top comes the part every registration pays: your region’s rate per fiscal horsepower times the car’s CV rating, plus €13.76 for handling and posting the certificate. A 5 CV petrol city car at 125 g/km and 1,250 kg therefore costs €768.76 in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Electric and hydrogen cars are exempt from both malus taxes, and hybrids get a weight allowance. The scale used is the one in force on the registration date, not the order date, so a car registered in January 2027 falls under a stricter scale.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Five new cars, fully costed
Each row is a first registration on 20 October 2026 in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The rate per CV varies by region; the malus taxes do not.
| Car | Y1 | CO₂ malus | Weight malus | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol city car, 5 CV, 125 g/km, 1,250 kg | €215 | €540 | €0 | €768.76 |
| Full hybrid hatchback, 7 CV, 115 g/km, 1,550 kg | €301 | €210 | €0 | €524.76 |
| Plug-in hybrid SUV, 8 CV, 30 g/km, 1,950 kg, 70 km range | €344 | €0 | €2,765 | €3,122.76 |
| Electric SUV, 4 CV, 2,100 kg | €172 | €0 | €0 | €185.76 |
| Large petrol saloon, 12 CV, 200 g/km, 2,000 kg | €516 | €80,000 | €0 | €80,529.76 |
The city car pays a small CO₂ malus and no weight malus. The full hybrid slips under the weight threshold thanks to its 100 kg allowance. The electric SUV pays the regional tax only. The large saloon hits the shared cap of €80,000.
CO₂ malus
This tax depends on the WLTP emissions figure in grams per kilometre. In 2026 it starts at €50 at 108 g/km, reaches €2,205 at 140 g/km and €8,770 at 160 g/km, and stops at €80,000. The gram-by-gram scale from article L421-62 of the tax code is on the CO₂ malus page.
Weight malus
This one charges mass in running order above 1,499 kg, at a per-kilo rate that rises in bands. A 1,600 kg car pays €1,010 and a 1,950 kg car €6,775. Hybrids deduct an allowance from their mass first:
- full hybrid (not plug-in): 100 kg;
- plug-in hybrid with an electric range above 50 km: 200 kg, capped at 15 % of the mass;
- mild hybrid: 100 kg in 2026, nothing from 2027.
The plug-in SUV in the table pays €2,765 of weight malus. With only 40 km of range it would lose the allowance and pay €6,775. Electric cars are exempt under article L421-79, as rewritten by the 2026 Finance Act. More on the weight malus page.
December or January: the date picks the scale
The scale applied is the one for the year of first registration. A 7 CV petrol car at 140 g/km and 1,600 kg in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes costs €3,529.76 if registered on 15 December 2026 and €4,443.76 on 5 January 2027: the CO₂ threshold drops to 103 g/km and the cap rises to €90,000. In Île-de-France the same car goes from €3,711.76 to €4,611.76, because the Paris-region transport surcharge falls at the same time. The full timeline is on the 2027 changes page.
Who files the application
In most cases the dealer registers the new car and passes the taxes on in the invoice: check that the malus is shown as a separate line. If you apply yourself, it is free on the ANTS website, the State agency for registrations, and you only pay the taxes.