As the digital revolution continues to transform industries far and wide, the realm of auto insurance is poised to undergo a significant shift toward dematerialization. In a move signaling the end of an era, the familiar "green card" — the physical proof of car insurance carried by drivers around the world — is officially set to vanish. Come April 1, 2024, this iconic document, which for decades has served as a tangible assurance of financial protection on the road, will transition to a digital format. This change not only aligns with global trends toward environmental sustainability and digital efficiency but also promises to reshape the interaction between insurers, policyholders, and law enforcement. Join us as we delve into the implications of the green card's disappearance, exploring what this means for drivers, the insurance industry, and the planet.

Dematerialization of auto insurance: the “green card” will disappear on April 1, 2024

The document and sticker to attach to the windshield proving that your vehicle is properly insured will no longer be necessary. However, this does not mean that you will no longer need to insure your vehicle.

The decree relating to the abolition of the famous “green card”, proving that your vehicle is well insured, will be published this Saturday. This is what the Bercy services announced this Thursday, December 7. From April 1, it will no longer be necessary to carry the famous insurance certificate with you, nor to attach the small green supporting sticker to your windshield.

“This is a change in the method of justification,” says Bruno Le Maire’s office. “This in no way removes the obligation to be insured,” adds the Road Safety Delegation. Where we recall that in 2022, more than 200,000 motorists had been fined for lack of insurance.

Avoid the fine for failure to present an insurance certificate

This decision is part of the policy of dematerialization of public documents, intended to simplify the administrative life of the French, and more particularly motorists. “The period of confinement, in 2021, brought about changes. There was an awareness of the extent of the possibilities offered by digital tools and dematerialization,” we explain at Bercy.

The requirement to have an automobile "green card" to travel, introduced around forty years ago, had generated "paperwork, complications, up to a fine in the event of forgetting, which was 35 euros”. Starting next spring, proof of insurance will be provided by consulting the Insured Vehicle File (FVA). A file that “will be accessible to law enforcement during checks”.

A file of insured persons consultable “in real time”

The FVA will offer all insured persons “in real time”. It will be imposed on insurance companies. Which companies must, when the insured requests it, provide proof of insurance, when the latter must travel with their vehicle outside the countries of the European Union.

"Within the European Union, it is not necessary to have a green card. But if a motorist goes on vacation to Morocco or Bosnia, he will need his insurance certificate. It must be provided to him by his insurance company", we specify in Bercy.