InsuoraHow does car insurance work in France?
French car insurance follows the same multiplicative model as most European markets: insurers start with a base premium and multiply it by risk factors including your region, the coverage tier you choose, your vehicle, and — most importantly — your bonus-malus coefficient (CRM). Third-party liability (responsabilité civile) is legally mandatory; everything above that is optional.
Unlike Germany's Schadenfreiheitsklasse (which uses discrete classes), France uses a continuous coefficient that starts at 1.00 and adjusts each year based on your claims history. A driver who has gone 13 years without an at-fault claim reaches the legal floor of 0.50 — meaning they pay half the base premium.
The French bonus-malus system (CRM) explained
The Coefficient de Réduction-Majoration (CRM) is defined in the French Insurance Code and applies to every car insurer operating in France. The mechanics:
- Starting point: 1.00 for every new driver.
- Claim-free year: CRM × 0.95 (5% reduction). After 13 consecutive clean years, the coefficient reaches 0.50 and stays there.
- At-fault claim: CRM × 1.25 (25% surcharge). Shared-fault claims apply a half-penalty (× 1.125). Maximum ceiling is 3.50.
- The coefficient follows you, not your car. When you change insurers, your new insurer will request your relevé d'information (claims history statement) from your old insurer, which records your CRM and all claims over the past 5 years.
The three coverage tiers
- Tiers simple (third-party only)
- Covers damage you cause to third parties — other vehicles, property, and people. Does not cover your own vehicle. This is the legal minimum and the cheapest option; typically chosen for older, low-value cars.
- Tiers complet (extended third-party)
- Adds fire, theft, glass breakage, and natural disaster cover for your own vehicle on top of third-party liability. Does not cover collision damage you cause to your own car.
- Tous risques (comprehensive)
- Full protection: third-party liability plus your own vehicle for collision, theft, fire, glass, weather damage, and vandalism. Typically required by leasing companies and recommended for vehicles under 5–7 years old.
What drives your premium
- Region — Île-de-France and PACA are the most expensive (traffic density, theft risk). Bretagne and Pays de la Loire are among the cheapest. Corsica is elevated due to limited competition and repair logistics.
- Coverage tier — Tous risques costs roughly three times more than tiers simple for the same vehicle and driver profile. For a car worth under €5,000, tiers simple or tiers complet is usually the rational choice.
- Vehicle type — Sports and premium cars attract the highest loadings: higher replacement value, expensive repair parts, and greater theft exposure. A city car can cost half as much to insure as a sports car.
- Bonus-malus (CRM) — The single most influential factor. A driver at CRM 0.50 pays half what a new driver at 1.00 pays, and a quarter of what someone at CRM 2.00 pays. Every clean year improves the coefficient by 5%.
- Driver age — Drivers aged 18–24 face a statutory surprime jeune conducteur (young driver surcharge) set by law. In the first year it can exceed 100%. The surcharge phases out after 3 years (or 2 years for drivers who completed accompanied driving — AAC).
- Annual mileage — Lower mileage means lower exposure. Under 8,000 km/year earns a meaningful discount with most insurers.
- Vehicle age — New cars cost more to insure comprehensively. Older vehicles are often downgraded to tiers complet or tiers simple, which cuts the premium sharply.
- Overnight parking — A private garage or secure car park reduces theft risk and can lower the premium by 3–7%.
The Loi Hamon — easy insurer switching
Since 2015, the Loi Hamon allows you to cancel any car insurance contract at any time after the first year of coverage, without fees or penalty. You don't even need to give advance notice — your new insurer sends the cancellation letter to your old insurer on your behalf. This makes it easy (and strongly advisable) to shop around every year.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this calculator free?
- Yes — completely free, no account needed. It runs in your browser and nothing you type is saved.
- Do I have to give personal information?
- No. The calculator uses broad categories only — no name, address, licence number, or vehicle registration is required.
- What is the relevé d'information?
- It's an official document your current insurer must provide when you cancel. It states your CRM coefficient and all claims you've made in the last 5 years. Your new insurer uses it to verify your bonus-malus before offering a rate.
- What is accompanied driving (AAC) and does it help?
- The conduite accompagnée programme lets teenagers drive from age 15 with a supervising adult. Participants who complete it face only 2 years of young-driver surcharge (instead of 3) and at reduced rates. Over the first two solo years, the saving can run to several hundred euros.
- How can I lower my premium?
- Drive without at-fault claims (improves your CRM each year), reduce your declared annual mileage, park in a garage, choose a higher excess (franchise), and compare insurers every year — the Loi Hamon makes switching cost-free after year one.
- Are expats or foreign-registered vehicles covered?
- This calculator estimates premiums for French-registered vehicles insured through the French market. Expat situations (international driving record, foreign CRM equivalent) vary by insurer — contact insurers specialising in expatriate policies for an accurate figure.