French Lost ID Documents Declaration Form
Standard form for reporting a lost French ID document (national ID card, passport, driving licence, vehicle registration) to a town hall or police station.
How much does it cost to replace a lost French identity card (CNI) in 2026?
The loss declaration itself is free, but renewing a lost or stolen CNI requires a timbre fiscal (tax stamp) of 25 €, as provided for by Article 875 A of the Code général des impôts. A first-issue card or a card renewed at normal expiry is free of charge. You can purchase the stamp online at timbres.impots.gouv.fr or from an authorised tobacco retailer (buraliste) before attending your mairie appointment.
Source: Service-Public.fr — Lost or stolen French identity card (CNI): renewal procedure and 25 € tax stamp (Article 875 A CGI) · updated 2026
About this form
Losing a French identity document — your carte nationale d'identité (CNI, the national identity card), passport, driving licence, or certificat d'immatriculation (vehicle registration certificate) — requires an official loss declaration before any replacement can be issued. This declaration secures the missing document and is a legal prerequisite for obtaining a duplicate. For CNI and passports, the declaration is made in person at a mairie (town hall) equipped with a biometric capture station, simultaneously with your renewal application — prefectures no longer handle CNI requests since biometric capture was dematerialised. Theft, by contrast, must be reported to the police (commissariat) or gendarmerie, not the mairie. For driving licences and vehicle registration certificates, the entire process — declaration included — is completed online via the ANTS (Agence nationale des titres sécurisés, the national secure-documents agency). The declaration itself is free; replacement fees are paid via a timbre fiscal (digital tax stamp).
Worked example
Camille loses her wallet containing her French CNI and driving licence. For the CNI, she books an appointment at a mairie equipped with a biometric station, completes the loss declaration at the counter when submitting her renewal application, and purchases a 25 € timbre fiscal (tax stamp) online at timbres.impots.gouv.fr. For the driving licence, she visits permisdeconduire.ants.gouv.fr, files the loss declaration online, and immediately receives a récépissé valid for 2 months authorising her to keep driving (Article R221-3, Code de la route); she then orders the duplicate for a further 25 € dematerialised tax stamp. No police report is needed, as both documents were lost — not stolen.
How to fill out the form
- Identify which document you have lost (CNI, passport, driving licence, or vehicle registration certificate) and establish whether it was lost or stolen: loss declarations go to the mairie (CNI/passport) or the ANTS website (driving licence/carte grise); theft must be reported without delay to the police (commissariat) or gendarmerie before any other step.
- Gather the required supporting documents — a compliant passport photograph, proof of address dated within the last twelve months, a birth certificate or your previous document if available — and purchase the appropriate timbre fiscal (tax stamp) online at timbres.impots.gouv.fr or from an authorised buraliste (tobacco retailer).
- Make the loss declaration: for CNI and passports, at the counter of a mairie equipped with a biometric capture station at the same time you file your renewal application (prefectures no longer process CNI requests); for driving licences and vehicle registration certificates, directly and exclusively online via the ANTS website.
- Submit your application for the replacement document: book a mairie appointment for CNI or passport renewal, where your fingerprints and biometric data will be captured; or complete the fully dematerialised process on the ANTS website for a driving licence or vehicle registration certificate.
- Keep the récépissé or certificat provisoire d'immatriculation you receive — it serves as a temporary authorisation to drive (2 months for the licence, 1 month for the vehicle registration) — then collect your new document as soon as you receive the SMS or letter confirming it is ready for pick-up.
Good to know
- Always distinguish loss from theft: reporting a theft as a mere loss means the document is never officially flagged as stolen, depriving you of any opposition rights. If stolen, go to the commissariat or gendarmerie first — before visiting the mairie or ANTS.
- The driving-licence récépissé (valid 2 months) and the vehicle-registration CPI (valid 1 month) carry hard expiry dates. Order your duplicate the moment your declaration is confirmed — do not wait until the provisional document is close to expiry.
- Book your mairie appointment early: CNI and passport slots are routinely taken weeks in advance, especially before school holidays. Use Rdv.anct.gouv.fr or your commune's booking page and check back regularly for cancellations.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace a lost French identity card (CNI) in 2026?
The loss declaration itself is free, but renewing a lost or stolen CNI requires a timbre fiscal (tax stamp) of 25 €, as provided for by Article 875 A of the Code général des impôts. A first-issue card or a card renewed at normal expiry is free of charge. You can purchase the stamp online at timbres.impots.gouv.fr or from an authorised tobacco retailer (buraliste) before attending your mairie appointment.
Do I need to file a police report if I have simply lost my identity documents?
No. For a straightforward loss, you file a loss declaration at the mairie (CNI/passport) or on the ANTS website (driving licence/vehicle registration) — no police report is required. A police report is reserved for theft only. If you report a theft as a loss, the document will never be officially flagged as stolen, which can create serious complications if the document is subsequently misused by a third party.
What does it cost to replace a lost passport in 2026?
The timbre fiscal (tax stamp) for a replacement passport costs 86 € for adults, 42 € for minors aged 15 to 17, and 17 € for children under 15. These amounts apply equally whether the passport was lost, stolen, or renewed at natural expiry. Purchase the stamp online at timbres.impots.gouv.fr or from an authorised buraliste before attending your mairie appointment.
How do I report a lost driving licence in France?
The loss declaration is made entirely online at the ANTS website (permisdeconduire.ants.gouv.fr). The system issues a récépissé (interim receipt) valid for 2 months, which legally authorises you to continue driving under Article R221-3 of the Code de la route. A duplicate licence requires a dematerialised tax stamp of 25 €. Act promptly: the récépissé carries a fixed expiry date and cannot be extended.
What should I do if I lose my carte grise (vehicle registration certificate)?
The duplicate request is handled exclusively online via the ANTS website — no visit to a prefecture is required. You immediately receive a certificat provisoire d'immatriculation (CPI, a temporary registration certificate) valid for one month, allowing you to keep driving. The total cost comprises a variable regional tax depending on your département, a management fee, and a postal delivery charge of approximately 2.76 €.
How long does it take to receive a replacement CNI or passport?
Processing times vary by municipality and application volume. As a general rule, allow several weeks for a new CNI or passport. Book your mairie appointment as early as possible via the official portal (Rdv.anct.gouv.fr or your commune's own website), as slots are routinely taken weeks — sometimes months — in advance, particularly ahead of school holidays. Check back regularly for last-minute cancellations.
Official sources
- Service-Public.fr — Lost or stolen French identity card (CNI): renewal procedure and 25 € tax stamp (Article 875 A CGI) — 2026-06-26
- Service-Public.fr — Lost or stolen passport: fees 86 € / 42 € / 17 € by age group — 2026-06-26
- Service-Public.fr — Lost or stolen driving licence: ANTS online declaration, 2-month récépissé, 25 € duplicate (Article R221-3 Code de la route) — 2026-06-26
Updated on 2026-06-26
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