Can your car work as a VTC? Checking each requirement
Five criteria in a 2015 order, an exemption for hybrids and electric cars, and a seat count.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
In France, a VTC (licensed private-hire car) must be under 7 years old unless it is a classic, have at least 4 doors, measure at least 4.5 metres long and 1.7 metres wide, and have an engine of at least 84 kilowatts net power. These five criteria come from article 1 of the order of 26 March 2015, in the version in force since 6 December 2023. Article 2 exempts hybrid and electric vehicles from all of them, so a short, low-powered electric hatchback may be used as a VTC while an eight-year-old diesel saloon may not. Service-public adds that the car must seat between 4 and 9 people, driver included. The checker uses only those criteria, read in the text itself, and works out the month a petrol or diesel car stops qualifying.
The vehicle meets the criteria checked here
| Seats | 5 (required 4–9) | Compliant |
| Age | 45 months (required < 84 months) | Compliant |
| Doors | 5 (required ≥ 4) | Compliant |
| Length | 4.70 m (required ≥ 4.50 m) | Compliant |
| Width | 1.85 m (required ≥ 1.70 m) | Compliant |
| Power | 100 kW (required ≥ 84 kW) | Compliant |
No longer usable as a VTC from : January 2030. A petrol or diesel car must be under 7 years old.
Criteria read in the order of 26 March 2015 (version in force since 6 December 2023) and on service-public. The yearly roadworthiness test, insurance and markings are not checked here.
The criteria, as the text sets them
| Criterion | Requirement | Hybrid or electric | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | under 7 years | exempt | order of 26 March 2015, art. 1 |
| Doors | at least 4 | exempt | art. 1 |
| Overall length | at least 4.50 m | exempt | art. 1 |
| Overall width | at least 1.70 m | exempt | art. 1 |
| Net power | at least 84 kW | exempt | art. 1 |
| Seats | 4 to 9, driver included | applies | service-public, F31027 |
The full text is on Légifrance: Order of 26 March 2015 on VTC vehicle characteristics (version in force since 6 December 2023). The checker applies nothing else: no required colour, no model class, no brand list. Any such claim you read elsewhere has no basis in this text.
Working out the age
Age runs from first registration, in completed months: a car first registered in March stops qualifying in March seven years later. For a petrol or diesel car, the checker shows that month, which helps you match a loan or lease to the time the car can still be used. It counts from today’s date in your browser.
What applies to every vehicle
The car has a roadworthiness test (contrôle technique) every year, on your own initiative, with no reminder. It carries the VTC sticker ordered from the register, front and back, and no roof light, which is reserved for taxis. It is covered by professional liability insurance. Motorbikes and three-wheelers (VMDTR) have different thresholds: 40 kW and under 5 years according to service-public.
Choosing with the budget in mind
The checker tells you whether a car is allowed, not whether it pays. Monthly loan or lease costs, fuel or charging and insurance go into the net income calculator, which shows what is left per hour worked.