Onboard documents in Luxembourg

Onboard documents in Luxembourg

In the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the obligatory onboard documents are the following: driving license, insurance certificate, vehicle registration certificate, road tax sticker and since 2016, a certificate of conformity or a copy certified by the National Society of Automobile Traffic (“SNCA – Société Nationale de Circulation Automobile”).

Driving licence:

Any person driving a vehicle must possess a driving licence corresponding to the category of the vehicle used. In the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a “point-record driving licence” was introduced in 2002, followed by a European driving licence in January 2013.

Insurance certificate of the vehicle:

Any vehicle being used or parked on public roads in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg must be insured against motor civil liability. Insurance is mandatory and allows appropriate compensation to be provided to victims of horrible road accidents. Insurance certificate (“the green card”) is a mandatory document which must be presented at roadside checks. These provisions are also applicable to vehicles registered abroad and used on public roads in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Useful tip:

• Lack of insurance is an offence punished by a fine and four penalty points.
• Trailers must be covered by a valid insurance except for when trailers are detached.

Vehicle registration certificate (logbook):

The Luxembourg Ministry of Transport authorised the National Society of Automobile Traffic (“SNCA – Société Nationale de Circulation Automobile”) to be in charge of motor vehicle registrations.

Since 18 December 2006, the registration certificate is composed of two parts – the first part (“Partie 1”) being grey and the second being yellow (”Partie 2”).

Only the first part must be carried in the vehicle when driving, while the second one can be kept in a safe place, preferably outside the vehicle.

Road tax sticker:

To drive a motor vehicle on Luxembourg public roads, you must pay an annual tax collected by the Customs and Excise Administration by means of a road tax sticker.

The tax must be paid by any legal or natural person who owns:

• a vehicle registered in Luxembourg or a vehicle having attributed a special registration plate (red plate) intended for traffic, seized by the police or not authorized for traffic in Luxembourg;
• a utility vehicle registered in a member state other than Luxembourg driving on Luxembourg public roads;
• a passenger car being imported for more than 6 months a year to Luxembourg territory by an individual residing in an EU country other than Luxembourg;
• an unpowered vehicle, designed and constructed to be towed by a motor vehicle (particularly semi-trailers of articulated vehicles and trailers).

Certificate of conformity or a copy certified by the SNCA:

Certificate of conformity (COC) must be carried in any vehicle bearing an EC-type approval number. This certificate, issued by a manufacturer, proves the vehicle conforms to a given type-approval number designation (approval number).

The COC comprises:

• serial number of the vehicle
• manufacturer identification, type-approval number
• technical specifications of the vehicle
• other technical characteristics of the vehicle

Pursuant to Grand-Ducal Regulation of 26 January 2016 amending Grand-Ducal Decision amended on 23 November 1955 relating to traffic regulations on all public roads, the COC became a mandatory onboard document for all vehicles registered from 1 February 2016. In case of roadside checks, you must present the original or a copy of the European Certificate (s) of Conformity certified by the SNCA, provided they relate to the vehicle concerned.

How come several CoC certificates may relate to the same vehicle?

Whether a vehicle is incomplete or completed, or whether a complete vehicle is transformed or modified into another by another manufacturer after its completion, a multi-stage type-approval process is carried out by one or more competent authorities, which certify that a specific vehicle type, either incomplete, completed, transformed or modified, satisfies the relevant administrative provisions and technical requirements in its state of completion.

If this is the case, every “stage” of the vehicle will be approved by a distinct COC.

In case of infringement of the provisions:

The drivers may be:

• Fined EUR 24 in case they cannot present a valid driving license, an insurance certificate
• Fined EUR 74 if the vehicle is not covered by a valid road tax sticker.
• Fined EUR 49 if the licence plates are illegible or are generally in bad condition.