Documents and visible markers on board
The professional card must sit prominently on the windscreen, visible from outside, and the car carries a red VTC sticker. The French ecology ministry notes that the card shows the driver's photo and the sticker the vehicle's registration. No external illuminated sign is allowed, to prevent any confusion with a taxi.
Cards can be checked: Service Public says holders are automatically listed on an online verification service, called the Cerbère authentication portal, open to clients and platforms. Holding an invalid card can lead to a 1,500-euro fine. If the vehicle is not the one you expected, the ministry advises not to get in.
Justifying each ride with a prior booking
If checked, the driver must be able to show that the ride results from a booking made beforehand. The proof, on paper or electronic, lists the operator, the client and contact details, the date and time of booking, the requested pickup time, the place, the register number and the Siren number.
If the client's name or phone number is missing, the driver must supply the means to reach the client without delay. This goes with payment per ride: a fixed fare announced at booking, or one calculated from time and distance. For the full legal setting, see VTC regulation in France.
Between rides: waiting and returning
After a ride, a driver with no booking on record returns to the operator's base (the self-employed driver's home, or the company's head office) or to a place off the roadway where parking is permitted, such as a garage or car park. They do not cruise empty looking for clients and cannot be hailed in the street.
Near a station or airport, waiting for a client who has booked is allowed, up to one hour. These rules shape how a pickup or transfer is arranged, always in advance, as with our airport and station transfers.
Vehicle, insurance and roadworthiness checks
For a car, Service Public recalls the criteria: four to nine seats, four doors, seven years at most and at least 84 kW, except hybrid and electric vehicles, which escape the age and power limits. Where the limit applies, the driver replaces the car at least every seven years. The technical inspection is annual, on the driver's own initiative, with no reminder sent by the authorities.
Professional liability insurance is compulsory; its absence can cost up to a 3,750-euro fine. Depending on the case, the operator also provides a 1,500-euro financial guarantee per regularly used vehicle. These thresholds are those published when this was written (October 2026) and may change.
What clients and assistants can check
For whoever arranges a trip, a few habits are enough: confirm the driver's identity and the vehicle in advance, check the photo card and the red sticker on arrival, and decline to follow anyone who approaches travellers in a station or airport. If a fake professional is suspected, a report can be sent to the consumer-protection authority (DGCCRF), for example through its SignalConso platform, giving the registration or the driver's name. Assistants who book for executives may also keep the driver's details in the itinerary, so that the passenger knows whom to expect at arrival.
Beyond the legal minimum, an optional quality label exists: Destination d'excellence, awarded through Atout France. According to Service Public, it rewards the welcome, on-board services, command of foreign languages, vehicle comfort and cleanliness, and eco-responsible practices. An assistant can also ask the provider how these points are handled for a specific trip.
- Photo professional card visible on the windscreen
- Red sticker showing the vehicle's registration
- Vehicle and driver matching the booking
Renewals and keeping the file up to date
The professional card is valid for five years. Renewal requires a two-day, fourteen-hour continuing-training course completed, with the application, at least three months before expiry, then a new paid application of about 60 euros. The register entry is also renewed every five years, once the new card is issued.
Any change of circumstances, including an address change, or an end of activity, must be reported to the register within three months. Since 27 June 2026, the operator also declares its drivers and plates. To start out, read how to become a VTC chauffeur; other guides are in the VTC section of the Journal. Dated October 2026, this article is not legal advice. IKIGAI Limousine is independent of the bodies cited.
Booking with a compliant professional
A compliant provider can be recognised by a few concrete points: professional card, register entry, sticker on the vehicle. Before booking, ask for them and check them, then insist on a written quote specifying the journey, the vehicle and the conditions.
IKIGAI Limousine issues a firm quote before any confirmation and provides flight tracking and a named greeting on request. Assistants, concierge teams and family offices can group their journeys with tailored invoicing. Discover our VIP chauffeur service, our airport transfers page or send your request through the quote form.
