The certificate W garage shall be issued to the motor vehicle professional who has applied for it or to the person representing him. The person representing the company must be in possession of his or her seller's card or must provide proof of his or her membership in that company. Proof of such membership must be provided in writing by the company's legal representative.

The certificate W garage is attached to the automotive professional. It allows them to make license plates with that number.

The plates are removable. They are attached to the vehicle that he wishes to drive on the public highway at a given time (for example, to carry out a test). They are then removed and can be attached to another vehicle. Only one vehicle at a time may be used with the W garage.

The original of the certificate must be on board the vehicle in use. It must be presented when checked.

The following vehicles may be registered in W garage :

• New vehicles: prototypes under test, vehicles awaiting entry into service (demonstration to a potential buyer, presentation to the press, ready for testing

• Used vehicles: only used vehicles whose entry into service concerns technical tests related to a repair, transport between workshops or to a technical inspection center, resale of the vehicle, towing after an accident in particular 
• Vehicles used by agricultural cooperatives and in mechanics' training establishments

The circulation of a vehicle with a certificate W garage is possible throughout France. It is not confined to the company's location department.

It is not possible to use such a certificate abroad, nor to obtain a certificate W international garage.

Its use is restricted to France, with the exception of prototypes that require testing in foreigner countries. In this case, the trader must also be in possession of an attestation of the technical characteristics of the vehicle.

The certificate W garage is valid for calendar year and shall include the date of expiry of the provisional registration.

The certificate shall bear the vintage for the year of issue and shall be addressed to the trader who made the application.

The renewal application, submitted to the Agence Nationale des Tités Secures (ANTS), must be submitted for the following year between 1^er November and December 31.

No application for renewal may be submitted after 31 December. If this is the case, a new W number is assigned.

The cost of the card W garage is €13.76 (fixed fee of €11 + charge for routing €2.76).

The professional can use the certificate valid until December 31.

He must return it to the prefecture from 1^er January of the following year, whether or not he has applied for renewal.

In the event of cessation of activity, the license must be returned without delay.

Check with your local prefecture to find out how to return the certificate W garage.