Vehicle Registration Plates of France - Current Scheme

Current Scheme

This format was adopted in France since 14 April 2009, and is similar to the one successfully introduced in Italy in 1994.

There is no longer a local département code as in the previous system, but only a sequential number. This number is allocated to a vehicle for its life and does not change if the car is sold or the owner moves. Plates may include a blue strip on the right, showing the Département Number of the owner's choice, plus the region logo of the chosen département, although this is not compulsory. The département may be changed at all times without any change in the registration documents.

Regular license plates are black-on-white, front and rear. Temporary license plates are colored silver-on-red, both front and rear.

Due to the current economic climate, the introduction of the new plates was postponed from 1 January 2009 until 15 April 2009 for all new cars. It was again postponed until 15 October 2009 for all other vehicles due to computer bugs in the SIV system. Effective 15 October 2009, all vehicles obtain license numbers according to the new format (provided, for the vehicles that already have a license number, their registration certificate is to be changed, e.g., the owner moves or the vehicle is sold).

The vehicle categories having special license plate numbers prior to the reform (police, administration, or the armed forces) are now in the general scheme.