French reg numbers ?

Silvera

I read recently that France has introduced a new vehicle registration system.

Apparently, ALL vehicles will be issued with a new reg number (rather than just all newly registered vehicles) :eek:

I've seen some of the new registrations on tv and in mags like Auto Express and they seem very similar to the old system, bar the addition of one extra letter.

Old system = 000 LL 00
New system = 000 LLL 00

Strange that they replace all plates ?

Anybody got more info ? ........ nothing much showing up on net search.

parsi

I would have sworn that I saw cars on my holidays over the years with 3 letters and they were newer than their 2 lettered brethren..the Parisien type went to three letters before the Bittany regs..

This site http://sfpi.asurtech.com/plaques.htm suggest that the current 000 xxxx 00 setup will run out by 2010

Silvera

(pity that site is only in French, I only know a little of the language ).

As I couldn't find out any specific info (in english!) I presumed that the new system was/is - 000 LLL 00 - as most French featured cars in mags like Auto Express had this type of reg.

Hence this thread seeking info ???

(Plus I reckoned it's time we discussed more EU car-related happenings!)

citroman

In France,
like other countries, e.g. Germany, the vehicle get a new reg number at each owner change, or change of address. So, if their number ends in say 95, then you know the vehicle owner is living or has an address in Paris. If the car went down to Nice, it would get a reg ending with a 13 number. Is it possible that they will only apply the new format to reg changes!
Regards,
Citroman

parsi

The French site says that nowadays the norm is 8 characters on the plate ie 6 + 2 for the departement. So when a department gets to 9999 ZZ xx the next number is 001 AZZ xx . This is the current way. It offers options for the future.

That system is like our old one eg using TI (limerick City) when you got to 9999TI the next reg would be 1 ATI

is_that_so

citroman wrote:

In France,
like other countries, e.g. Germany, the vehicle get a new reg number at each owner change, or change of address.

Every time you move to a different "Land" you have to change. I think it's completely new number and prefix. It's to do with local taxes

ambro25

Parsi is correct.

The first 3 numeral digits are sequential (000 to 999, loop again, etc.)

The next 3 alphabetical digits are also sequential (for departments that have already reached ZZ and have moved to 3 letters already - it's obviously dependent on how big the department is in population hence car owners)

the last 2 digits represent the department, always have (and possibly always will). There are over 100 French 'departments' (akin to IE counties, I suppose, Co Wicklow, Co Dublin, etc), that's including overseas and/or islands (e.g. Corsica). The 2-numeral digit are assigned in alphabetical order: Ain = 01, Aisne = 02, etc.

Representations beyond 99 correspond to overseas departments (or at least outside the metropolitan borders), and are a mix of numers and letters, e.g. Corse du Sud (Ajaccio) = 2A, Corse du Nord (Bastia) = 2B, etc.

citroman wrote:

If the car went down to Nice, it would get a reg ending with a 13 number.

Nice is 06, btw - 13's Marseille.

Hope this helps, Silvera.

fjon

citroman wrote:

So, if their number ends in say 95, then you know the vehicle owner is living or has an address in Paris.
Citroman

[pedantic] I thought the post code for Paris was 75xxx, and hence the plates should end in 75? [/pedantic]

ambro25

fjon wrote:

[pedantic] I thought the post code for Paris was 75xxx, and hence the plates should end in 75? [/pedantic]

Central Paris is 75, but there are a sh1tload of very small departments arrayed in the immediate periphery (77, 92, 93, etc.), which could easily let you think that they're all Paris.

There you go - have a look