# 2009 New French Number Plates



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Amaze your friends with your stunning knowledge of all things French next time you're down the pub :roll: .......

As from 2009 France is adopting a new numberplate system.
They will have black characters on a white background front and rear as opposed to the current Black on white/front - Black on yellow/rear.

There will no longer be the mandatory numeric dept code for the last 2 digits eg '33' 'Gironde' (in attached example). Instead there will be a similar system to Italy with a 'LL-NNN-LL' format with a hyphen between the character groups. The euro country code 'F' will be on the left and an optional dept logo on the right..

http://plaque.free.fr/f_new1_e.html

http://plaque.free.fr/f_e.html

Bonne Vacance!

pete


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

peejay said:


> Amaze your friends with your stunning knowledge of all things French next time you're down the pub :roll: .......


.... and watch them find reasons to sit elsewhere 

It's actually interesting, PJ :? any idea why they're changing? Is this going to be a new Euro standard?

Gerald


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Sorry Gerald, haven't a clue.

I do wish we could adopt something a bit more imaginative and colourful in this country though 8) 

pete


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

This suggests that plates will not be date related, so no surge in sales for new registration year. I love the french, they have such a simple way of dealing with snobbery.


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## kennyboy (Oct 25, 2005)

Living in France most of the time, I can tell you that the French are not happy with the new number plates! They love being able to tell, not what the year of manufacture is, but from which departement the car in front is.
It is a great game, specially for kids, as explained by my French wife, to spot any number from your region when travelling and also a great pride to be able to know the name and number of each departement and there are 95!


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## b6x (Feb 26, 2007)

As a small aside, can someone please tell me the plans for the UK numberplates for the future? 

For example, the first of the new format was "xx51 xxx". Are they going to change formats again in 2010? or how will they depict the September registrations of 2011?

Or am I missing something obvious? 

Thanks,
Steve


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

b6x said:


> As a small aside, can someone please tell me the plans for the UK numberplates for the future?
> 
> For example, the first of the new format was "xx51 xxx". Are they going to change formats again in 2010? or how will they depict the September registrations of 2011?
> 
> ...


Steve,
The numbers will run on to XX11XXX and XX61XXX. This way they have cover for 50 years.
Gerry


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## b6x (Feb 26, 2007)

Thanks for that. Much appreciated. Just found this on the DVLA website:

*Why have you started the numbers from 51?*

_The age identifier changes twice a year, in March and September. To distinguish between these two six monthly changes they have been allocated different number sequences. The use of the figure 5 to precede the year, for September registrations, will maximise the registration mark combinations and offer a long-lasting system. The 5 will change to 6 in 2010 and to 7 in 2020 and so on until 2050 when the format may be reversed to extend the format another 50 years. _

Could get confusing when it all gets reversed


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

I will be 106 years old then - don't expect it will bother me much!


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## 104477 (May 13, 2007)

I thought the Swiss idea of having one number assigned to the individual for their lifetime was a good one, especially with the book that tells everyone the address of the plates owner! Road rage! Bah! I'd just write 'em a very strongly worded letter! :lol:


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Registration plates*



rapidorob said:


> I thought the Swiss idea of having one number assigned to the individual for their lifetime was a good one, especially with the book that tells everyone the address of the plates owner! Road rage! Bah! I'd just write 'em a very strongly worded letter! :lol:


Hello

I think the Isle of Man number plates stay with the owner rather than the vehicle.

R


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Game*

Bonjou ou Bonsoir,

What a shame, I will no longer be able to avoid Parisians or be able to get my bearings when traveling along. The game for the Grandkids when they come along will be scuppered too!.

I think the French system was pretty much okay, why have they changed it?. The Germans did the same too some time ago did they not?. I remeber we had our Honeymoon in the Black Forest and when we travelled along the roads you could tell what city the car was registred as an example by the first letters in the reg

Germany<<<

And on the UK side you used to be able to tell what City the Car was registred as an example OND, LND or ONA and so on were Manchester Registred cars, I think.

Trev.


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## RAH (Apr 22, 2007)

At least the French get two plates. Some States in the USA, ours included, get only one plate and you have to explain this everytime you go across the channel or there is a courteous person nearby telling you that the front one is "lost" 8O 

I do like that we can purchase charity plates, like WWF, with a pretty picture and motive and a small contribution goes to them. Personally, I always wanted the US MARINE CORPS contribution plates that anyone can purchase because they look cool, but I was never in the Marines


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Our little holiday game when in France is to pick the dept no of the region you are visiting and the first one to spot that dept no on a car when you get near wins.
Similarly on the way home the first one to spot a '59' or '62' wins.  

Re Italian plates, after several trips to Italy I thought it rather strange that all the Italian trucks seemed to come from 'Rimorchio' :? :lol: :lol: 

pete


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

How's this for an anorakey game to play when travelling in France - I have printed out a grid numbered 1 - 95 with all the names of the Departments under the numbers. Each is crossed off as we see number plates either on the road or elsewhere. Sad, I know, but we now know more Dept. numbers than French friends :roll: 

I have a rule that says you can't use a new grid until the old one is completely "crossed off". Good job we are in France for 6 weeks at a time.

(Actucally can't wait to play the game again - 'cos it means we are in France :lol: :lol: )

Sue


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## 103945 (Apr 17, 2007)

GerryD said:


> This suggests that plates will not be date related, so no surge in sales for new registration year. I love the french, they have such a simple way of dealing with snobbery.


The current French plates are not age-related either. You can get a rough idea of how recently a car was REGISTERED in your own department, but as any car "imported" into your department from a neighbouring one had to be re-registered anyway, this gives absolutely NO indication of age :lol:

Nope, the French are not happy about losing their "local plates".


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## thieawin (Jun 7, 2006)

No IOM plates are not for life or allocated to an individual

our system is totally meaningless, not date or anything else related/

naturally there is snobbery for low MAN numbers or low MN numbers or MANIC or MAN1A or MANIN enough! argh!


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