page_title: Vehicle registration plates of France
section_title: Permanent special plates
hierarchical_section_title: Vehicle registration plates of France / Previous scheme / Special plates / Permanent special plates
caption_attribution_description: Vehicle licence plate from France used by police and customs vehicles as seen in 2008.
context_page_description: Vehicle registration plates are mandatory number plates used to display the registration mark of a vehicle registered in France. They have existed in the country since 1901. It is compulsory for most motor vehicles used on public roads to display them.
  In French, vehicle registration plates are called plaques d'immatriculation or plaques minéralogiques. The latter makes a reference to the national mining administration, which was responsible for issuing the plates in the early 20th century.
  Since 1901, various systems have been successively introduced, the most recent dating from 2009. The registration plates issued since 2009 use a XX-NNN-ZZ format, composed of a series of 7 alphanumeric characters: 2 letters, 3 numbers, and then 2 letters. This format is monitored nationwide and car plates are permanent and attached to a single vehicle from its first registration to its disposal. As such, car plates do not need to be changed if the car is sold or if the owner moves to another region within France.
  Cars bought before 2009 can still bear the old format, dating from 1950, if the owner has not moved to a different département since then.
context_section_description: Unlike the SIV system, the FNI comprised many special plates.
  The state public services, such as the National Police (French: Police nationale), had special plates that comprised the département code; a letter to indicate in which area the vehicle was authorised to travel (D for the département, R for the region, N for the national territory, E for the European Union); a dash; four numbers from 1001 to 9999; and a letter.
  The French Armed Forces (French: Forces armées françaises), including the Gendarmerie (French: Gendarmerie nationale) had a different registration plate with: a number to identify the army unit (2 for Gendarmerie, 6 for the Army (French: Armée de terre), 7 for the Air Force (French: Armée de l'air), 7 for the Navy (French: Marine nationale) and 8 for the General Services); two digits to identify the year of car registration (01 for 2001); a number to identify the type of vehicle (1 for cars and coaches, 3 for lorries, etc.) and four numbers from 0001 to 9999. Registration plates bore the symbol of the army unit the vehicle belonged to, for instance a black anchor on a French flag for the Navy.
  The Paris Fire Brigade (French: Brigade des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris), although part of the Armed Forces, had different plates with letters to identify the type of vehicle, for instance PS for first aid, followed by numbers. The Marseille Naval Fire Battalion (French: Bataillon de marins-pompiers de Marseille) used regular plates with the Bouches-du-Rhône département code, while the one in Brest used similar plates as the Navy.
  In Paris, RATP buses used special registration plates with only four numbers until March 2003, when standard registration plates were adopted.
  Diplomatic cars used green plates with orange or white lettering, depending on the series. Plates comprised one to three numbers identifying the embassy or the international organisation; letters identifying the status (C for consulates, CD for embassies, CMD for diplomatic missions, K for technical staff); and a series of numbers.
  Agricultural vehicles had white or yellow plates with black lettering. They contained one to five numbers identifying the farm and the département code. Several vehicles belonging to the same farm could share the same figures.
  German military staff in France used black plates with white characters. Registration plates started with DF followed by a number identifying the headquarters area (0 to 3 for Paris, 4 for Var and 6 to 9 for Strasbourg) and three numbers between 000 and 999.
  Vehicles owned by the French Forces and Civilian Elements stationed in Germany (FFECSA) carried a pale blue plate with silver characters. Plates contained a number from 0 to 9; a number identifying the headquarters area (0 for the Comptoir de l'Économat, 1 Baden-Baden, 2 Freiburg im Breisgau, 3 Landau-Pfalz, etc.); a dash; and four numbers between 1001 and 9999.
  The President of France could use registration plates ending with PR 75, for instance 9999 PR 75.
caption: Registration plate of the Police nationale.
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