The main advantage of the current registration plates, though, is that they enable you to identify intruders who have dared motor into your home département. This all started when I was sitting in Jen’s car and she said “21!”. The one thing you’re guaranteed to see on a car journey is more cars, so games revolving around number plates are a sure bet.. There’s loads of ways to play games with number plates.You could spot the letters of the alphabet from A to Z. When you see that 75 ahead of you, and they are dithering at a turning, a bit lost because they are a long way from home, the etiquette is to blast on the klaxon and shout: "Rentre chez toi, Parigot!" French Property Website – Process and Certificate of Conformity. For those with difficulty finding I, Q, Z or other 'tricky' letters allowing a single numberplate with the two letters adjacent to the required letter can be allowed (thus X123HXJ can be an I as there is an H and a J on the one plate, and Y+A can be used for Z, and Z+B for A). Overseas territories of France do not have the same system as continental France, unlike the overseas départements. Mx & ATV Number Plate Decals with Your Name or Custom Text | Set of 3 Decals With Your Custom Number, Text, Color & Font Choice | 17 Colors & 14 Font Choices! We design and make things we love for both the everyday and extreme car enthusiast! Dubious pleasures, those, of what will soon be France's old number plates. For two weeks, I searched. Since every country in the world has its own license plate code, people must be able to recognize some of these. Without that 28 you cannot get telephone information about local weather or trains. And your number plate does not only tell the rest of France where you are from, but in a rough, ready and probably quite unfair way, who you are. Free zone series Former passenger series in the Free Zone Gex (department of Ain) issued until 15th April 2009 in silver on red. Nothing. So, for instance, my postcode starts with 74, and the local number plates also contain 74 as the last two digits, separated from the rest of the numbers and letters. I saw one 01 and started watching out for 02s. Then you have to go to the garage to get your number plates changed. A symbol in a small way of an archaic, inefficient fashion of doing things. Can you tell by looking at the code which country the car belongs to? A pair of numbers is worth 2 points, three of your number is worth 3 … And we were doing things like going to the swimming pool on the bus, so not quite as dangerous as when you’re driving. The game starts when you spot a number plate ending in 01. So, if you spot a 73 it's Savoie, 74 is Haute Savoie, 13 is Marseille and watch out for bad driving etiquette from the 75ers (Paris! Once I was playing bingo in a village hall in the mountains above Carcassonne. Craigsplates , a maker of both road-legal and show plates for cars in the U.K., and who also create replicas of French and German plates, shows a different French font (PDF, 4K) that is in some ways similar to DIN 1451. Because in France, your number plate ends with the two digits of the administrative district, or … But one which many Frenchmen and women may miss when it is gone. The French have their very own tedious car game; spot the "département". French post codes and number plates reflect the region. localhost. Work as a team in the car, or individually. He has, one assumes, a french carte grise (equivalent to our V5 log book) on which he will find his new registation number in the top left hand corner. To introduce a competitive edge to the game 5, this variant on the above variant involves multiple occupants in a car all choosing their own number, and then shouting "Bingo!" People laughed but nobody seriously doubted that God's own country is the 34. Just like telephone numbers so French car registration number plates show which département the car originates from. If the number ends with 75, easy-peasy, that is Paris - the city that is a département in its own right. The fact that you have got your département's number on your plate means that if you go and live down the road in another département, you have got to go to the prefecture - because each département is policed by a representative of the state called a prefect - and get your car papers changed. Try the number plate game and this will all make sense. I enjoy learning French language nuances, winter sports and travel. From Our Own Correspondent, 25 Sep 04 |  Because in France, your number plate ends with the two digits of the administrative district, or département, where you live. The game is based on the letters on car number plates. In order to protect the integrity of a classic car, the white on black number plate may be used, but must (if changing hands) display the new SIV number. That’s from around Marseilles in the south on the Mediterranean. Want the latest blog post in your inbox? ). Play just for one trip, or search for license plates all summer, and see how many … Go to Chartres, for example, and you will find yourself surrounded by cars with plates that end in 28 (Eure-et-Loir). My passions are writing, snow sports and travel. And that was during a road trip where she drove through loads of departments. Car number plate games Luxury Sportscar Car from my luxury car series after alma_sacra from Fotolia.com Each car made in the United States and the European Union has its own unique serial number or vehicle identification number (VIN). It is boring, but too much excitement is not good for kids. And just so you are clear from the outset, what you are trying to obtain by registering your car in France, is a carte grise with a new registration number for your car, which you can then use to go and buy some new French number plates. If a stranger would have a car for a stay of several months in France it is for an organization and with special finance a new car model that will be made available for the entire time without one are VAT. Registering a car in France involves getting a carte grise (grey card) and new French number plates. Downloadable playing sheets available here. Not for much longer, however. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times. To make it even easier, triple letters or numbers can be treated as a wild card, representing any letter needed. Download or subscribe to this programme's podcast, You have to change your number plates if you move to a new region, 22 Sep 05 |  Things were much better in the days of the suffix and prefix system – the halcyon days of the British number plate. If anyone would like to fill me in on the pub game, please feel free. So for example 123 FFF 75 comes from Paris as 75 is the département number for the Ville-de-Paris. [1] : §17 Originally, vintage cars had a required minimum age of 20 years from first registering. The revolutionaries who created modern France in 1789 wanted to break down regional loyalties in order to build national consciousness, so they divided up 1,000-year-old provinces like Normandy and Brittany and their names disappeared from the map. localhost. A vehicle can be considered a collectors' car if … The importance of lucky numbers is not restricted to license plate numbers, the Chinese also look for auspicious numbers in almost everything in daily life. The number plate game is simple. > Geography > General > License Plates Countries 1 ≡ But the rest are more difficult and intentionally so. But dividing a national territory into 100 little bits, arranging them in alphabetical order and giving each one a number is precisely the sort of thing the French mean by the word they invented - "rationnel" (rational). Since April 2007, the required minimum age has been 30 years. … There’s a 67. 4.7 out of 5 stars 535 $16.99 $ 16 . To claim that to have a car in France is legally on UK plates despite being french registered is bull. For instance, users of the application would enter a car registration plate like "2590 MA 64", and it would return that the number plate belongs to a 2011 Ford Taurus. We don't know about you, but we love to play 'car bingo' whilst driving in France - looking at the last two digits on the car number plate which denotes the 'departement' and shouting out the area. The Search French License Plates API allows users look up car number plates in France. The French have their very own tedious car game; spot the "département". Toulouse, for example, is in département number 31, the Haute-Garonne or upper reaches of the Garonne River. From Our Own Correspondent, Read more personal reflections from BBC correspondents around the world. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Each of the French départements (or counties) has a code number (from 01 to 95). The drive over was fun, although slightly dangerous, thanks to a game that my friend Jen tricked me into playing. Search French License Plates API Track this API is an API that allows users to look up car number plates in France. Belgium, Holland, Germany and Italy were all turned into départements. According to those last two digits you will be considered a snob, a peasant or a rioter/drug dealer until you have proven otherwise. One of the French children's favourite games during long car journeys on the road to holidays: spotting the surrounding number plates and finding where the holidaymakers come from! These figures help find stolen cars and provide information for potential second-hand car buyers. Email us at: .) You cannot use the directory enquiries on the internet; you will not even receive a letter if there is no 28 on the envelope because it is the start of the postcode. We all know kids can get bored on long car journeys, so why not play some games? It’s the number plate game! It is infernally complicated. French people are fiercely proud of their regions and were so angry when the region numbers were to be removed with their new number plate system in 2010, that the government buckled and allowed the regional logos/numbers to be mandatory as part of the plate. Better to memorize the list of the Départements before going on family holidays to France! Each player chooses a number between 1 and 9. Finally, success! I finally saw 02 and 03, then got stuck on 04 for the rest of winter 2007. Instead, the French island of Corsica has two regions: 2A and 2B, which are separate to the department of 02. I'm an experienced technical writer based in the French Alps. For tax reasons, the big hire companies register their cars in the département where it is cheapest to do so - the Oise - le 60. If you hire a car in France, be aware that everybody else can see that fact and assume you are a hopeless foreigner because your licence number ends with 60. They are French Polynesia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, New Caledonia, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) and Clipperton Island. PlateGame – The Original personalised number plate keychains Drop by wendyhollands.com, my other site. We used to do this in the UK when I was a kid. - Parisian, go home. Of course, UK no plates just run from 1 to 999, so it’s a bit easier (on average you only need to wait for 1000 cars!). Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. New car number plate system in France. Mr Spence is actually wrong, your car must be registered in the country you live in. Don’t forget, if you’re planning a road trip this summer, you can visit your local Trust My Garage member to ensure your car is running at its best. There’s a 13. when they spot that number. They believe in auspicious numbers and whenever they purchase a new car, they always try to obtain an auspicious Feng Shui car number. The time is long gone when rows of clean-cut children joyfully rote-learnt the départements in school. So, for instance, my postcode starts with 74, and the local number plates also contain 74 as the last two digits, separated from the rest of the numbers and letters. (the beautiful land). (Additional information and/or corrections desired from those knowledgeable about French plates. I think I’ll just explain it over a beer or two, and then you can write about it! Why not use the playing sheets to see how many different départements you can spot. These two last digits will be shifted into the bottom right corner with the new French standard number plate comes in, and no longer requires the region with the registration (but the French still want the numbers displayed so people know which department they’re from). You then look for 02. 2. There are no French registration plates with nine characters. Other numbers I’ve been stuck on include: 9; 19; 26. Luckily, Jen educated me on department 20: it doesn’t exist. Every time the two digits of the local département came up a boy shouted: "Le beau pays!" Please contact your car manufacturer direct for details on where to obtain your Certificate of Conformity and beware of rouge websites that claim they can do this for half the price. The registration consists of five numerals, followed by the letters TTW. I’ve made it across central France from La Clusaz and have arrived on the West coast. And people grow quite attached to their numbers. It’s the number plate game! 17,029 pages were read in the last minute. 2MP License Plate Recognition Camera - Smart IP PoE Motorized VF 2.8-12mm Lens Bullet for License Plate Capture, Exterior Compatible with Hikvision DS-2CD4A26FWD-IZS … In France, there are 95 departments: each department (region) has a number ( see the map here – I’m in 74 ). But a new money-saving measure is about to change this system and, according to John Laurenson, the French may miss it once it has gone. Sometimes, this game seems next to impossible and it’s downright frustrating. Spotting number plates is always a fun way to pass time when travelling, and now you can show off your impressive skills to friends and family alike. Did you ever come across the pub names “legs” game? To score points, players must find a pair or a three of the number they have chosen on a single license plate. So, more recently, was Algeria. Especially Parisians who have ventured out of the gates of the capital into the wilderness they call "Province" and where they are universally known by the derogatory term "Parigots". From Our Own Correspondent, 07 Jan 05 |  Car collectors: Red plates starting with the number 07 are reserved for collectors of vintage cars. The code forms the last two figures on each car number plate. For instance, users of the application would enter a car registration plate like "2590 MA 64", and it would return that the number plate belongs to a 2011 Ford Taurus. French Number Plates Ordered Online. In France, there are 95 departments: each department (region) has a number (see the map here – I’m in 74). Up until late April this year you could play the same game in France where the last two numbers on a French license plate identified from which one of France’s different “Departments,” somewhat like U.S. states, the car was coming. Many translated example sentences containing "car number plate" – French-English dictionary and search engine for French translations. One look at a French car and if you are good citizen of the Republic and have memorised all 100 départements, you can say where that car, and the people in it, are from. I'm a technical author, journalist and writer from Australia who has been living in Europe since 2000 and exploring the world from there. Subscribe here. “What are you talking about?” I asked, and so she explained the game to me. I thought, “Well, if Jen came out in late November and she’s already up to 21 by mid-January, it must be pretty easy.” Jen revealed yesterday that she actually started her count last May. Overseas territories have diverse statuses and enjoy a large autonomy. To play the “License Plate Game”, see how many different license plates you can find on your trip and check them off your list. You’d challenge a mate travelling in the same car to follow the alphabet using the suffix letter on other cars. I still find myself far too interested in car number plates when I really should be watching the road as I’m now stuck on 47. Nope, I have no idea what the pub names “legs” game is but I did crack 47 on the road trip and now I’m up to 53. And yet, apart from anything else, French people need them in order to retain even a feeble grasp of the administrative system they have been saddled with. The Chinese have an obsession with numbers. The countries Napoleon annexed went the same way. I saw 03 to 07 in one day alone: the number plate game was taunting me. The API uses SOAP XML standard format (ASMX), ideal for .NET applications, but also suitable for PHP. People think twice about insulting drivers with plates that end 2A or 2B, the numbers of Corsica, in case they find their family locked in a blood feud that could last several generations. The new administrative divisions were mostly named after geographical features: rivers or mountain ranges usually, or more precisely stretches of river or subdivisions of mountain range. Deane introduces a game for the famil to play on the next long car trip. In the days of the suffix plate (1963 to 1983), untold joy was on offer with the game of ‘first to finish’. From Our Own Correspondent, 30 Sep 04 |  Search French License Plates API. I’m guessing 75 isn’t going to be tricky when you get there…. Look up in Linguee ... the ability to read faces, to read car number plates at a distance of 300 metres and to be able to recognise smoke. From Our Own Correspondent is broadcast on Thursday, 22 December, 2005 at 1100 GMT on BBC Radio 4. This involves waiting until you spot a car bearing a specific number (for example the same number as your own car) in its numberplate. The Bingo variant. One game played in Europe is to seek the 26 letters of the alphabet, again in order. Confused yet? This agency is responsible for issuing and updating French car registration documents. Your two digits are even embedded in your social security number, the French citizen's administrative DNA. Yay! I spent about a week seeing 02s but no 01s which was really frustrating. I can’t resist playing it. French post codes and number plates reflect the region. In France, the number plates on vehicles detail the part of the country the car and its occupants are from. It is a senseless waste of time and money, serving only to reinforce a pathological obsession with order that belongs to another era. How To Play. Plate Game is home to the Original novelty licence plate keychain and car accessories online store. Nowadays, you learn them sitting in traffic. It is reserved for people abroad or overseas it is a buy back system set up by French manufacturers.