On a recent tip to Paris, when my husband was driving (the car is registered in France in my name), he was flashed and I received the Avis de Contravention in my name. At the moment we both still have UK driving licences. I tried to contest it on-line, but the application was rejected, probably because of the UK licence numbers. I was asked to complete the hard copy request instead. How do we proceed as it still asks for the French licence number? Shall I complete it as best I can and post with it copies of both driving licences? My husband will probably need to apply for a new French licence to replace the UK one? Any advice please!
I would just pay the fine (€45?), and use it as an excuse to change your own licence
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If you’re still driving on UK licences, it is my understanding that the French authorities can only fine you, and not take away any points, as the system doesn’t extend to removing points from another authority’s licence (unless there are some reciprocal agreements in place, which is not the case for UK-France, to my knowledge).
Perhaps there is something I’m missing in the initial information provided. You received the letter because the vehicle is registered in your name. What you might discover, is that when you finally exchange your licence, there might be points against it already registered. Of course, it will be an uphill struggle to get that corrected subsequently.
The French speeding fine system simply isn’t geared to sorting out issues of people driving in their country on non-French driving licences.
I also seem to recall that there’s something in the law about being obliged to change your licence to a French one if you have a highway code infraction against your name as a resident in France (probably/possibly dependent on the type of infraction committed).
I think that is no longer the case - I got a speeding fine in Bordeaux about a year ago, just a fine resulted and no requirement to change my UK licence - which I am now doing as it is about to expire.
The obligation to exchange your licence after an infraction only occurs if the infraction means a loss of several points, a minor speeding offence usually incurs just a 1 point loss and this is wiped six months later if you have no further infractions.
Yes - me too - I received and paid several speeding fines on my French-registered car (including at least one while my wife was driving) while I had my UK license, didn’t change to a French license (not for the want of trying!) and never received the points - when I finally did get my French license it had all 12 points (in France, points are deducted for offences, not added, so my new license was clean).
So all you need to do is pay the fine - or get your husband to pay! - it will have no consequence for your own license.
Do you have a 100% bullet proof reason to contest the fine? As otherwise you are unlikely to succeed no matter how you contest, and will end up paying more.
(And I’m sure you know that just because he was driving is not a reason)
I assumed it was because she was not driving and didn’t want the points on her own license.
That’s not a contestation (is there such a word?), you merely send form back with driver’s name and address filled in and it gets redirected.
I threatened to do that until OH agrees months of washing up…
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The French record points of foreign driving licence holders on a ‘permis à points virtuel’ and those points will transfer to a French licence obtained subsequently.
In order to challenge the AdC the penalty amount has to be paid with a refund made should the challenge be successful. Challenging an automatic camera offence is virtually certain to fail owing to the technical evidence required to be presented.
Edit: The UK also has a ghost licence system for those with foreign licences.
I think this is the theoretical position - but not what actually happens (unless I and other posters in the relevant Facebook group have just been the lucky beneficiaries of clerical errors!).
Exactly. Mistakes can be made. When I changed my licence in 1999, enforced because Dordogne demanded it for PL(HGV) drivers, I lost my large m/bike entitlement but mysteriously gained a PSV bus licence. 
As I had no desire to ever ride a bike again, and no desire to work as a bus driver, I didn’t notice it for years. 
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The French intoduced the ‘permis à points virtuel’ after the Cross Border Agreement on exchange of vehicle owner details came into force in 2015. Logically, there is no point of such a scheme if no action is taken to enforce it and, unfortunately, there is no way of checking a permis virtuel.
Whether it actually happens is unknown. Presumably, all those you refer to on farcebook have checked their French licence for points?