Hi all
I’ve just found somewhere that regularly produces french plates and they can have them delivered to me in the uk before i drive to france
But they need to know whether I want the department code on my plate
I read somewhere that this is no longer possible?
are we still allowed them?
I need to get back to them before 4pm for delivery in time for my drive home
thanks
Sarah
You can choose what department you have, it doesn’t have to the one where you live/the car lives, it can be any, but you must have something, is what I understand the rules to be. Unless you have a special love for a different department or it’s number or logo I’d just go with your local one.
Ok
I thought i’d read somwhere that you can’t have the department on any more
I love my department so 05 it is
I’m gettting it delivered to uk from a company in ireland who do these, so just wanted to make sure i get the up to date format to pass the c t !!
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Or are they asking if you want the old style yellow one with the department at the end? I think you can still get those, but perhaps not for new registrations. I expect they’re just asking which department you want rather than if you want them at all
There are examples of the newer ones, with the department at the right
They asked if i want white plates both sides
do they print the hyphen between as it show on the carte grise?
got it
White is modern,
yellow was the old ones!
so F on the left, the hyphen between and the department at the end
perfect!
thanks loads!!
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funny how you look at things every day, then question yourself 
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Not quite right… you can dispense with the Dept number if you wish (but noted that you have elected to have it anyway).
The F flag panel on the left is not mandatory either IIRC but if you are outside France (such as going to the UK), you will need to have an F sticker. However, if you are having the Dept panel, it makes the plate look more “balanced”.
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do they have to be metal? I’m in the prcoess of filling in the online order form, and it doesn’t sdeem to have an option for metal just acrylic …
The one I bought most recently here in France was not metal
Found this
I did not know that! That is very interesting @graham! Thank you for that. Everything I had ever read had said both the F and the department were mandatory (or at least that is how I had read it so perhaps my French failed me), so it’s good to be corrected on that! No one wants to give out wrong information.
Metal is more traditional, acrylic comes in a couple of qualities. It’s a question of taste really. An important point is that they should be riveted on, not screwed on 
If it’s a classic you can get black/silver metal plates which look more age appropriate even though the have the new number format.
@chezsarah
That’s quite an important point that @John_Scully makes because the plates are being fitted in UK where de rigour they are screwed on. That’s a big no-no in France and worth 90€ if the Gendarmes notice it IIRC.
And a CT failure
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Thanks Graham
The OH thinks i should glue them on and Google other people doing this.
Is it hard to rivet them on?
Need to get someone to do this before leaving UK obviously…
Halford???
Any garage could do it as it is so easy, or get a cheap pop rivet gun off Amazon and do it yourself, £8 and it is handy to have in the toolbox.
Gluing is amateurish and an absolute pain to get back off if you break the numberplate.
I think it is a requirement in France to have them riveted on.
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I’ll second the “needs to be riveted on” statement. The garage that fitted our new number plates last year did it, bit when I wanted an additional one for the trailer, I tried glueing it - bad idea 
I’d also second Colin’s suggestion of getting a pop rivet gun yourself., but then I am a bit of a control freak…
Hi there, you may have read recently that it is now illegal to put another department on your plate by using just a sticker. The stickers were available everywhere before, internet , garages and motorway stops. You can choose the department but it has to go on as the plate is being made. Plate makers kicked up a fuss about losing business.