Diplomatic and Consular French plates

The current system, with plates on a green background, has been used since 1965. In the past, diplomatic french plates had a yellow background . Now, a diplomatic registration always includes these items :

• a number code for the the embassy or international organization,
• letter(s) for the diplomat status (CMD, CD, C or K)
• and a et serial number.

CMD stands for Head of the Diplomatic mission, Ambassador ("Chef de mission diplomatique") / CD = Member of the Diplomatic Corps - C = Consular / K = Administrative and technical staff, or consuls working in an embassy.

Often these items are complemented with Prefixes and/or Suffixes :

• SUFFIXES : a Z indicates a tax free vehicle, an X (rare) the contrary. Sometimes, this letter may be associated with the diplomat status letters (for instance 4 KZ 74-57)
• For consular plates, a second number for the "département" that issues the plate follows the serial number. For instance : 4 C 63-93 (93=Seine Saint Denis) or 113 C 65-Z-67 (67=Bas Rhin). It also the case for international organizations not only represented in Paris (for instance : European Union in Strasbourg 415 K 22-67)

• PREFIXES : Official representatives attached to international organizations add a prefix for this organization : E = O.E.C.D., N = NATO (obsolete in France, in 1970), S = Council of Europe (Strasbourg) and U = UNESCO. In these case, the country number code is incremented by 200. (for instance 206 instead of 6).

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French towns with consular representation (non exhaustive list) :

Consular plates are issued by the "departement" local authorities (préfecture), when Diplomatic plates are issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. This list gives The departement code and town(s) : followed by the Consular codes seen in this departement.

06 Nice : 12 Belgium, (105 Switzerland closed in 1998), 113 Tunisia

13 Marseille; Cadarache : 4 Algeria, 5 Germany, 7 Egypt, 16 Brazil, 20 Cameroon, 26 China, 40 Spain, 45 Great Britain, 54 Indonesia, 59 Israel, 60 Italy, 62 Japan, 67 Lebanon, 74 Madagascar, 76 Morocco, 96 Romania, 105 Switzerland, 113 Tunisia, 114 Turkey, 115 Russia; 416 Euratom

2B Bastia : 76 Morocco (for instance : 76 CZ 15 2B)

21 Dijon : 76 Morocco, 105 Switzerland

25 Besançon : 4 Algeria, 105 Switzerland

30 Nîmes : 40 Spain

31 Toulouse : 40 Spain, 60 Italy, 94 Portugal, 113 Tunisia

33 Bordeaux : 4 Algeria, 5 Germany, 40 Spain, 45 Great Britain, (60 Italy transferd to Toulouse in 1999), 76 Morocco, 94 Portugal, 105 Switzerland, 433 Agency for Francophony 

34 Montpellier : 40 Spain, 76 Morocco

35 Rennes : 76 Morocco

37 Tours : 94 Portugal

38 Grenoble : 113 Tunisia, 435 European Laboratory for Molecular Biology

42 Saint-Etienne : 4 Algeria

44 Nantes : 12 Belgium

45 Orléans : 94 Portugal

54 Nancy : 5 Germany (transferred to Strasbourg), 94 Portugal

57 Metz : 4 Algeria, 40 Spain, 60 Italy

59 Lille : 4 Algeria, 5 Germany, 12 Belgium, 60 Italy

63 Clermont-Ferrand : 94 Portugal

64 Bayonne, Pau : 40 Spain, 94 Portugal

66 Perpignan : 40 Spain

67 Strasbourg : 4 Algeria, 5 Germany, 6 USA, 11 Austria, 12 Belgium, 26 China, 36 Denmark, 40 Spain, 62 Japan, 76 Morocco, 93 Poland, 94 Portugal, 96 Romania, 105 Switzerland, 113 Tunisia, 114 Turkey, 115 Russia, 120 Yugoslavia, 165 Slovenia, 415 European Union

68 Mulhouse : 60 Italy, 105 Switzerland

69 Lyon : 4 Algeria, 5 Germany, 12 Belgium, 40 Spain, 45 Great-Britain, 60 Italy, 76 Morocco, 93 Poland, 94 Portugal, 105 Switzerland, 113 Tunisia, 114 Turkey, 120 Yugoslavia

73 Chambéry  : 60 Italy

74 Annecy : 105 Switzerland

75 Paris : Consular representations : 4 Algeria, 7 Egypt, 9 Argentina, 16 Brazil, 20 Cameroon, 28 Colombia, 43 Gabon, 46 Greece, 60 Italy, 76 Morocco, 77 Mauritania, 78 Mexico, 91 Peru, 93 Poland, 94 Portugal, 100 Senegal, 113 Tunisia, 114 Turkey, 180 Erythrea, 415 European Union

76 Le Havre, Rouen : 94 Portugal

78 Versailles : 94 Portugal

92 Neuilly sur Seine, Nanterre : 4 Algeria, 63 Jordan (Embassy), 76 Morocco, 407 International Civil Aviation Organization, 434 International Bureau of Weights ans Mesures

93 Aubervilliers, Pantin : 4 Algeria, 113 Tunisia

94 Nogent sur Marne, Vitry sur Seine : 4 Algeria, 94 Portugal

95 Pontoise : 4 Algeria, 76 Morocco

972 Fort-de-France (Martinique, Carribeans) : 6 USA

973 Cayenne (Guyane) : 16 Brazil, ? Suriname

974 St Denis de la Reunion (Reunion) : ? 53 India

Countries members of the Council of Europe

Cars from these European countries have a registration starting with S : France, Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech (Rep.), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia (1/4/99), Germany, Great-Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Island, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lituania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (FYROM), Malta, Moldavia, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San-Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican.

Countries members of UNESCO (Partial )

Cars from these countries have a registration starting with U : Algeria, Germany, Angola, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazill, Bulgaria, Burkina - Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China (Popular Republic), Cyprus, Colombia, North Korea, South Korea, Costa-Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, United Arab Emirates, Ecuador, Spain, France, Gabon, Great Britain (untill 84), Greece, Haïti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malaisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sainte Lucia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore (untill 84), Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, U.S.A. (untill 84), Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen and U382 (unidentified country)

Former Diplomatic series (Read article in French) : 

- Until 1939, diplomatic plates were white or silver on yellow background : CD-1234 X. Then, they were issued black on green
- From 1940 to 1945, the Vichy regime issued CD123 NH silver on yellow plates (no tax duty) or CD 12 Z (tax to be paid)
- Until 1965, diplomatic plates were : CD 12 IT 12345; consular plates : CC 12 IT 1234, the 2 first digit corresponding to the departement. In some cases, CD letters were omitted or an additionnal green Oval.

This article has been written by Fränk Kraus.