Bruce gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:

The French plate, last time I checked, relates to where the owner
lives, and does not follow the vehicle. If the owner moves home to a
different Département, then new plates are necessary within a short
period of moving.

Indeed. But if the car stays within the same dept, the same plate stays
on it. Anyway, they've changed that completely as of this January, and
have moved to a single national registration scheme with cars wearing
the same plate "for life".

Is the plate still in the same format, though, with the Département
number still being shown? Or is it a completely new system?

No, it's changed completely. They can put the dept number on a blue band
to the right hand edge, mirroring the F nationality identifier, but it's
optional and doesn't signify anything much.

They look more like the current Italian or Spanish plates - AA123AA, with
nothing meaning anything more than the rough order the plates were
issued. All new cars are being issued them, of course, but also anything
that moves between dept on resale. Dunno about stuff that's sold within a
dept, since I presume they're centralising the records.

dons black armband for another little thing that made France France.